A structured approach to malware detection and analysis in digital forensics investigation

A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of PhDWithin the World Wide Web (WWW), malware is considered one of the most serious threats to system security with complex system issues caused by malware and spam. Networks and systems can be accessed and compromised by various types of malware, such as viruses, worms, Trojans, botnet and rootkits, which compromise systems through coordinated attacks. Malware often uses anti-forensic techniques to avoid detection and investigation. Moreover, the results of investigating such attacks are often ineffective and can create barriers for obtaining clear evidence due to the lack of sufficient tools and the immaturity of forensics methodology. This research addressed various complexities faced by investigators in the detection and analysis of malware. In this thesis, the author identified the need for a new approach towards malware detection that focuses on a robust framework, and proposed a solution based on an extensive literature review and market research analysis. The literature review focussed on the different trials and techniques in malware detection to identify the parameters for developing a solution design, while market research was carried out to understand the precise nature of the current problem. The author termed the new approaches and development of the new framework the triple-tier centralised online real-time environment (tri-CORE) malware analysis (TCMA). The tiers come from three distinctive phases of detection and analysis where the entire research pattern is divided into three different domains. The tiers are the malware acquisition function, detection and analysis, and the database operational function. This framework design will contribute to the field of computer forensics by making the investigative process more effective and efficient. By integrating a hybrid method for malware detection, associated limitations with both static and dynamic methods are eliminated. This aids forensics experts with carrying out quick, investigatory processes to detect the behaviour of the malware and its related elements. The proposed framework will help to ensure system confidentiality, integrity, availability and accountability. The current research also focussed on a prototype (artefact) that was developed in favour of a different approach in digital forensics and malware detection methods. As such, a new Toolkit was designed and implemented, which is based on a simple architectural structure and built from open source software that can help investigators develop the skills to critically respond to current cyber incidents and analyses

Establishing mandatory access control on Android OS

Common characteristic of all mobile operating systems for smart devices is an extensive middleware that provides a feature-rich API for the onboard sensors and user’s data (e.g., contacts). To effectively protect the device’s integrity, the user’s privacy, and to ensure non-interference between mutually distrusting apps, it is imperative that the middleware enforces rigid security and privacy policies. This thesis presents a line of work that integrates mandatory access control (MAC) mechanisms into the middleware of the popular, open source Android OS. While our early work established a basic understanding for the integration of enforcement hooks and targeted very specific use-cases, such as multi-persona phones, our most recent works adopt important lessons learned and design patterns from established MAC architectures on commodity systems and intertwine them with the particular security requirements of mobile OS architectures like Android. Our most recent work also complemented the Android IPC mechanism with provisioning of better provenance information on the origins of IPC communication. Such information is a crucial building block for any access control mechanism on Android. Lastly, this dissertation outlines further directions of ongoing and future research on access control on modern mobile operating systems.Gemeinsame Charakteristik aller modernen mobilen Betriebssysteme für sog. ”smart devices” ist eine umfangreiche Diensteschicht, die funktionsreiche Programmierschnittstellen zu der Gerätehardware sowie den Endbenutzerdaten (z.B. Adressbuch) bereitstellt. Um die Systemintegrität, die Privatsphäre des Endbenutzers, sowie die Abgrenzung sich gegenseitig nicht vertrauender Apps effektiv zu gewährleisten, ist es unabdingbar, dass diese Diensteschichten rigide Sicherheitspolitiken umsetzen. Diese Dissertation präsentiert mehrere Forschungsarbeiten, die “Mandatory Access Control” (MAC) in die Diensteschicht des weit verbreiteten Android Betriebssystems integrieren. Die ersten dieser Arbeiten schufen ein grundlegendes Verständnis für die Integration von Zugriffsmechanismen in das Android Betriebssystem und waren auf sehr spezielle Anwendungsszenarien ausgerichtet. Neuere Arbeiten haben hingegen wichtige Erkenntnisse und Designprinzipien etablierter MAC Architekturen auf herkömmlichen Betriebssystemen für Android adaptiert und mit den speziellen Sicherheitsanforderungen mobiler Systeme verflochten. Die letzte Arbeit in dieser Reihe hat zudem Androids IPC Mechanismus untersucht und dahingehend ergänzt, dass er bessere Informationen über den Ursprung von IPC Nachrichten bereitstellt. Diese Informationen sind fundamental für jedwede Art von Zugriffskontrolle auf Android. Zuletzt diskutiert diese Dissertation aktuelle und zukünftige Forschungsthemen für Zugriffskontrollen auf modernen, mobilen Endgeräten