Vulnerability Chain Mapping with Weighted DAG Threat Prioritization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vulnerability management systems struggle to effectively identify and prioritize vulnerability chains, which are exploited by adversaries to compromise computing systems, due to the complexity of interactions between vulnerabilities and the lack of integrated threat modeling.
Innovation Solution
A method and system using Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs) to model vulnerability chains, linking individual vulnerabilities based on their characteristics and threat scores, enabling visualization and prioritization of remediation efforts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If vulnerabilities are managed independently using traditional registries, then the management process is simple, but the ability to detect and prioritize vulnerability chains is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple independent vulnerability data points into a unified vulnerability chain model. By combining vulnerability characteristics, attack paths, and exploitation relationships into a single integrated system, the patent enables detection of vulnerability chains while maintaining manageable complexity through systematic organization of data elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary elements such as attack paths and exploitation relationships that connect individual vulnerabilities. These intermediaries serve as mediators that link separate vulnerability data points, enabling the detection of chains without requiring direct analysis of every possible vulnerability combination.
2Reliability
If all vulnerabilities are prioritized equally, then the prioritization process is simple, but the effectiveness of remediation efforts is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different priority levels to different vulnerabilities based on their specific characteristics within the chain. Instead of uniform prioritization, the system evaluates each vulnerability's contribution to the overall attack path and assigns localized priority weights, improving remediation effectiveness through differentiated assessment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the prioritization parameter from simple vulnerability count to a multi-dimensional assessment including exploitation difficulty, impact severity, and chain position. By modifying the parameters used for prioritization, the system achieves more reliable remediation outcomes while managing complexity through structured parameter selection.
3Loss of information
If vulnerability interactions are not considered, then the analysis process is fast, but the understanding of actual threats is incomplete
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-establishing the vulnerability chain model structure, attack paths, and exploitation relationships before actual threat analysis. This preliminary structuring enables rapid querying and assessment of vulnerability interactions during incident response, reducing analysis time while maintaining complete threat intelligence.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy or representation of the complex vulnerability interaction landscape through the vulnerability chain model. This modeled representation captures essential threat relationships without requiring analysis of every possible interaction, enabling fast yet complete threat assessment through the surrogate model.
Data Source
AI summary
Mechanisms are provided for identifying vulnerability chains in a computing system. Computer system vulnerability characteristics for a plurality of computer system vulnerabilities from a vulnerability registry are retrieved. For each vulnerability, a threat score is calculated indicating a level of risk of the vulnerability to security of the computing system. Based on the vulnerability characteristics and the threat score, a directed acyclic graph (DAG) data structure is generated having a plurality of vulnerability chains, each vulnerability chain having a plurality of vulnerabilities, represented as nodes of the DAG, linked to each other from a root node to a terminating node. Links of the DAG have weights corresponding to a function of the threat scores of the nodes directly connected by the link. A graphical representation of the DAG is generated that depicts the weights of the links to thereby represent relative threat of the vulnerabilities linked by the links.