SBOM Library Risk Assessment Using Maintainer Metadata
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing software security analysis methods fail to comprehensively detect software supply chain attacks by focusing solely on vulnerability levels documented in the Software Bill of Materials (SBOM), missing potential vulnerabilities in software components that may not be compromised but are poorly maintained or susceptible to attacks.
Innovation Solution
A server collects additional metadata beyond the SBOM, using various metrics to analyze open and closed software libraries, including maintainers, documentation, update frequency, and external interfaces, to generate a more accurate vulnerability level and risk assessment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If vulnerability levels documented in SBOM are used for security analysis, then the analysis process is simple and fast, but the detection capability is insufficient and misses potential vulnerabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the security analysis process into multiple independent analysis dimensions: SBOM-based vulnerability level analysis, metadata-based maintenance quality analysis, and external interface security analysis. Each dimension can be processed separately and then integrated to form a comprehensive risk assessment, thereby improving detection capability while managing complexity through modular processing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-dimension vulnerability level assessment to a multi-dimensional analysis framework that includes maintenance quality metrics (commit frequency, response time), external interface security, and supply chain risk factors. This dimensional expansion enables more comprehensive vulnerability detection beyond what traditional SBOM analysis can provide
2Measurement precision
If additional metadata and metrics are collected for comprehensive analysis, then detection accuracy improves, but data collection time and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-collecting and storing metadata about software components in a database before actual security analysis is needed. This includes maintaining information about maintenance quality metrics, external interfaces, and supply chain relationships. When a security assessment is required, this pre-collected data is readily available, significantly reducing the time needed for comprehensive analysis while maintaining high accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where analysis results and newly discovered vulnerabilities update the metadata database for future assessments. This creates a learning system where the quality and relevance of collected metadata improves over time, making subsequent analyses more accurate and efficient without requiring proportional increases in data collection effort
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and software can be used to identify security risks in software code based on software bill of materials (SBOM). In some aspects, a method includes: obtaining, by a server, software code and a SBOM corresponding to the software code; identifying, by the server and based on the SBOM, a library used by the software code; and generating, by the server, a risk assessment based on at least one metric corresponding to the library, where the at least one metric is associated with one or more maintainers of the library.