Static Analysis Access Control Policy Generator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual access control policy management in distributed systems is time-consuming, prone to errors, and becomes outdated, leading to security risks and delays in application development.
Innovation Solution
Automated access control policy generation using static analysis of program code to identify access requests and map them to known actions, enabling the creation of policies that adhere to the principle of least privilege without manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual access control policy management is used, then policies can be customized for specific needs, but the process becomes time-consuming and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically analyzing program code to identify access requests and generating access control policies without manual intervention. The static analysis engine autonomously traverses the code, identifies external component access requests, and generates corresponding policies, eliminating the need for manual policy creation while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of policy creation with an automated computational system. The static analysis engine uses program analysis techniques to automatically extract access requests from code and generate policies, substituting human effort with algorithmic processing that is both faster and more accurate.
2Reliability
If manual access control policy management is used, then policies can be tailored to specific requirements, but they become outdated and require continuous manual updates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by generating access control policies before application deployment. The static analysis engine analyzes the program code in advance, identifies all external component access requests, and generates complete policies upfront, ensuring policies are current from the start without requiring continuous updates during development.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes feedback by linking policy generation directly to the application code. When the code changes, the static analysis can be re-run to automatically update policies, creating a feedback loop that ensures policies remain synchronized with the actual application requirements without manual intervention.
3Reliability
If automated policy generation is implemented, then security is improved through principle of least privilege, but complexity of policy analysis increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies segmentation by dividing the policy generation process into distinct modular components: a static analysis engine that traverses code, an access request identifier that extracts specific requests, and a policy generator that creates policies. This modular architecture manages complexity while delivering secure, automated policy generation based on actual code requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for generating access control policies using static analysis are disclosed. An access control policy generator performs static analysis of program code of a software product. The static analysis identifies one or more calls to one or more external components in the program code. The access control policy generator determines a mapping of the one or more calls to one or more actions. The one or more actions are selected from a plurality of known actions supported by an access control policy manager. The access control policy generator generates an access control policy associated with the software product. The access control policy comprises one or more permissions with respect to the one or more external components. The access control policy permits the software product to access the plurality of external components using the access control policy manager during execution of the software product.