Runtime Agent for Web Application Security Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional black-box security testing for web applications primarily focuses on identifying vulnerabilities but lacks the ability to detect positive secure activities, leading to incomplete security assessments and potential misinterpretation of vulnerability reports.
Innovation Solution
A runtime agent is employed to monitor the internal operations of a web application under test, providing feedback on secure activities such as input validation and API usage during attack vectors, which is integrated into vulnerability reports to enhance the comprehensive analysis and trustworthiness of security testing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional black-box security testing is used to identify vulnerabilities, then vulnerability detection capability is improved, but the ability to detect positive secure activities deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a runtime agent as an intermediary component that is installed on the application server to monitor internal operations. This agent acts as a mediator between the application under test and the security testing system, capturing secure activity information that would otherwise be invisible to traditional black-box scanners. The agent collects data about input validation, security controls, and defensive mechanisms, thereby recovering the lost information about positive secure activities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-dimension black-box approach to a multi-dimensional testing framework by adding the runtime agent dimension. This enables simultaneous collection of both vulnerability data (from attack responses) and secure activity data (from internal operation monitoring). The dimensionality change allows the system to capture information from multiple perspectives: external attack outcomes and internal defensive behaviors.
2Reliability
If comprehensive security monitoring is implemented using a runtime agent, then security assessment completeness is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The runtime agent is designed with multi-functionality to handle multiple security testing tasks through a single component. It simultaneously monitors input validation, tracks security control execution, captures API usage patterns, and provides feedback on both vulnerabilities and secure activities. This universal approach consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate monitoring tools, thereby managing complexity while maintaining comprehensive assessment capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the runtime agent continuously monitors application operations and provides real-time information back to the security testing system. This feedback loop enables dynamic adjustment of testing strategies and provides continuous visibility into secure activities. The feedback principle helps manage complexity by creating a closed-loop system that automatically adapts rather than requiring manual configuration of multiple independent tools.
3Ease of operation
If only vulnerability presence is reported without secure activity context, then reporting simplicity is maintained, but report interpretability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges vulnerability reporting with secure activity reporting into a unified security assessment report. Instead of separate reports for vulnerabilities and secure activities, the system combines both types of information in a single comprehensive report. This merging provides context about defensive mechanisms alongside vulnerability findings, improving interpretability while maintaining operational simplicity through a single integrated reporting interface.
Data Source
AI summary
Example embodiments disclosed herein relate to determining a secure activity of an application under test (AUT). Execution of an application under test is monitored. During an attack vector, an application programming interface associated with a secure activity is determined. A message is sent to a security test that secure activity occurred.