Security vulnerability monitor

• US 20050005152A1
• Filed: 07/01/2003
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Tsai, Timothy Kohchih, Singh, Navjot
• Application Number:
  US10/611,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20050005152A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automatically determining whether a security vulnerability alert is relevant to a device (e.g., personal computer, server, personal digital assistant [PDA], etc.), and automatically retrieving the associated software patches for relevant alerts, are disclosed. The illustrative embodiment intelligently determines whether the software application specified by a security vulnerability alert is resident on the device, whether the version of the software application on the device matches that of the security vulnerability alert, and whether the device'"'"'s hardware platform and operating system match those of the security vulnerability alert.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a security vulnerability alert associated with a software application; and

(b) determining whether said software application is resident on a device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein (b) comprises consulting a software installation manager for said device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein (b) comprises consulting a registry for said device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein (b) comprises searching a file system of said device.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein (b) also comprises performing a text-based scan of a file to determine the version of a software application on said device.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein (b) also comprises executing a file in a sandbox to determine the version of a software application on said device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising notifying a user of said security vulnerability alert when said software application is resident on said device.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing said security vulnerability alert in a database.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising notifying a user about a software patch associated with said security vulnerability alert when said software application is resident on said device.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising retrieving a software patch associated with said security vulnerability alert when said software application is resident on said device.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising installing said software patch on said device.

12. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a request to install a software application on a device; and

(b) querying a database for security vulnerability alerts for said software application.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

installing said software application on said device; and

installing a software patch on said device when (b) returns a security vulnerability alert.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising retrieving said software patch.

15. A method comprising:

(a) ascertaining what software applications are resident on a device; and

(b) querying a database for security vulnerability alerts for said software applications.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising installing a software patch when (b) returns a security vulnerability alert.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising retrieving said software patch.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein (a) comprises consulting a software installation manager for said device.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein (a) comprises consulting a registry for said device.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein (a) comprises searching a file system of said device.