Security scanning system and method

• US 10,044,743 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2015
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Howcroft, Jerald Robert, Markley, John J., Del Carmine, Rocco A.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIANG, JASON
• Application Number:
  US14/937,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20160080409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/56 Computer malware detection or handling, e.g. anti-virus arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/14 for detecting or protecting against malicious traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1433 Vulnerability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/24 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of server load, available bandwidth, upstream requests monitoring of server performance or load G06F11/34; arrangements for observation, testing or troubleshooting for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/442 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a computer-readable medium, method and system for determining security vulnerabilities for a plurality of application programs used to provide television services to a customer device over a communications network. The method includes running a first scanning program against a first application program relating to a control panel for the customer device; running a second scanning program against a second application program that provides Internet content to the customer device; running a third scanning program against a third application program that relates to a component management system of customer premises equipment; and correlating security vulnerabilities identified utilizing the first, second, and third scanning programs.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including processor executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

scanning, with a website scanning program, a control panel application for enabling a user to access a set-top-box remotely to navigate and select content, wherein the website scanning program is configured to access the set-top-box via a broadband connection to a modem locally coupled to the set-top-box, wherein scanning the control panel application includes;

receiving a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with a web server level of the control panel application, wherein the URL is indicative of a particular website; and

automatically navigating the particular website as a simulated user to discover links and record responses;

scanning, with an operating system level scanning program, the control panel application and an operating system in which the control panel application is executing;

scanning, with the website scanning program, a second application, wherein the second application provides Internet content to the set-top-box;

scanning, by the operating system level scanning program, the second application;

scanning, with a third scanning program, a component management application for managing and auto-configuring the set-top-box with a third scanning program; and

correlating security vulnerabilities identified by the website scanning program, the operating system level scanning program, and the third scanning program.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein scanning the second application with the website scanning program comprises testing a web server level of the second application.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein testing the web server level of the second application includes:

receiving a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with the web server level of the second application, wherein the URL is indicative of a particular website; and

automatically navigating the particular website as a simulated user to discover links and record responses.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the broadband connection includes a cable connection.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the broadband connection includes a satellite connection.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations include:

assigning risk levels to security vulnerabilities identified by the website scanning program and the operating system level scanning program; and

providing a report indicative of the risk levels.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the website scanning program accesses the set-top-box using a pass through connection to the modem.

8. A method of determining security vulnerabilities associated with providing television services to a set-top-box over a communications network, the method comprising:

scanning, with a website scanning program, a control panel application for enabling a user to access a set-top-box remotely to navigate and select content, wherein the website scanning program is configured to access the set-top-box via a broadband connection to a modem locally coupled to the set-top-box, wherein scanning the control panel application includes;

receiving a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with a web server level of the control panel application, wherein the URL is indicative of a particular website; and

automatically navigating the particular website as a simulated user to discover links and record responses;

scanning, with an operating system level scanning program, the control panel application and an operating system executing associated with the control panel application;

scanning, with the website scanning program, a second application, wherein the second application provides Internet content to the set-top-box;

scanning, by the operating system level scanning program, the second application;

scanning, with a third scanning program, a component management application for managing and auto-configuring the set-top-box with a third scanning program; and

correlating security vulnerabilities identified by the website scanning program, the operating system level scanning program, and the third scanning program.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein scanning the second application with the website scanning program comprises testing a web server level of the second application.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein testing the web server level of the second application includes:

receiving a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with the web server level of the second application, wherein the URL is indicative of a particular website; and

automatically navigating the particular website as a simulated user to discover links and record responses.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the broadband connection includes a cable connection.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the broadband connection includes a satellite connection.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

assigning risk levels to security vulnerabilities identified by the website scanning program and the operating system level scanning program; and

providing a report indicative of the risk levels.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the website scanning program accesses the set-top-box using a pass through connection to the modem.

15. A server, comprising:

a processor; and

a storage medium including a database to store information relating to security vulnerabilities for a plurality of applications associated with a customer device and processor executable program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

scanning, with a website scanning program, a control panel application for enabling a user to access a set-top-box remotely to navigate and select content, wherein the website scanning program is configured to access the set-top-box via a broadband connection to a modem locally coupled to the set-top-box, wherein scanning the control panel application includes;

receiving a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with a web server level of the control panel application, wherein the URL is indicative of a particular website; and

automatically navigating the particular website as a simulated user to discover links and record responses;

scanning, with an operating system level scanning program, the control panel application and an operating system associated with the control panel application;

scanning, with the website scanning program, a second application, wherein the second application provides Internet content to the set-top-box;

scanning, by the operating system level scanning program, the second application;

scanning, with a third scanning program, a component management application for managing and auto-configuring the set-top-box with a third scanning program; and

correlating security vulnerabilities identified by the website scanning program, the operating system level scanning program, and the third scanning program.

16. The server of claim 15, wherein:

scanning the second application with the website scanning program comprises testing a web server level of the second application.

17. The server of claim 16, wherein:

testing the web server level of the second application includes;

receiving a uniform resource locator (URL) indicative of a second particular web site; and

automatically navigating the second particular website as a simulated user to discover links and record responses.

18. The server of claim 15, wherein automatically navigating comprises invoking a web crawler configured to automatically navigate.

19. The server of claim 15, wherein the broadband connection includes at least one of:

a cable connection and a satellite connection.

20. The server of claim 15, wherein the operations include:

assigning risk levels to security vulnerabilities identified by the website scanning program and the operating system level scanning program; and

providing a report indicative of the risk levels.