Serum System: An Automatic Curing System for Worms and Buffer Overflow-Based Botnets

Abstract

We propose an automatic defense system, called Serum System, against scanning worms. The homeland security department of a country can use Serum System to protect its Internet infrastructure. When an infecting host is infecting a Serum System host, called Serum System Server (SSS), the SSS automatically replaces the shellcode inside the infecting string with its code (called serum code) and then uses the modified string (called serum string) to counterattack the infecting host and take control of it. The serum code transforms the infecting host into a Serum System Client (SSC) that has the same functions as the SSS and is immune to the same worm. Therefore, infecting hosts attacking SSSs or SSCs will transform themselves to SSCs. We implemented Serum System on Linux. Our analyses show Serum System can automatically defeat related infected hosts.