Malware detection using assembly and API call sequences

One of the major problems concerning information assurance is malicious code. To evade detection, malware has also been encrypted or obfuscated to produce variants that continue to plague properly defended and patched networks with zero day exploits. With malware and malware authors using obfuscation techniques to generate automated polymorphic and metamorphic versions, anti-virus software must always keep up with their samples and create a signature that can recognize the new variants. Creating a signature for each variant in a timely fashion is a problem that anti-virus companies face all the time. In this paper we present detection algorithms that can help the anti-virus community to ensure a variant of a known malware can still be detected without the need of creating a signature; a similarity analysis (based on specific quantitative measures) is performed to produce a matrix of similarity scores that can be utilized to determine the likelihood that a piece of code under inspection contains a particular malware. Two general malware detection methods presented in this paper are: Static Analyzer for Vicious Executables (SAVE) and Malware Examiner using Disassembled Code (MEDiC). MEDiC uses assembly calls for analysis and SAVE uses API calls (Static API call sequence and Static API call set) for analysis. We show where Assembly can be superior to API calls in that it allows a more detailed comparison of executables. API calls, on the other hand, can be superior to Assembly for its speed and its smaller signature. Our two proposed techniques are implemented in SAVE) and MEDiC. We present experimental results that indicate that both of our proposed techniques can provide a better detection performance against obfuscated malware. We also found a few false positives, such as those programs that use network functions (e.g. PuTTY) and encrypted programs (no API calls or assembly functions are found in the source code) when the thresholds are set 50% similarity measure. However, these false positives can be minimized, for example by changing the threshold value to 70% that determines whether a program falls in the malicious category or not.     

Specialty Fats Enriched with Behenic and Medium Chain Fatty Acids from Palm Stearin by Lipase Acidolysis

Structured lipids containing behenic and medium chain (MC) fatty acids were prepared from palm stearin using 1,3-specific lipase-catalyzed acidolysis. Incorporation of MC and behenic acids was affected by proportion of substrate, type of fatty acids, reaction time, addition of water and quantity of lipase. It was found that incorporation of caproic acid was less compared to other longer chain fatty acids. Caprylic, capric and behenic acids shared similar incorporation (up to 32 %), which increased with the amount of fatty acids added and the time of reaction. The incorporation of these acids increased with addition of 1 % moisture and the increasing amount of enzyme from 5 to 10 % at the beginning of the reaction. Incorporating behenic and MC fatty acids, reduced palmitic and oleic acids considerably from palm stearin, the extent being the same as those incorporated. However, the reduction of linoleic acid was marginal. The solid fats content of the modified palm stearin containing MC and behenic acids were reduced at all temperatures due to a reduction in higher molecular weight triglycerides and an increasing proportion of lower chain triglycerides. The modified products of palm stearin with added capric and behenic acids were similar to commercial bakery shortenings and those with added capric acid were like salad or cooking oils or butter in melting characteristics.     

Preparation and properties of nanoparticle and long-fiber-reinforced unsaturated polyester composites

In this study, a new approach was used to prepare polymer composites reinforced by both nanoparticles and continuous fibers. Carbon nanofibers were prebound onto glass fiber mats, and then unsaturated polyester composites were prepared by vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding. Mechanical and thermal properties of these composites were measured and compared with those of the composites synthesized by premixing carbon nanofibers with the polymer resin. Flexural strength and modulus of composites improved with the incorporation of nanoparticles. Specifically, the property improvement was higher in the case of the composites prepared by the new prebound method. It was also found that carbon nanofibers increased the glass transition temperature and reduced the thermal expansion coefficient of unsaturated polyester composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 2009. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Carbon nanofiber paper and its effect on cure kinetics of low temperature epoxy resin

In this study, the preparation, properties, and characterization of thin films or “nanopapers” of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were studied. Specifically, a layer-by-layer nanopaper preparation method was used, which significantly improved the mechanical properties of nanopapers. The effect of CNF nanopaper on the cure kinetics of a low temperature epoxy resin was studied. A modified autocatalytic model was used to represent the reaction kinetics. It was found that the presence of CNF nanopaper substantially increased the resin reaction rate and final conversion. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Preparation of palm olein enriched with medium chain fatty acids by lipase acidolysis

Medium chain (MC) fatty acids, caprylic (C8:0) and capric (C10:0) were incorporated into palm olein by 1,3-specific lipase acidolysis, up to 36% and 43%, respectively, when added as mixtures or individually after 24 h. It was found that these acids were incorporated into palm olein at the expense of palmitic and oleic acids, the former being larger in quantity and reduction of 18:2 was negligible. The modified palm olein products showed reduction in higher molecular weight triacylglycerols (TGs) and increase in concentration of lower molecular weight TGs compared to those of palm olein. Fatty acids at sn-2 position in modified products were: C10:0, 4%; C16:0, 13%; C18:1, 66%; and C18:2, 15.4%. DSC results showed that the onset of melting and solids fat content were considerably reduced in modified palm olein products and no solids were found even at and below 10 °C and also the onset of crystallisation was considerably lowered. The cloud point was reduced and iodine value dropped from 55.4 to 38 in modified palm olein. Thus, nutritionally superior palm olein was prepared by introducing MC fatty acids with reduced palmitic acid through lipase acidolysis.     

High-Performance Multifunctional Fuel Additives Derived from Renewable Fatty Acids and Phosphazene

The increasing need for high-quality diesel fuel can be fulfilled by using environmental friendly, high-performance additives. We have synthesized novel fatty acid-derived multifunctional additives coupled with phosphazene moiety having the backbone of alternative nitrogen and phosphorous atoms which provided stability, while the additives possessed affinity for the metal surface to form a surface-complex film leading to the hindered metal contact and providing friction-reducing and antiwear properties. In addition, the applicability of the synthesized additives was investigated by testing the anti-oxidant and anticorrosion properties in polyethylene glycol (PEG200) which was taken as the reference base fluid. A rotating bomb oxidation test was used to evaluate the anti-oxidant characteristics, and a four-ball test for the tribological properties. Among the synthesized additives, phosphazene ester of erucic acid exhibited the best antiwear and antifriction properties; however, phosphazene ester of oleic acid was found to be the best anti-oxidant additive.     

Use of Chemically Modified Wheat Gluten to Reduce Formaldehyde Emissions During Curing of Pigment Print Pastes on Fabrics

The study demonstrated that chemically modified wheat gluten reduces formaldehyde emissions from pigment print pastes on fabrics. Gluten was chemically modified by three methods. Deamidation of gluten was performed with sodium hydroxide, and methyl acrylate and ethyl alcohol groups were grafted on gluten. Print paste formulations were prepared with each type of chemically modified gluten, a commercial ethylene urea scavenger and no formaldehyde scavenger. Two types of auxiliary resins (i.e., melamine‐formaldehyde and hexamethoxymelamine‐formaldehyde resins) and four types of binders (i.e., acrylic, butadiene‐acrylic, butadiene‐styrene, and vinyl acetate) were used in conjunction with each of the scavengers. The print paste formulations were applied to cotton polyester poplin fabric and the abilities of the gluten and ethylene urea scavengers to reduce formaldehyde emissions were evaluated. Chemically modified gluten scavengers absorbed as much formaldehyde as the ethylene urea scavengers that are presently used in industry.     

Creep deformation characteristics of tin and tin-based electronic solder alloys

Creep deformation characteristics of pure tin, and Sn-3.5Ag and Sn-5Sb electronic solder alloys, have been studied at various temperatures between ambient and 473 K (homologous temperature 0.58 to 0.85). Power-law relationships between strain rate and stress were observed at most of the temperatures. The stress exponent (n=7.6, 5.0, and 5.0) and activation energy (Q _c =60.3, 60.7, and 44.7 kJ/mol) values were obtained in the case of tin, Sn-3.5Ag, and Sn-5Sb respectively. Based on n and Q _c values, it is suggested that the rate controlling creep-deformation mechanism is dislocation climb controlled by lattice diffusion in pure tin and Sn-3.5Ag alloy, and viscous glide controlled by pipe diffusion in Sn-5Sb alloy. The results on Sn-3.5Ag bulk material are compared with the initial results on solder bump arrays.     

Effect of polyaniline surface modification of carbon nanofibers on cure kinetics of epoxy resin

Polyaniline (PANI) “nanograss” was grown on carbon nanofibers (CNFs). The cure behavior of an epoxy resin with and without unmodified CNFs or PANI modified CNFs was studied by means of non‐isothermal and isothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). CNFs accelerated the reaction of epoxy and diamine. PANI surface modification further increased the reaction rate and the extent of reaction. An autocatalytic cure kinetic model was used to fit the reaction curves. It was found that activation energies of the epoxy reaction decreased in the presence of CNFs and PANI modified CNFs. The observed catalytic effect of CNF and PANI surface coating can be very useful for low temperature cure of large epoxy composite products. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010