Dynamic Website Security Testing via Runtime Behavior Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing website security measures are inadequate in detecting malicious third-party scripts, which can compromise website vulnerabilities and go unnoticed through static analysis, especially in complex and obfuscated attacks.

Innovation Solution

A system that dynamically tests websites in their runtime environment, simulating user interactions to capture and record dynamic behavior, allowing for the detection of malicious scripts, including third-party, first-party, inline, and obfuscated code, by generating and running automation scripts to log and analyze anomalies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If static code analysis is used to identify website vulnerabilities, then the analysis process is simple and fast, but malicious third-party scripts that are obfuscated or dynamically injected cannot be detected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection accuracy of malicious scriptsVSAvoidtesting system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from static code analysis to dynamic runtime testing. The system executes the website in a controlled runtime environment and monitors its behavior during actual operation, allowing detection of malicious scripts that are obfuscated or injected dynamically. This dynamic approach captures the website's actual execution behavior rather than just analyzing source code structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a runtime environment as an intermediary layer between the website and the analysis system. This runtime environment acts as a mediator that executes the website code while the monitoring system observes its behavior, enabling indirect detection of malicious scripts through their operational characteristics rather than direct code inspection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If manual code analysis is performed to discover vulnerabilities, then the method can identify security issues, but it is time-consuming and labor-intensive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevulnerability detection efficiencyVSAvoidtesting time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables automated self-testing of the website. The runtime environment automatically executes the website and monitors its behavior without requiring manual intervention. The system self-generates test inputs, executes the website code, captures runtime behavior, and analyzes results automatically, eliminating the need for manual code review while maintaining comprehensive security checking.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical process of manual code analysis with an automated computational system. Instead of human analysts manually reviewing code, the system uses automated runtime execution and behavioral monitoring to detect vulnerabilities, substituting human labor with machine-based automated testing that is both faster and more scalable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If third-party scripts are analyzed separately to detect malicious code, then the analysis can focus on specific scripts, but the scripts may be obfuscated and difficult to identify as malicious

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity verification reliabilityVSAvoidmalicious script detection difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the obfuscation technique, which is normally used to hide malicious intent, into a detectable characteristic. By monitoring runtime behavior rather than static code, the system can identify anomalies in execution patterns, unexpected network calls, or unusual data access that reveal malicious intent despite obfuscation. The obfuscated code's harmful behavior becomes visible through its operational characteristics.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the 'color' or perspective of analysis from static code appearance to dynamic behavioral characteristics. Instead of trying to identify malicious scripts by their code structure (which may be obfuscated), the system observes what the scripts actually do during execution, capturing network traffic, file access patterns, and other behavioral indicators that reveal the true nature of the code regardless of its obfuscated appearance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

Data Source

PatentUS11444970B2Dynamic security test system

Publication Date: 2022.09.13 TARGET BRANDS INC

AI summary

A website vulnerability test is performed by automatically checking that a website has not been compromised by malicious third party scripts. A system can test a dynamic behavior of a website that indicates a functional user flow through the website. Instead of merely analyzing static code of a website, the system automatically tests the website in their runtime environments for the presence of malicious third party scripts.