Automated vulnerability intelligence generation and application

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9846780-B2
Application number	US-201514631309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2015
Priority date	Feb 25, 2014
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

Techniques for providing computer security vulnerability intelligence are disclosed. The techniques include obtaining distributable vulnerability data that includes, for each of a plurality of software packages and associated vulnerabilities, threat mitigation information and a threat priority parameter, where the distributable vulnerability data was derived from an intelligence graph including a plurality of fundamental instance nodes, a plurality of document nodes, and a plurality of edges. The techniques also include identifying installed software packages on a computer system, correlating a plurality of the installed software packages with the distributable vulnerability data to obtain a plurality of installed software packages and associated vulnerabilities, ordering at least some of the plurality of installed software packages and associated vulnerabilities according to threat priority parameters, such that an ordered plurality of installed software packages and associated vulnerabilities is obtained, and providing mitigation information for the ordered plurality of installed software packages and associated vulnerabilities.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
obtaining, by a computer system, over a computer network, and from a computer security data provider, distributable vulnerability data comprising, for each of a plurality of software packages and associated vulnerabilities, threat mitigation information and a threat priority parameter,
wherein the distributable vulnerability data is derived from an intelligence graph depicting a plurality of attacks by a plurality of attackers against a plurality of entities and comprising a plurality of fundamental instance nodes, a plurality of document nodes, and a plurality of edges,
wherein the plurality of fundamental instance nodes include a first fundamental instance node that is associated with common vulnerability and exposure information,
wherein the plurality of fundamental instance nodes further include a second fundamental instance node that is associated with one of:
an internet protocol (IP) address,
a domain name,
a uniform resource locator,
a file system path,
a software vulnerability,
a software,
a name of a person,
an account handle,
an email address,
a malware family,
an attack campaign,
an event,
an organization,
a network,
a file,
a country,
a region, or
an autonomous system number, and

wherein the plurality of document nodes include a document node associated with one of:
an intelligence report,
a communication,
an analysis, or
a context;

identifying installed software packages on the computer system;
correlating, by the computer system, a plurality of the installed software packages with the distributable vulnerability data to obtain an identified plurality of installed software packages and respective associated vulnerabilities;
ordering, by the computer system, at least one of the identified plurality of installed software packages and respective associated vulnerabilities according to threat priority parameters to obtain an ordered plurality of installed software packages and associated vulnerabilities; and
providing mitigation information for the ordered plurality of installed software packages and associated vulnerabilities.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each threat priority parameter, of the threat priority parameters, comprises at least one of:
an indication of whether a vulnerability is actively exploited;
an indication of whether a workaround is available;
an indication of whether a patch is available;
an indication of a potential impact;
an indication of a software package popularity; or
an indication of vulnerability badness.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the distributable vulnerability data comprises:
periodically automatically communicating with a computer security data provider to obtain the distributable vulnerability data.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the installed software packages comprises:
automatically scanning an enterprise computer system to identify the installed software packages.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computer system is not represented in the intelligence graph.

6. A system comprising:
one or more electronic processors to:
obtain, over a computer network and from a computer security data provider, distributable vulnerability data comprising, for each of a plurality of software packages and associated vulnerabilities, threat mitigation information and a threat priority parameter,
wherein the distributable vulnerability data is derived from an intelligence graph depicting a plurality of attacks by a plurality of attackers against a plurality of entities and comprising a plurality of fundamental instance nodes, a plurality of document nodes, and a plurality of edges,
wherein the plurality of fundamental instance nodes include a first fundamental instance node that is associated with common vulnerability and exposure information,
wherein the plurality of fundamental instance nodes further include a second fundamental instance node that is associated with one of:
an internet protocol (IP) address,
a domain name,
a uniform resource locator,
a file system path,
a software vulnerability,
a software,
a name of a person,
an account handle,
an email address,
a malware family,
an attack campaign,
an event,
an organization,
a network,
a file,
a country,
a region, or
an autonomous system number, and

wherein the plurality of document nodes include a document node associated with one of:
an intelligence report,
a communication,
an analysis, or
a context;

identify installed software packages on the system;
correlate a plurality of the installed software packages with the distributable vulnerability data to obtain an identified plurality of installed software packages and respective associated vulnerabilities;
order at least one of the identified plurality of installed software packages and respective associated vulnerabilities according to threat priority parameters to obtain an ordered plurality of installed software packages and respective associated vulnerabilities is obtained; and
provide mitigation information for the ordered plurality of installed software packages and associated vulnerabilities.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein each threat priority parameter, of the threat priority parameters, comprises at least one of:
an indication of a vulnerability is actively exploited;
an indication of whether a workaround is available;
an indication of whether a patch is available;
an indication of a potential impact;
an indication of a software package popularity; or
an indication of vulnerability badness.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein, when obtaining the distributable vulnerability data, the one or more electronic processors are to:
periodically automatically communicate with a computer security data provider to obtain the distributable vulnerability data.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein, when identifying the installed software packages, the one or more electronic processors are to:
automatically scan an enterprise computer system to identify the installed software packages.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the system is not represented in the intelligence graph.

11. A method comprising:
obtaining an intelligence graph, depicting a plurality of attacks by a plurality of attackers against a plurality of entities, and comprising a plurality of fundamental instance nodes, a plurality of document nodes, and a plurality of edges;
deriving, from the intelligence graph, distributable vulnerability data comprising, for each of a plurality of software packages and associated vulnerabilities, threat mitigation information and a threat priority parameter,
wherein the plurality of fundamental instance nodes include a first fundamental instance node that is associated with common vulnerability and exposure information,
wherein the plurality of fundamental instance nodes include a second fundamental instance node that is associated with one of:
an internet protocol (IP) address,
a domain name,
a uniform resource locator,
a file system path,
a software vulnerability,
a software,
a name of a person,
an account handle,
an email address,
a malware family,
an attack campaign,
an event,
an organization,
a network,
a file,
a country,
a region, or
an autonomous system number, and

wherein the plurality of document nodes include a document node associated with one of:
an intelligence report,
a communication,
an analysis, or
a context; and

providing, over a computer network, the distributable vulnerability data to an entity having a computer system with installed software packages to correlate a pluralit

Assignees

• Accenture Global Solutions Ltd

Inventors

• Tonn Trevor
• Chang Ray-Yu

Classifications

• H04L63/1433

  Vulnerability analysis · CPC title

• H04L63/1441

  Countermeasures against malicious traffic (countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002) · CPC title

• G06F21/577 Primary

  Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security · CPC title

• G06F2221/033

  Test or assess software · CPC title