Binary Component Origin Identification for Vulnerability Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing static analyzers struggle to identify and distinguish between developer-provided and third-party components in software applications from binary files, leading to incomplete and erroneous vulnerability analysis, especially when source code is unavailable and dynamic analysis is not feasible.
Innovation Solution
A method that programmatically analyzes binary files without loading them in an execution environment, by reading and parsing binary files to determine component paths, identifying primary and secondary components, and storing their origins to differentiate between developer-provided and third-party components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If dynamic analysis is used to identify software components, then complete component identification is achieved, but the system becomes vulnerable to malicious code and requires licenses to execute certain components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an intermediary approach by analyzing binary files through a controlled static analysis environment rather than directly executing them. The system extracts component information from binary metadata and symbols without loading them into a runtime environment, thus avoiding exposure to malicious code while still achieving comprehensive component identification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual representation of the software components by extracting information from binary files without actual execution. It generates a model of the software architecture including class hierarchies, method relationships, and component origins from binary metadata, allowing analysis of component identification accuracy without executing the original code.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If static analysis is used to analyze binary files, then the system avoids vulnerability to malicious code, but it cannot distinguish between developer-provided and third-party components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by extracting and analyzing binary file metadata, symbols, and other embedded information before any execution or further processing. It proactively identifies component origins by examining compilation timestamps, package names, and source file paths embedded in the binary structure, preserving component origin information that would otherwise be lost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional single-dimension static analysis to multi-dimensional analysis by examining multiple aspects of binary files simultaneously: metadata attributes, symbol tables, class hierarchy relationships, and path structures. This dimensional expansion enables differentiation between developer-provided and third-party components through patterns in their organizational structure and metadata characteristics.
3Quantity of substance
If all components are analyzed without distinction, then comprehensive coverage is achieved, but the analysis is not focused on developer-supplied components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the software component landscape into distinct categories: developer-provided components, third-party components, and mixed components. It implements separate analysis pipelines for each segment, applying different analysis depths and techniques appropriate to each category, thereby maintaining comprehensive coverage while optimizing analysis efficiency for developer-supplied components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by tailoring the analysis approach to specific component types and origins. Developer-provided components receive more intensive analysis with deeper inspection of source code patterns and compilation characteristics, while third-party components are analyzed with focused attention on known vulnerability patterns and package metadata, optimizing overall analysis productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
In a system for determining components of a software application from binary code thereof, one or more binary files are read without loading any component/object in the files in an execution environment that can execute the software application. A component in one of the files, designated as a primary component, is visited to identify a path specifying origin of a secondary component that is associated with the primary component, and the identified path is stored. Analysis of the path can indicate whether the secondary component is provided by the developer of the software application or by a different entity.