Access Control Analysis System for Software Role Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
In complex software workflows, determining the appropriate access control roles, rights, or privileges for users is challenging due to the presence of multiple access control technologies, leading to potential over- or under-assignment of permissions, which can result in unauthorized access to applications or data.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that analyze software applications to identify access control targets, insert calls to an access control policy analysis component, and use a code weaving component to determine and report the necessary roles, privileges, or rights for successful execution, thereby ensuring appropriate access control across workflows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If access control is implemented in software applications, then security and data privacy are improved, but determining appropriate roles and privileges becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically analyzes software applications to identify access control targets and determines the roles and privileges required for their execution. This self-service approach eliminates the need for manual analysis of complex access control requirements, allowing the system to autonomously generate accurate role-privilege mappings while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback by generating reports that show the relationship between access control targets and the roles/privileges required to execute them. This feedback mechanism helps administrators understand the actual access control requirements, enabling them to make informed decisions about role assignments without being overwhelmed by complexity.
2Productivity
If system administrators set role or privilege level higher to ensure application execution, then application availability is improved, but unauthorized access risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of access control targets before deployment or configuration, identifying exactly which roles and privileges are required for each target. By knowing the precise requirements in advance, administrators can assign the minimum necessary privileges rather than using excessive permissions, ensuring both application execution and security.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the mechanical approach of manually setting high privilege levels to ensure execution with an automated analysis system that determines the exact minimum privileges needed. This substitution transforms access control from a conservative, trial-and-error process into a precise, evidence-based system that balances execution requirements with security.
3Reliability
If multiple access control technologies are used in workflows, then security coverage is improved, but determining correct role assignments becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system is designed to work with multiple access control technologies and frameworks simultaneously, providing a universal analysis capability that handles different security models. This multi-functionality allows the system to analyze access control targets across diverse technologies and generate unified role-privilege recommendations, simplifying the determination process even when multiple security systems are involved.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for reverse engineering access control include determining a set of potential access control target methods, functions and/or subroutines that may be used in software applications. A software application is then analyzed to determine if the access control targets are present in the software application. If an access control target is used by the software application, then the access control policy for the target is analyzed to determine the roles, privileges, or rights that are necessary to successfully execute the access control target. A report is then generated that provides information about the access control policy elements actually used by the software application.