Analysis of virus algorithms

Journal of Computer Science 2 (10): 785-788, 2006
ISSN 1549-3636
© 2006 Science Publications
Corresponding Author: Jyoti Kalyani, CBM Department, GNDU Amritsar, Punjab, India, E-mail: jyoti_kal@yahoo.co.in
785
Analysis of Virus Algorithms
1
Jyoti Kalyani, 2
Karanjit Singh Kahlon, 3
Harpal Singh and. 4
Anu Kalyani
1
CBM Department, GNDU Amritsar, Punjab, India
2
Department of Computer Science and Engineering, GNDU, Amritsar, Punjab, India
3
Department of Computer Science, LIM, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
4
Departement of Computer Science, Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
Abstract: Security of wired and wireless networks is the most challengeable in today’s computer
world. The aim of this study was to give brief introduction about viruses and worms, their creators and
characteristics of algorithms used by viruses. Here wired and wireless network viruses are elaborated.
Also viruses are compared with human immune system. On the basis of this comparison four
guidelines are given to detect viruses so that more secure systems are made. While concluding this
study it is found that the security is most challengeable, thus it is required to make more secure models
which automatically detect viruses and prevent the system from its affect.
Key words: TSR, viruses, worms, malware
INTRODUCTION
Virus programs use the most basic computer
functions and operations like copying, deleting and
automatic operations like decision making. It should
also be clear that no additional functions are necessary
for the operation of viral programs. Because of these
characteristics it is difficult to differentiate between
virus program and valid program. Without running the
program, or simulating its operation, there is no way to
say that this program is viral and that one is valid. It
will focus on understanding how virus writers operate,
how they perceive their world and the world around
them and how they think. Broadly virus writers can be
categorized according to three stages:
Stage I: In early times, viruses were written by young
programmers who had just learned programming. They
try to use their skills[1]
. But viruses created by such
writers do not spread because of disk reformation or
system up gradation. Viruses written by these writers
are not written for some specific purpose but only to
show their talent. They were still at their learning stage,
but had already made a conscious decision to devote
their skills to virus writing. They were people who had
chosen to disrupt the computing community by
committing acts of cyber hooliganism and cyber
vandalism[2]
. Viruses written by members of this group
were usually extremely primitive and the code
contained a large number of errors. They learn new
techniques and share their views with professional virus
writers through chat rooms or emails.
Stage II: And then these young programmers grew up.
Not all of them grew up, but rest of them becomes
professional virus writers who have the ability to create
code to harm several computers and networks. After
some time this group becomes most dangerous section
of the computer underground[3]
. After creating
destructible softwares and hardwares, their main aim is
to spread their creations and to ensure whether their
creations are spreading, they use social engineering.
Stage III: Actually virus writers are programmers who
feel themselves as researchers but this research is
illegal. They use their ability to harm the community.
Their motive behind writing these infected programs is
fair because they do it for their research purpose only
not for money[4]
. They do not spread their creations like
viruses but they do discuss innovations on the internet.
Still there are researchers who are actually working to
detect and remove viruses. They create different
patches and anti viruses to detect and prevent viruses.
FEATURES OF VARIOUS VIRUS ALGORITHMS
Remember virus is a program. Therefore each virus has
different code and algorithm. These virus algorithms
can be differentiated according to their features as each
algorithm is designed for some specific task.
Features of operating algorithms:
* Ability of virus to cover traces
* Use of Self encryption
* Polymorphic capability
* Metamorphic code Algorithm
* Terminate and Stay Resident capability
* Use of non-standard techniques
Ability of virus to cover its traces with the help
of Stealth algorithm viruses can completely or partially
cover their traces inside the Operating System. A
Stealth virus gets its name because it is very difficult to
find and it uses various complex techniques for

J. Computer Sci. 2 (10): 785-788, 2006
786
avoiding detection. The virus has the ability to redirect
system pointers and information in order to infect a file
without actually changing the infected program file.
Another Stealth technique is to conceal an increase in
file size by displaying the original uninfected file
size[5]
. The most common Stealth algorithm is
interception of OS read/write calls to infected objects.
In such cases Stealth viruses either temporarily cure
them or substitute themselves with uninfected pieces of
information. In case of macro viruses the most popular
technique is to disable the View Macro menu(s). Frodo
is one of the first file Stealth virus, Brain is the first
boot Stealth virus[6]
.
Use of self encryption algorithm This is more
advanced method in which virus uses simple encryption
algorithm to encipher itself. Here, the virus consists of a
small decrypting module and an encrypted copy of
virus code. For each infected file virus is encrypted
with different key but decrypting module remain the
same. Therefore, a virus scanner cannot directly detect
the virus using signatures but it can still detect the
decrypting module which still makes indirect detection
of virus possible[7]
. Mostly, the decrypting techniques
that these viruses use are very simple and can be done
by just xoring each byte with randomized key that was
saved by parent virus. The advantage of using xor-
operations is that the encryption and decryption
routines are same.
Polymorphic code was the virus algorithm that
posed a serious threat to virus scanners[8]
. Just like self
encrypted viruses, a polymorphic virus infects files with
an encrypted copy of itself, which is decoded by a
decryption module. But in the case of polymorphic
viruses however, this decryption module is also
modified on each infection[9]
. Therefore, polymorphic
virus has no parts that stay the same on each infection,
making it impossible to detect directly using signature.
Metamorphic code Algorithm This virus has
distinguished characteristic i.e. every time it changes its
code completely to infect any executable file. Viruses
that use this algorithm are called metamorphic viruses.
It require metamorphic engine to enable
metamorphism. These virus programs used to be very
large and complex e.g. W32/Smile is metamorphic
virus consist of 14,000 lines out which 905 code is part
of metamorphic engine.
TSR stands for terminate but stay resident This
virus will remain resident in your computer's memory
after it executes. There are number of viruses,
particularly boot sector viruses, which remain resident
in memory so that they can spread to other disks and
programs much faster and more transparently[10]
. It is
very difficult to find the virus if it has become the
memory resident because it can monitor every action
taken by your computer and cover its traces
accordingly. When TSR virus infect any system it
leaves its resident part in RAM which then intercepts
system calls to target objects and incorporates into
them. These resident viruses stay in memory and are
used to be operative until power down or until
operating system reboot. But nonresident viruses not at
all infect computer memory and are active for a limited
time only. Some nonresident viruses leave their small
resident parts in RAM which do not spread the virus
still such viruses are called nonresident[11]
. Some other
viruses like macro viruses can also be considered
residents because they reside in computer memory
during all the run time of the infected editor program.
Here the editor plays the role of operating system and
system reboot means the editor program termination. In
multitasking operating systems, the lifetime of a
resident DOS virus can also be limited by the moment
of closing of the infected DOS window, the activity of
boot viruses in some operating systems is limited to the
moment of installation of OS disk drivers.
Nonstandard techniques Viruses uses many
nonstandard techniques to avoid detection in OS kernel
to protect its residents copy from being detected and
make curing more difficult.
PROPOSED GUIDELINES FOR CONTROLLING
VIRUSES ON THE BASIS OF HUMAN IMMUNE
SYSTEM
Human immune system is itself a network which
consists of human webs, sexual webs, food webs etc. So
these are the transmission mediums for spreading
viruses but in computer system technological networks
exist such as internet, email which transports computer
viruses. Humans are self-regulating against viruses,
while computers are not. That is why strong immune
system is required for virus control. Biological viruses
and computer viruses both have different level of
sophistication like biological viruses are autonomous,
evolving and sequential whereas computer viruses are
highly regulated and static. In general, biological
viruses are less connected than computer viruses. There
are various analogies between biological and computer
viruses. Based on principles extracted from mapping
between computer system and immune system, some
guidelines are proposed for computer security which is
given as follows:
Data protection: Computer viruses are the programs
which infect programs or boot sectors by inserting
instructions into program files stored on disk.
According to this definition of viruses, the protection
problem is essentially the same as that of protecting any
kind of stored data. Many change-detection algorithms
have been devised to address this problem including
some inspired by biology. Immunization exists here
also; they are patches, alerts, virus scanning and OS
updates etc. Here an antibody counter measure
corresponds to virus scanner, which acts like antibody
cells for the protection of data.

J. Computer Sci. 2 (10): 785-788, 2006
787
Single host protection (active processes): Suppose
every active process in computer is cell as similar as
adaptive human immune system which is made up of
cells which monitor and interact with other cells. Then
it can be said that a computer runs multiple processes as
a multicellular organism and network of such
computers can be considered as a population of such
organisms. Different security mechanisms, such as
passwords, groups and file permissions etc. would
protect the computer analogous to that of a computer’s
skin and innate immune system[12]
. With the help of
lymphocyte an adaptive immune system layer can be
created which could check other processes that whether
processes are running properly[13]
. If the process is not
running properly that means process is under attack and
to cure the damaged process kernel which is performing
the functions of lymphocyte can kill, suspend or restart
that process just as in human immune system. As each
lymphocyte process could have a randomly-generated
detector or set of detectors, living for a limited amount
of time, after which it would be replaced by another
lymphocyte. Therefore, it is impossible to attack the
protection system because there would be no predefined
location or control thread. If some lymphocytes are
performing well and are useful for the system e.g.
detecting new anomalies then the life span of these
lymphocytes can be increased. Additionally,
autoimmune responses e.g., false alarms could be
prevented through a censoring process analogous to
clonal deletion in the thymus.
System using lymphocytes has the ability to adapt
to changes in user behavior and system software by
changing lymphocytes. Different security levels could
be adopted by increasing the life span of lymphocytes
and number of detectors in the lymphocytes.
For implementation of these guidelines, an analog
for peptide/MHC binding and a technique for
eliminating self-reactive detectors is required[14]
.
Network protection of mutually trusting computers:
Next guideline is to think of each computer as
corresponding to an organ in an animal. Consider each
process as a cell, but now a human being is a network
of mutually trusting computers. Here the innate immune
system is composed of host-based security mechanisms,
combined with network security mechanisms and
firewalls[15]
. Kernel-assisted lymphocyte processes
implement the adaptive immune system layer, with the
one more characteristic that these lymphocytes could
migrate between computers, making them mobile
agents. Now one computer or a set of computers could
then be reserved as a thymus for the network, which
will select and propagate lymphocytes, each of which
searches for a specific pattern of abnormal behavior.
Centralized system is not required to coordinate
response to security breach if these lymphocyte
processes use negative detection. The detecting
lymphocyte can take whatever action is necessary,
possibly replicating and circulating itself to find similar
problems on other hosts.
This guideline is similar to the previous one,
difference is mobile detector processes or mobile agents
are added here. Now it is able to detect the same class
of anomalies. With the help of mobile agents anomalies
detected on one computer could also be quickly
eliminated from other computers in the network. It has
similar requirements as before, except that it also
depends upon a robust mobile agent framework.
Network protection of mutually trusting disposable
computers: Now regard each computer as a cell, with a
network of mutually-trusting computers being the
individual. By default the normal defense the cell has is
host-based security.. For computer the innate immune
system consists of the network’s defenses, such as
Kerberos and firewalls. By creating a set of lymphocyte
machines adaptive immune system layer can be
implemented. Now the purpose of these machines is to
monitor the state of other machines on the network. If
any machine found infected, the problematic machine
could be isolated perhaps by reconfiguring hubs and/or
routers, rebooted, or shut down. But if the problematic
machine were outside the network, a lymphocyte could
stand in for the victimized machine, doing battle with
the malicious host, potentially sacrificing itself for the
good of the network.
These guidelines could address problems regarding
compromised hosts, network flooding, denial-of-service
attacks and even hardware failures[16]
. However, this
guideline is significantly more required than the
previous two. An implementation of this guideline
requires an MHC/peptide analog at the host level and
should be based on a machine’s network traffic, or
based on the behavior of its kernel. To allow
lymphocyte machines to isolate a given host a
dynamically configurable network topology would be
necessary. As used previous guideline, a thymus-type
mechanism would be needed to prevent autoimmune
responses[17]
. An implementation would require that
hosts must be somewhat interchangeable-otherwise the
network could not afford the loss of any hosts.
CONCLUSION
Present world is the era of information technology
which has made the sharing of information a click
away. But this technology has generated adverse effects
also one of which is virus i.e. with the generation of
new technologies new viruses are also coming up every
day. There are new anti-virus programs and techniques
developed too. It is good to be aware of viruses and
other malware and it is cheaper to protect your
environment from them using latest antivirus software
rather than being sorry. If your system starts behaving
differently it means your system has been infected. This

J. Computer Sci. 2 (10): 785-788, 2006
788
infection can harm your computer in different ways like
it may restrict some functions, delete files, format your
disk and automatically shutdown your system. It is
required to be little conscious of spyware and adware
when you surf in the Internet and download files.
Malware might be hidden in the files which looks
interesting. A computer virus is a program that
replicates itself and its motive is to spread out.
Therefore by following above four guidelines which are
based upon human immune system can be used to make
more secure system from viruses. Not all viruses are
harmful but some viruses might cause random damage
to data files. There are many viruses which behave
differently from general concepts regarding viruses e.g.
Trojan horse virus and Macros. A Trojan horse is not a
virus because it doesn't reproduce. The Trojan horses
are usually masked so that they look interesting. These
viruses that steal passwords and format hard disks.
Macro viruses spread from applications which use
macros. These viruses spreads fast through internet
because people share so much data, email documents
and use the Internet to get documents. Macros are also
very easy to write. Some people want to experiment
how to write viruses and test their programming talent.
But they do not understand about the results for other
people or they simply do not bother. The mission of
viruses is to move from one program to other and this
can happen via floppy disks, Internet FTP sites,
newsgroups and via email attachments. Viruses are
mostly written for PC-computers and DOS
environments. Today every user has to deal with
viruses.
For good security appropriate passwords, proper
access controls and careful design are still needed.
These protection measures act as similar as the body’s
skin and innate immune system, which are responsible
for preventing most infections. This paper has focused
on the human immune system’s adaptive responses,
because these are the types of mechanisms current
computer systems do not have. By removing these
shortcomings, it is possible to make computer systems
much more secure.
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