Palo Alto Networks, Inc.

Daiping Liu

Jun Wang

Wei Xu

Zhanhao Chen

Janos Szurdi

Fan Fei

Ruian Duan

Zihang Xiao

Martin Walter

Seokkyung Chung

Suquan Li

Ben Hua

Chien-Hua Lu

Rebekah Houser

Wanjin Li

Chao Lei

A signature generator has been designed that can create a malicious campaign signature with substantial coverage of malicious campaign behavior without impeding benign traffic. The malicious campaign signature generator uses data of multiple, known malicious campaigns to identify abused, benign network entities. The signature generator builds a graph data structure for each malicious campaign that represents the abused network entities. The relationships encoded in the graph data structure indicate the use of the combination of abused network entities in the campaign. The signature generator aggregates the graph data structures and identifies a combination of the benign network entities that were highly abused across the multiple malicious campaigns with respect to all of the abused network entities represented in the graph data structures. A signature is then created from the identifiers of this combination of highly abused network entities.

Benign network entities based malicious campaign signature generation

Detection of algorithmically generated domains is disclosed. A DNS query is received. Markov Chain analysis is performed on a domain included in the received query. A determination of whether the received query implicates an algorithmically generated domain is made based at least in part on a result of the Markov Chain analysis.

In-line detection of algorithmically generated domains

The present application discloses a method, system, and computer system for determining whether a registered domain is malicious. The method includes that a newly registered domain is registered, applying a malicious domain detector in connection with determining whether the newly registered domain is malicious, and in response to determining that the newly registered domain is malicious, sending to a security entity an indication that the newly registered domain is malicious.

Proactive malicious newly registered domain detection

Detection of strategically aged domains is detected. A list of aged dormant domains is determined, including by evaluating passive Domain Name System (DNS) information. The list of aged dormant domains is monitored for a change by an aged dormant domain from a dormant domain status to an active status. In response to determining the change to active status of the aged dormant domain, an action is taken with respect to the aged dormant domain.

Strategically aged domain detection

Detection of squatting domains is disclosed. A set of new fully qualified domain names (FQDNs) is received. The set of new FQDNs is analyzed to detect domain squatting by identifying a subset of the new FQDNs as candidate squatting domains. The candidate squatting domains are distributed to a security device/service.

Domain squatting detection

A method and system for detecting shadowed domains is provided. New hostnames are collected for a predetermined period of time. Candidate shadowed domains are selected from the new hostnames. Classification of the candidate shadowed domains is performed based on a plurality of features relating to the candidate shadowed domains to output a set of identified shadowed domains. An action is performed based on the set of identified shadowed domains.

Detecting shadowed domains

The present application discloses a method, system, and computer system for predicting responses to DNS queries. The method includes receiving a DNS query comprising a subdomain portion and a root domain portion from a client device, determining whether to obtain target address information corresponding to the DNS from a predictive cache, in response to determining to obtain the target address information from the predictive cache, obtaining the target address information from the predictive cache, and providing the target address information to the client device.

Predictive DNS cache to improve security and performance

Techniques for generating actionable indicators of compromise (IOCs) are disclosed. A set of potential sources for IOCs are received. One or more candidate IOCs are extracted from at least one source included in the set of potential sources. An actionable IOC is automatically identified from the one or more candidate IOCs. The actionable IOC is provided to a security enforcement service.

Automated extraction and classification of malicious indicators

The present application discloses a method, system, and computer system for identifying dangling records. The method includes obtaining a set of domains, determining whether a record associated with a domain comprised in the set of domains is dangling, and in response to determining that the record associated with the domain is dangling, providing, to a registrant, a notification that the record is dangling.

Inline identify and block dangling DNS records

Inline package name based supply chain attack detection and prevention is disclosed. An indication that a client device has made a request to a remote server for a package is received. A data appliance then performs an action responsive to the received indication. In an example implementation, the data appliance makes a determination of whether the request for the package is associated with a nonexisting package.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Daiping Liu