Hybrid Pipeline Web Security Testing Reducing False Positives
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current web application security testing methods face challenges such as high false positives, inability to detect logical vulnerabilities, scalability issues, and inconsistency due to reliance on human testers, which are costly and time-intensive.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid pipeline-based system that assigns tasks to both automated tools and human testers based on availability, skill level, and cost-reward values, using a hybrid task graph to optimize task execution and reduce false positives, and continuously updates the task graph with results for improved efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated scanners are used for web application security testing, then productivity and scalability are improved, but false positives increase and logical vulnerability detection capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The security testing process is divided into distinct phases: automated scanning phase for initial vulnerability detection, and manual verification phase for validation and logical vulnerability detection. This segmentation allows each phase to specialize - automated tools handle high-volume routine scanning while human testers focus on verification and complex logical analysis, thereby maintaining high productivity while improving detection accuracy and reducing false positives.
2Measurement precision
If human security testers are used for web application security testing, then false positives are reduced and logical vulnerability detection is improved, but cost and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges automated scanning capabilities with manual verification processes into a unified hybrid testing workflow. Automated scanners perform initial vulnerability identification at high speed, then human testers verify findings and investigate logical vulnerabilities. This combination leverages the speed and scalability of automation while incorporating human expertise for accuracy, achieving both high productivity and high detection precision simultaneously.
3Reliability
If human security testers are used for web application security testing, then consistency is improved, but scalability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A centralized management platform acts as an intermediary between automated scanning tools and human testers. This platform standardizes task assignment, verification procedures, and reporting formats, ensuring consistent testing methodologies across all engagements. The intermediary coordinates multiple testers working in parallel while maintaining uniform quality standards, thereby achieving both consistency and scalability.
Data Source
AI summary
A processor implemented method of performing a security web application testing based on a hybrid pipelined application which includes (a) receiving, a scan profile selected from a group includes (i) an uniform resource locator associated with an application, (ii) one or more scan attack templates, (iii) one or more attack rules, and (iv) one or more automation scan results, (b) generating, a one or more possible tasks based on the scan profile, (c) selecting, at least a sub-set of tasks from the one or more possible tasks, (d) assigning, the sub-set of tasks to an automated task performing tool, and a user for execution, (e) obtaining, one or more tasks results associated with the sub-set of tasks executed by the automated task performing tool, and the user, and (f) updating, a database based on the one or more tasks results.