URL Fragment Scanning for XSS Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional security vulnerability scanners fail to adequately test for cross-site scripting (XSS) issues in URLs, as they only scan the network portion and do not account for the dynamic changes caused by fragment portions, which can hide security risks.

Innovation Solution

A scanning system and method that utilizes a network-based security service to identify and parse the fragment portion of URLs, selecting appropriate scanning techniques to render and test different fragment parameters, thereby fully scanning URLs for security issues, including XSS, by using either an independent browser or a split-browser configuration that replicates client information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional security vulnerability scanners only scan the network portion of URLs, then the scanning process is simple and fast, but security risks hidden in fragment portions cannot be detected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity vulnerability detection accuracyVSAvoidscanning system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The URL is segmented into network portion and fragment portion, with dedicated scanning approaches for each. The scanner separates these components and applies appropriate scanning techniques to each segment, enabling comprehensive security checking without treating the entire URL as a single complex unit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A browser intermediary is introduced to render and execute the fragment portion of URLs. This intermediary component simulates client-side browser behavior, allowing the scanner to detect security vulnerabilities in fragment portions that would otherwise remain hidden from conventional scanning methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If scanners use browser execution to test fragment portions, then comprehensive XSS detection is achieved, but scanning time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity scan reliabilityVSAvoidscanning time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The scanner performs partial browser execution by rendering only the fragment portion of URLs rather than complete page reloads. This partial action approach maintains reliability for detecting fragment-specific XSS vulnerabilities while reducing the time and computational overhead compared to full browser execution of entire pages.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The scanner performs preliminary analysis of the URL structure to identify fragment portions before execution. By pre-processing and categorizing URL components, the system prepares targeted scanning approaches that avoid unnecessary full-page rendering, thus reducing scanning time while maintaining detection reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11271949B1Application-based scanning

Publication Date: 2022.03.08 AMAZON TECH INC

AI summary

The disclosure herein pertains to a security vulnerability scanner. The security vulnerability scanner parses a URL into a network portion and a fragment portion. The security vulnerability scanner then runs the URL on a network-side browser to generate processed results. Advantageously, the security vulnerability scanner is able to mimic a client side browser by running various fragment portions in order to analyze security risks.