Software Package Version Graphs for Precise Vulnerability Remediation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems lack effective methods for recommending remediation for software package vulnerabilities, particularly in complex cloud environments, which can lead to security breaches and compliance issues.

Innovation Solution

A data platform is configured to monitor and analyze cloud environments for software vulnerabilities, using agents to collect data from compute assets, perform anomaly detection, and provide real-time remediation recommendations through a user interface.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If manual vulnerability assessment methods are used, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but vulnerability detection precision and remediation effectiveness deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevulnerability detection precisionVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments vulnerability management into distinct functional modules: vulnerability scanning component, package identification component, CVE matching component, and remediation recommendation component. Each module performs a specific task in the vulnerability assessment workflow, improving detection precision through specialized processing while managing complexity through modular design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces intermediary components including a data platform that mediates between vulnerability scanning and analysis, and a recommendation engine that mediates between vulnerability identification and remediation actions. These intermediaries process and structure data to improve detection precision without requiring direct complex interactions between all system components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If comprehensive vulnerability scanning is performed across all compute assets, then vulnerability detection precision improves, but processing time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevulnerability detection precisionVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by maintaining an updated database of known CVEs and their associated package information before vulnerability scanning occurs. During scanning, the system quickly matches detected packages against this pre-prepared CVE database, achieving comprehensive vulnerability detection without the time cost of real-time analysis of all vulnerability data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies local quality by focusing detailed analysis only on packages and components where vulnerabilities are detected, rather than uniformly processing all compute assets with the same level of scrutiny. Resources are concentrated on affected areas to maintain detection precision while reducing overall processing time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Speed

If real-time remediation recommendations are provided, then response speed improves, but system complexity and computational overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveremediation recommendation speedVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-computing remediation strategies and package replacement information during system initialization or idle periods. When vulnerabilities are detected, the recommendation engine quickly retrieves pre-prepared remediation guidance, providing real-time recommendations without the computational overhead of generating remediation strategies on-demand.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements self-service by automatically generating remediation recommendations based on detected vulnerabilities without requiring manual analysis. The recommendation engine autonomously queries the CVE database, identifies appropriate remediation actions, and presents solutions, reducing system complexity by automating what would otherwise require complex human-expert systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Measurement precision

If detailed package information is collected from all compute assets, then vulnerability analysis precision improves, but data collection overhead and storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevulnerability analysis precisionVSAvoiddata volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the essential package information needed for vulnerability detection, such as package names, versions, and dependencies, from compute assets. Non-essential data is excluded from collection, maintaining vulnerability analysis precision by capturing critical identifiers while reducing overall data volume through selective extraction of relevant information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS20250298905A1Vulnerability remediation recommendation mechanism

Publication Date: 2025.09.25 FORTINET INC

AI summary

A method is disclosed. The method comprises detecting one or more vulnerabilities in a software package, generating a version upgrade recommendation for each of the detected vulnerabilities, generating a version graph including one or more of the version upgrade recommendations and displaying the version graph at a user interface.