External Reconnaissance Architecture Mapping for Attack Vector Discovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to effectively discover and manage externally discoverable assets and features of computer environments, leaving them vulnerable to security breaches and intrusions.
Innovation Solution
A hierarchical reconnaissance process that identifies and reconstructs the architecture of a computer environment, discovering assets and features through external data, and generates attack vectors based on this information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external reconnaissance is performed to discover assets and features, then security understanding is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reconnaissance system is divided into multiple specialized modules including data collector, data merger, discovery component, and security assessment component. Each module handles specific tasks in the reconnaissance process, making the overall complex system manageable and maintainable while achieving comprehensive security assessment
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs reconnaissance from an external perspective, viewing the computer environment from outside the network boundary. This external dimension allows discovery of publicly accessible assets and features that internal systems may not detect, enhancing security understanding without requiring internal system changes
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive asset discovery is performed, then vulnerability identification is improved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The data collector gathers publicly available information about assets, features, and configurations before actual security assessment is performed. This preliminary reconnaissance phase identifies potential vulnerabilities in advance, allowing focused assessment efforts that reduce overall time consumption while maintaining comprehensive coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The system focuses on discovering externally accessible assets and features that are relevant to security assessment, rather than attempting to map every internal component. This partial action approach concentrates resources on the most critical external attack surface, achieving effective vulnerability identification without excessive time investment
3Measurement precision
If hierarchical reconnaissance process is implemented, then information accuracy is improved, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hierarchical reconnaissance process is segmented into consecutive steps where each step builds upon previous findings. The discovery component receives information from the data merger and performs specialized analysis, then passes results to the security assessment component. This segmentation improves information accuracy through progressive refinement while managing processing complexity through clear module boundaries
Solution Approach 2:
The hierarchical process incorporates feedback loops where information from previous steps informs subsequent search and analysis activities. The discovery component uses acquired information to guide further investigation, improving accuracy by focusing on relevant areas while the structured feedback mechanism prevents redundant processing
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for reconnaissance of computer environments can include performing, by one or more processors, a hierarchical process to discover information of a computer environment. The one or more processors can discover a plurality of assets and a plurality of features of the computer environment, responsive to performing the hierarchical process. The one or more processors can generate, using the plurality of assets and the plurality of features of the computer environment, a representation of an architecture of the computer environment. The one or more processors can generate, based at least on the representation of the architecture of the computer environment, one or more attack vectors of the computer environment.