Simulating Black Box Test Results Using White Box Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
White box testing provides theoretical vulnerabilities without proof, while black box testing is computationally expensive and requires many execution attempts to discover vulnerabilities, lacking insight into the internal structure of the software.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that simulate black box test results using white box testing by analyzing software to identify vulnerabilities, tracing paths to entry points, and identifying inputs that result in control flows, presenting vulnerabilities in a black box view via a computer-controlled output medium.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If white box testing is used to identify vulnerabilities, then the precise nature and location of vulnerabilities are revealed, but the vulnerabilities remain theoretical without proof of actual exploitation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a simulated black box testing environment that copies the external behavior and entry points of the application without requiring actual execution. This simulation generates proof-of-concept exploitation paths that demonstrate theoretical vulnerabilities can be actually exploited, bridging the gap between precise vulnerability identification and practical exploitation proof.
2Reliability
If black box testing is used to provide proof of vulnerability, then actual exploitation is demonstrated, but the testing becomes computationally expensive requiring many execution attempts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary white box analysis to identify potential vulnerabilities and their locations before conducting any black box simulation. By pre-processing the application code to extract control flow information, data flow information, and entry points, the system avoids the need for numerous random execution attempts characteristic of traditional black box testing, significantly improving testing efficiency while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary simulated black box testing layer that combines the advantages of both white box and black box approaches. This simulation environment acts as a mediator, using white box extracted information to generate black box-style exploitation paths without requiring actual application execution, thus reducing computational expense while providing reliable proof of vulnerability.
3Ease of operation
If black box testing is used to expose vulnerabilities from user perspective, then susceptibilities are exposed in user-understandable terms, but the tester lacks knowledge of internal structure requiring many attempts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the internal structure knowledge from white box testing with the external behavior simulation of black box testing. By combining control flow analysis, data flow analysis, and entry point identification from white box methods with simulated exploitation paths, the system achieves both user-perspective vulnerability description and efficient discovery speed, eliminating the trade-off between understanding and productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods are program products for simulating black box test results using information obtained from white box testing, including analyzing computer software (e.g., an application) to identify a potential vulnerability within the computer software application and a plurality of milestones associated with the potential vulnerability, where each of the milestones indicates a location within the computer software application, tracing a path from a first one of the milestones to an entry point into the computer software application, identifying an input to the entry point that would result in a control flow from the entry point and through each of the milestones, describing the potential vulnerability in a description indicating the entry point and the input, and presenting the description via a computer-controlled output medium.