Automated Web Vulnerability Scanning via Cyber-Physical Graph
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cybersecurity rating methods fail to adequately profile and rate organizations due to insufficient incorporation of vulnerability scanning in web applications, leading to increased risk from anonymous exploitation by attackers.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for automated Internet-scale web application vulnerability scanning that generates a cybersecurity profile using a cyber-physical graph, reconnaissance engine, scheduler, and scoring engine to identify risks and assign network resilience ratings, incorporating data on infrastructure, operations, and behavioral data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional cybersecurity rating methods are used, then the profiling process is simpler, but the accuracy and comprehensiveness of security profiles deteriorate due to insufficient vulnerability scanning coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the cybersecurity profiling task into multiple specialized modules: web crawler for domain discovery, vulnerability scanner for security assessment, recon engine for information gathering, and scorer for risk evaluation. Each module handles a specific aspect of the profiling process, enabling comprehensive coverage while maintaining manageable complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary scoring engine that processes raw vulnerability data and reconnaissance information, transforming them into standardized security profiles and risk ratings. This intermediary layer reconciles the complex input data from multiple sources with the need for standardized, comparable security assessments.
2Reliability
If comprehensive vulnerability scanning is performed across all web applications, then security risk identification improves, but the time and computational resources required increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary reconnaissance and domain discovery before conducting full vulnerability scanning. The web crawler first maps the organization's web application landscape, identifying all domains and subdomains, so that subsequent scanning can be targeted and efficient rather than brute-force, reducing overall scanning time while maintaining comprehensive coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs a multi-phase scanning approach where critical domains are scanned with excessive thoroughness (multiple vulnerability checks, deep reconnaissance) while less critical domains receive partial scanning. This selective application of scanning intensity maintains high reliability for important assets while reducing total scanning time across the entire organization.
3Productivity
If multiple web crawlers operate in parallel to scan numerous domains, then scanning coverage and speed improve, but system resource consumption and coordination complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the domain scanning task among multiple independent web crawler instances, each responsible for specific domains or domain ranges. This segmentation enables parallel operation that increases scanning throughput while keeping individual crawler complexity low and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where crawler results are continuously monitored and used to dynamically adjust scanning parameters. When one crawler discovers new domains or subdomains, this information is fed back to the coordination system, which then assigns these new targets to appropriate crawlers, optimizing resource utilization and maintaining high throughput without manual intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and methods for automated Internet-scale vulnerability scanning and enhanced security profiling. The system utilizes a scheduler that directs web crawlers to scan domains retrieved from a database, interact with the contents of any retrieved web pages using fuzz testing, index and store the results of the scan, and provide the indexed results via an API for inclusion in cybersecurity scoring.