Reverse Engineering Pipelines for Unknown Binary Vulnerability Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing software vulnerability detection tools face challenges in accurately analyzing unknown binaries without source code or documentation, leading to incomplete or inaccurate Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs, which hinders trustworthiness and compliance in software deployment.
Innovation Solution
The system employs pipelined processing architectures with data collectors and information extractors to reverse-engineer unknown binaries, generating intermediate representations and identifying vulnerabilities, enabling the creation of reverse SBOMs and improving vulnerability detection and compliance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If existing SBOM generation tools are used to analyze unknown binaries, then SBOM generation is attempted, but the analysis becomes incomplete or inaccurate due to lack of source code and documentation
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of relying on source code and documentation to generate SBOM (traditional approach), the system reverse-engineers the binary to extract component information, effectively inverting the conventional flow of information to achieve accurate SBOM generation from unknown binaries
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces reverse engineering techniques as an intermediary process between the binary and SBOM generation, using disassemblers, debuggers, and other analysis tools to extract hidden component information that would otherwise be inaccessible
2Reliability
If manual analysis of unknown binaries is performed, then vulnerability detection is attempted, but the process is time-consuming and lacks consistency
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automated self-service vulnerability analysis by executing pipelines of reverse engineering tools that automatically process binaries without requiring manual intervention, making the analysis process both consistent and time-efficient
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous automated analysis through pipelined processing that continuously executes multiple tools in sequence, ensuring uninterrupted and consistent vulnerability detection without manual pauses or interruptions
3Reliability
If comprehensive reverse engineering analysis is performed, then vulnerability detection improves, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the complex reverse engineering process into distinct pipelined stages, each handled by specialized tools (disassemblers, debuggers, etc.), making the overall complex task manageable and modular while maintaining high detection accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a universal framework that can handle multiple binary formats and vulnerability types through a single pipelined architecture, reducing the need for separate specialized systems for each analysis type
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides systems and methods that support identification of vulnerabilities within a dataset, such as an unknown binary, using customizable pipelines and workflows. The pipelines may be configured to apply various analysis techniques, including reverse engineering, machine learning/artificial intelligence, and other techniques to elicit various types of data and information from the unknown binary. The pipeline may include stages configured to analyze outputs of prior stages of the pipeline detect whether vulnerabilities or malicious code are present. Different stages of the pipeline may also be configured to initiate additional workflows for further analysis of the binary or intermediate representations of the binary output by prior stages of the pipeline. Additionally, the disclosed systems and methods provide functionality that enables generation of a reverse software bill of materials (SBOM) from an unknown binary or confirmation of contents of an existing SBOM.