Patents by Inventor Brian M. Sturk

Brian M. Sturk has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11042633
    Abstract: A computing apparatus for protecting software hooks from interference may include a processing device and a memory access monitoring device configured to monitor access to the memory addresses of one or more hooks. When a task T1 attempts to write to a memory address of a monitored hook, the monitoring device may generate a notification (e.g., an interrupt), and the processing device may pause execution of the task T1 and initiate execution of a hook protection task T2. The hook protection task T2 may determine whether to allow task T1 to modify the monitored hook. If task T1 is not a trusted task (e.g., if task T1 is or may be malware), the processing device blocks T1 from modifying the monitored hook. In this manner, some attempts to unhook critical software hooks may be thwarted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Carbon Black, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul M. Drapeau, Brian M. Sturk
  • Publication number: 20190095616
    Abstract: A computing apparatus for protecting software hooks from interference may include a processing device and a memory access monitoring device configured to monitor access to the memory addresses of one or more hooks. When a task T1 attempts to write to a memory address of a monitored hook, the monitoring device may generate a notification (e.g., an interrupt), and the processing device may pause execution of the task T1 and initiate execution of a hook protection task T2. The hook protection task T2 may determine whether to allow task T1 to modify the monitored hook. If task T1 is not a trusted task (e.g., if task T1 is or may be malware), the processing device blocks T1 from modifying the monitored hook. In this manner, some attempts to unhook critical software hooks may be thwarted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Applicant: Carbon Black, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul M. Drapeau, Brian M. Sturk