Automated Payload Selection for Web Application Security Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current web application security scanners lack an efficient method to automatically select and evaluate a vast number of payloads for security scans, leading to increased processor load, reduced payload selection speed, and higher network bandwidth usage.
Innovation Solution
The system tests potential payloads on a test application with known vulnerabilities, evaluates valid responses, groups functionally equivalent payloads, and selects a subset for the actual security scan, reducing processor load and improving scan efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a vast number of payloads are tested on the security target, then the effectiveness of security scans is improved, but the processor load increases and payload selection speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary testing of payloads on a test target with known vulnerabilities before the actual security scan. This preliminary action identifies functionally equivalent payloads and selects a representative subset, so that when the actual scan occurs, only the selected payloads are used, maintaining effectiveness while reducing processing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a copy of the security scanning process by testing payloads on a test target that replicates vulnerability patterns. This copy allows evaluation and classification of payloads without affecting the actual security target, enabling pre-selection of effective payloads for the real scan.
2Reliability
If a vast number of payloads are tested on the security target, then the effectiveness of security scans is improved, but the network bandwidth usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary payload testing and evaluation on a test target before the actual security scan. This advance preparation identifies and selects a smaller set of functionally equivalent payloads, reducing the number of network requests needed during the actual scan and thereby decreasing network bandwidth consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts only the essential, non-redundant payloads from the full payload set by identifying functionally equivalent groups. Only one representative payload from each equivalence group is selected for the actual security scan, removing unnecessary network traffic while preserving scan effectiveness.
3Measurement precision
If all payloads are evaluated individually, then the accuracy of payload selection is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges payloads into equivalence groups based on their functional similarity and response patterns. By combining payloads that produce equivalent results, the system reduces the number of individual evaluations needed while maintaining accurate selection through group-based assessment, thereby simplifying the evaluation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the evaluation parameter from individual payload assessment to group-based assessment. By evaluating payloads in equivalence groups rather than individually, the system maintains selection accuracy through group characteristics while reducing the complexity of individual payload analysis.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for automated selection of payloads for use in a security scan of a web application by a security scanner are described herein. More specifically, the systems and methods test potential payloads for a security scan of a given web application on a test application with known security vulnerabilities, evaluate valid response returned by this test application, determine functionally equivalent responses, group payloads based the equivalence of their valid responses, and select one or more payloads from each created group for use in the security scan of the given web application.