PROTECTING A DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM FROM ATTACK BY A VANDAL WHO USES A VULNERABILITY SERVER

• US 20070245421A1
• Filed: 06/06/2007
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charles Lingafelt, Nigel Yell
• Original Assignee: Charles Lingafelt, Nigel Yell
• Inventors: Lingafelt, Charles, Yell, Nigel
• Granted Patent: US 7,793,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1433 Vulnerability analysis

Abstract

Method and apparatus for protecting a data processing system such as an Internet server from attack by a vandal who uses an offensive vulnerability scanner to find an externally visible vulnerability of the data processing system. The method includes determining an externally visible vulnerability using a defensive vulnerability scanner, configuring an intrusion detection system to detect a network flow associated with the vulnerability, and blocking that flow by a firewall or a router. The apparatus includes a defensive vulnerability scanner that finds an externally visible vulnerability and provides a description of the vulnerability, an intrusion detection system that detects a network flow that satisfies the description, and a firewall or a router that blocks the flow responsive to detection of the flow by the intrusion detection system.

Claims

1. A method for protecting a data processing system against attack by a vandal, the method comprising the steps of:

determining, by a vulnerability scanner, a first externally visible vulnerability of the data processing system, said first externally visible vulnerability being on a list, said list appearing in a database accessed by the vulnerability scanner;

providing, by the vulnerability scanner to an observation engine, a description of a first instance of a network flow to the data processing system such that the first instance of the network flow is associated with the first externally visible vulnerability;

detecting, by the observation engine, the first instance of the network flow satisfying said description;

instructing, by the observation engine, a blocker to block the detected first instance of the network flow, said instructing being in response to said detecting; and

blocking, by the blocker, the first instance of the network flow, said blocking being in response to said instructing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vulnerability scanner accesses the list in the database through the Internet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the vulnerability scanner is a network vulnerability scanner.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the vulnerability scanner is a host vulnerability scanner.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the vulnerability scanner is an application vulnerability scanner.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the observation engine is an intrusion detection system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of blocking is performed by a firewall.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of blocking is performed by a router.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of blocking is performed by a load balancer.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein the step of providing said description is performed after the step of determining the first externally visible vulnerability is performed,

wherein the step of detecting is performed after the step of providing said description is performed,

wherein the step of instructing is performed after the step of detecting is performed, and

wherein the step of blocking is performed after the step of instructing is performed.

11. Apparatus for protecting a data processing system against attack by a vandal, the apparatus comprising:

a vulnerability scanner for determining a first externally visible vulnerability of the data processing system and for providing to an observation engine a description of a first instance of a network flow to the data processing system such that the first instance of the network flow is associated with the first externally visible vulnerability, said first externally visible vulnerability being on a list, said list appearing in a database;

the observation engine for detecting the first instance of the network flow satisfying said description and for instructing a blocker to block the detected first instance of the network flow, said instructing being in response to said detecting; and

the blocker for blocking the detected first instance of the network flow, said blocking being in response to said instructing.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the vulnerability scanner accesses the list in the database through the Internet.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the vulnerability scanner is a network vulnerability scanner.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the vulnerability scanner is a host vulnerability scanner.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the vulnerability scanner is an application vulnerability scanner.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the observation engine is an intrusion detection system.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the blocker is a firewall.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the blocker is a router.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the step of blocking is performed by a load balancer.

20. The apparatus of claim 11,

wherein the vulnerability scanner provides said description to the observation engine after the vulnerability scanner determines the first externally visible vulnerability,

wherein the observation engine detects the first instance of the network flow satisfying said description after the vulnerability scanner provides said description to the observation engine,

wherein the observation engine instructs the blocker to block the detected first instance of the network flow after the observation engine detects the first instance of the network flow satisfying said description, and

wherein the blocker blocks the detected first instance of the network flow after the observation engine instructs the blocker to block the detected first instance of the network flow.

21. Apparatus for protecting a data processing system against attack by a vandal, the apparatus comprising:

a vulnerability scanner for determining a first externally visible vulnerability of the data processing system and for providing to an observation engine a description of a first instance of a network flow to the data processing system such that the first instance of the network flow is associated with the first externally visible vulnerability, said first externally visible vulnerability being on a list, said list appearing in a database;

the observation engine for detecting the first instance of the network flow satisfying said description and for instructing a blocker to block the detected first instance of the network flow, said instructing being in response to said detecting; and

the blocker for blocking the detected first instance of the network flow, said blocking being in response to said instructing,

wherein the observation engine is adapted to lift a blocking of a earlier-blocked instance of the network flow, wherein the earlier-blocked instance of the network flow had been blocked due to having satisfied a description of the earlier-blocked instance provided by the vulnerability scanner responsive to the vulnerability scanner having determined a second externally visible vulnerability of the data processing system such that the earlier-blocked instance of the network flow is associated with the second externally visible vulnerability, and wherein the second externally visible vulnerability is on the list.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the observation engine is adapted to lift the blocking of the earlier-blocked instance in response to an elapse of a specified interval of time following a last known arrival of the earlier-blocked instance at the data processing system.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the observation engine is adapted to lift the blocking of the earlier-blocked instance in response to an installation of a software patch or upgrade in the data processing system in relation to the earlier externally visible vulnerability.