Research Article | | Peer-Reviewed

A Proposed Approach to Integrate Application Security Vulnerability Data with Incidence Response Systems

Received: 5 February 2024    Accepted: 22 February 2024    Published: 7 March 2024
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Abstract

This paper has proposed a method to develop an attack tree, from application vulnerability data discovered through tests and scans and correlation analysis using incoming transaction requests monitored by a Web Application Firewall (WAF) tool. The attack tree shows multiple pathways for an attack to shape through vulnerability linkages and a deeper analysis of the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) and Common Vulnerability Exposure (CVE) mapping to individual vulnerabilities. By further relating to a parent, peer, or child CWE (including CWEs that follow another CWE and in some cases precede other CWEs) will provide more insight into the attack patterns. These patterns will reveal a multi-vulnerability, multi-application attack pattern which will be hard to visualize without data consolidation and correlation analysis. The correlation analysis tied to the test and scan data supports a vulnerability lineage starting from incoming requests to individual vulnerabilities found in the code that traces a possible attack path. This solution, if automated, can provide threat alerts and immediate focus on vulnerabilities that need to be remedied as a priority. SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response), XSOAR (Extended Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response), SIEM (Security Information and Event Management), and XDR (Extended Detection and Response) are more constructed to suit networks, infrastructure and devices, and sensors; not meant for application security vulnerability information as collected. So, this paper makes a special case that must be made for integration of application security information as part of threat intelligence, and threat and incident response systems.

Published in American Journal of Networks and Communications (Volume 13, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajnc.20241301.12
Page(s) 19-29
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Incidence Response, Vulnerability Correlation, Attack Surface, MITRE Enterprise ATT&CK Matrix, Threat Model, Attack Tree

References
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[3] Muhammad, A. R., Sukarno, P., and Wardana, A. A. Integrated Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) with Intrusion Detection System (IDS) for Live Analysis based on Machine Learning. In 4th International Conference on Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing, ScienceDirect, Procedia Computer Science 217 (2023) 1406–1415, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2022.12.339
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[12] Kasturi, S., Li, X., Pickard, J., and Li, P. Understanding Statistical Correlation of Application Security Vulnerability Data from Detection and Monitoring Tools. In 2023 33rd International Telecommunication Networks and Applications Conference, Melbourne, Australia, 2023, pp. 289-296, https://doi.org/10.1109/ITNAC59571.2023.10368476
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[18] Xiong, W., Legrand, E., Aberg, O., and Lagerstrom, R. Cyber security threat modeling based on the MITRE Enterprise ATT&CK Matrix. Software and Systems Modeling (2022) 21: 157–177 Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10270-021-00898-7
[19] Akamai. Slipping Through the Security Gaps: The Rise of Application and API Attacks. Akamai, Available from: https://www.akamai.com/blog/security/the-rise-of-application-and-api-attacks
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Kasturi, S., Li, X., Li, P., Pickard, J. (2024). A Proposed Approach to Integrate Application Security Vulnerability Data with Incidence Response Systems. American Journal of Networks and Communications, 13(1), 19-29. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajnc.20241301.12

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    ACS Style

    Kasturi, S.; Li, X.; Li, P.; Pickard, J. A Proposed Approach to Integrate Application Security Vulnerability Data with Incidence Response Systems. Am. J. Netw. Commun. 2024, 13(1), 19-29. doi: 10.11648/j.ajnc.20241301.12

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    AMA Style

    Kasturi S, Li X, Li P, Pickard J. A Proposed Approach to Integrate Application Security Vulnerability Data with Incidence Response Systems. Am J Netw Commun. 2024;13(1):19-29. doi: 10.11648/j.ajnc.20241301.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajnc.20241301.12,
      author = {Santanam Kasturi and Xiaolong Li and Peng Li and John Pickard},
      title = {A Proposed Approach to Integrate Application Security Vulnerability Data with Incidence Response Systems},
      journal = {American Journal of Networks and Communications},
      volume = {13},
      number = {1},
      pages = {19-29},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajnc.20241301.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajnc.20241301.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajnc.20241301.12},
      abstract = {This paper has proposed a method to develop an attack tree, from application vulnerability data discovered through tests and scans and correlation analysis using incoming transaction requests monitored by a Web Application Firewall (WAF) tool. The attack tree shows multiple pathways for an attack to shape through vulnerability linkages and a deeper analysis of the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) and Common Vulnerability Exposure (CVE) mapping to individual vulnerabilities. By further relating to a parent, peer, or child CWE (including CWEs that follow another CWE and in some cases precede other CWEs) will provide more insight into the attack patterns. These patterns will reveal a multi-vulnerability, multi-application attack pattern which will be hard to visualize without data consolidation and correlation analysis. The correlation analysis tied to the test and scan data supports a vulnerability lineage starting from incoming requests to individual vulnerabilities found in the code that traces a possible attack path. This solution, if automated, can provide threat alerts and immediate focus on vulnerabilities that need to be remedied as a priority. SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response), XSOAR (Extended Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response), SIEM (Security Information and Event Management), and XDR (Extended Detection and Response) are more constructed to suit networks, infrastructure and devices, and sensors; not meant for application security vulnerability information as collected. So, this paper makes a special case that must be made for integration of application security information as part of threat intelligence, and threat and incident response systems.
    },
     year = {2024}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - A Proposed Approach to Integrate Application Security Vulnerability Data with Incidence Response Systems
    AU  - Santanam Kasturi
    AU  - Xiaolong Li
    AU  - Peng Li
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    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajnc.20241301.12
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajnc.20241301.12
    T2  - American Journal of Networks and Communications
    JF  - American Journal of Networks and Communications
    JO  - American Journal of Networks and Communications
    SP  - 19
    EP  - 29
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2326-8964
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajnc.20241301.12
    AB  - This paper has proposed a method to develop an attack tree, from application vulnerability data discovered through tests and scans and correlation analysis using incoming transaction requests monitored by a Web Application Firewall (WAF) tool. The attack tree shows multiple pathways for an attack to shape through vulnerability linkages and a deeper analysis of the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) and Common Vulnerability Exposure (CVE) mapping to individual vulnerabilities. By further relating to a parent, peer, or child CWE (including CWEs that follow another CWE and in some cases precede other CWEs) will provide more insight into the attack patterns. These patterns will reveal a multi-vulnerability, multi-application attack pattern which will be hard to visualize without data consolidation and correlation analysis. The correlation analysis tied to the test and scan data supports a vulnerability lineage starting from incoming requests to individual vulnerabilities found in the code that traces a possible attack path. This solution, if automated, can provide threat alerts and immediate focus on vulnerabilities that need to be remedied as a priority. SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response), XSOAR (Extended Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response), SIEM (Security Information and Event Management), and XDR (Extended Detection and Response) are more constructed to suit networks, infrastructure and devices, and sensors; not meant for application security vulnerability information as collected. So, this paper makes a special case that must be made for integration of application security information as part of threat intelligence, and threat and incident response systems.
    
    VL  - 13
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Technology Management, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, USA

  • Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, USA

  • Department of Technology Systems, East Carolina University, Greenville, USA

  • Department of Technology Systems, East Carolina University, Greenville, USA

  • Sections