Detecting and monitoring server side states during web application scanning

• US 8,676,966 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2009
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Podjarny, Guy, Sharabani, Adi
• Primary Examiner(s): Daftuar, Saket K
• Application Number:
  US12/647,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-228, 717/104, 717/106, 717/110, 717120-124, 717126-128, 717/131, 717136-137, 717140-142, 717/168, 717/171, 717/172
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3676 for coverage analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A computer-implemented method, system, and computer program product for detecting and monitoring server side state during the scanning of a web application. The method includes: monitoring executed code of the web application while scanning the web application; retrieving code coverage information from the monitoring of the executed code and retrieving scanning information from the scanning of the web application; correlating the code coverage information with the scanning information; and determining a change in the server side state based on the correlation. The system includes one or more devices that executes the steps of the method. The computer program products includes computer program instructions stored on a computer readable storage medium, where the instructions, when executed, will cause a computer to perform the steps of the methods.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of detecting and monitoring server side state during scanning of a web application, the method comprising:

monitoring, via one or more computing devices, executed code of said web application while scanning said web application, wherein scanning includes invoking specific actions in relation to the web application;

retrieving, via the one or more computing devices, code coverage information from said monitoring of said executed code and retrieving scanning information from said scanning of said web application;

correlating, via the one or more computing devices, said code coverage information with said scanning information; and

determining, via the one or more computing devices, a change in said server side state based on said correlation, wherein said determining comprises;

retrieving the part of previously executed code on said web application that was executed between a time when a previous request was sent and when a previous response was received, wherein said request is the same as said previous request; and

determining if said part of previously executed code is different from said part of said executed code that was executed between the time when said request was sent and when said response was received.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of monitoring executed code of said web application while scanning said web application comprises:

sending a request to said web application; and

receiving a response to said request.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said step of correlating said code coverage information with said scanning information comprises:

extracting, from said code coverage information, part of said executed code that was executed between a time when said request was sent and when said response was received; and

mapping said part of said executed code to said request to establish a relationship between said part of said executed code and said request.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising identifying said server side state based on said step of determining a change in said server side state.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining a change in said server side state includes determining if a session of said web application associated with said server side state is valid.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining a change in said server side state includes determining if a session of said web application associated with said server side state is logged in.

5. A computer-implemented method of detecting and monitoring server side state during scanning of a web application, the method comprising:

monitoring, via one or more computing devices, executed code of said web application while scanning said web application, wherein scanning includes invoking specific actions in relation to the web application;

retrieving, via the one or more computing devices, code coverage information from said monitoring of said executed code and retrieving scanning information from said scanning of said web application; and

determining, via the one or more computing devices, based on said code coverage information and said scanning information, if a specified portion of the web application code was executed, wherein said determining comprises;

retrieving the part of previously executed code on said web application that was executed between a time when a previous request was sent and when a previous response was received, wherein said request is the same as said previous request; and

determining if said part of previously executed code is different from said part of said executed code that was executed between the time when said request was sent and when said response was received.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said step of monitoring executed code of said web application while scanning said web application comprises:

sending a request to said web application; and

receiving a response to said request.

7. A computer-implemented method of detecting and monitoring server side state during scanning of a web application, the method comprising:

sending, via one or more computing devices, a request to said web application while monitoring executed code of said web application and scanning said web application, wherein scanning includes invoking specific actions in relation to the web application;

receiving, via the one or more computing devices, a response to said request;

retrieving, via the one or more computing devices, code coverage information from said monitoring of said executed code and retrieving scanning information from said scanning of said web application

extracting, via the one or more computing devices, from said code coverage information, part of said executed code that was executed between a time when said request was sent and when said response was received;

mapping, via the one or more computing devices, said part of said executed code to said request to establish a relationship between said part of said executed code and said request;

retrieving, via the one or more computing devices, the part of previously executed code on said web application that was executed between a time when a previous request was sent and when a previous response was received, wherein said request is the same as said previous request; and

determining, via the one or more computing devices, if said part of previously executed code is different from said part of said executed code that was executed between the time when said request was sent and when said response was received.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising identifying said server side state based on said step of determining a change in said server side state.

9. A computing system comprising:

a monitoring unit, executed by a processor of a computing device, for monitoring executed code of said web application while scanning said web application, wherein scanning includes invoking specific actions in relation to the web application;

an information retrieving unit, executed by the processor of the computing device, for retrieving code coverage information from said monitoring of said executed code and for retrieving scanning information from said scanning of said web application;

a correlating unit, executed by the processor of the computing device, for correlating said code coverage information with said scanning information; and

a server side state analyzing unit, executed by the processor of the computing device, for determining a change in said server side state based on said correlation, wherein said server side state analyzing unit comprises;

a code retrieving unit, executed by the processor of the computing device, for retrieving part of previously executed code on said web application that was executed between a time when a previous request was sent and when a previous response was received, wherein said request is the same as said previous request; and

a code analyzing unit, executed by the processor of the computing device, for determining if part of previously executed code is different from said part of said executed code that was executed between the time when said request was sent and when said response was received.

10. The computing system of claim 9, wherein said information retrieving unit further retrieves information about a request sent to said web application and information about a response to said request.

11. The computing system of claim 10, wherein said correlating unit comprising:

an extracting unit, executed by the processor of the computing device, for extracting, from said code coverage information, part of said executed code that was executed between a time when said request was sent and when said response was received; and

a mapping unit, executed by the processor of the computing device, for mapping part of said executed code to said request to establish a relationship between said part of said executed code and said request.

12. The system according to claim 9, further comprising a server side state identifying unit, executed by the processor of the computing device, for identifying said server side state based on the determination of said server side state analyzing unit.

13. A computer-implemented system for detecting and monitoring server side state during the scanning of a web application, said system comprising one or more devices that:

monitor, via one or more computing devices, executed code of said web application while scanning said web application, wherein scanning includes invoking specific actions in relation to the web application;

retrieve, via the one or more computing devices, code coverage information from said monitoring of said executed code and retrieve scanning information from said scanning of said web application; and

determine, via the one or more computing devices, based on said code coverage information and said scanning information, if a specified portion of the web application code was executed, by, at least in part;

retrieving the part of previously executed code on said web application that was executed between a time when a previous request was sent and when a previous response was received, wherein said request is the same as said previous request; and

determining if said part of previously executed code is different from said part of said executed code that was executed between the time when said request was sent and when said response was received.

14. A computer-implemented system for detecting and monitoring server side state during the scanning of a web application, said system comprising one or more devices that:

sends, via one or more computing devices, a request to said web application while monitoring executed code of said web application and scanning said web application, wherein scanning includes invoking specific actions in relation to the web application;

receives, via the one or more computing devices, a response to said request;

retrieves, via the one or more computing devices, code coverage information from said monitoring of said executed code and retrieving scanning information from said scanning of said web application;

extracts, via the one or more computing devices, from said code coverage information, part of said executed code that was executed between a time when said request was sent and when said response was received;

maps, via the one or more computing devices, said part of said executed code to said request to establish a relationship between said part of said executed code and said request;

retrieves, via the one or more computing devices, the part of previously executed code on said web application that was executed between a time when a previous request was sent and when a previous response was received, wherein said request is the same as said previous request; and

determines, via the one or more computing devices, if said part of previously executed code is different from said part of said executed code that was executed between the time when said request was sent and when said response was received.

15. A non-transitory computer readable article of manufacture tangibly embodying computer readable instructions which when executed by a processor causes a computer to:

monitor executed code of said web application while scanning said web application, wherein scanning includes invoking specific actions in relation to the web application;

retrieve code coverage information from said monitoring of said executed code and retrieving scanning information from said scanning of said web application;

correlate said code coverage information with said scanning information; and

determine a change in said server side state based on said correlation, by, at least in part;

retrieving the part of previously executed code on said web application that was executed between a time when a previous request was sent and when a previous response was received, wherein said request is the same as said previous request; and

determining if said part of previously executed code is different from said part of said executed code that was executed between the time when said request was sent and when said response was received.

16. A non-transitory computer readable article of manufacture tangibly embodying computer readable instructions which when executed by a processor causes a computer to:

monitor executed code of said web application while scanning said web application, wherein scanning includes invoking specific actions in relation to the web application;

retrieve code coverage information from said monitoring of said executed code and retrieve scanning information from said scanning of said web application; and

determine, based on said code coverage information and said scanning information, if a specified portion of the web application code was executed, by, at least in part;

retrieving the part of previously executed code on said web application that was executed between a time when a previous request was sent and when a previous response was received, wherein said request is the same as said previous request; and

determining if said part of previously executed code is different from said part of said executed code that was executed between the time when said request was sent and when said response was received.

17. A non-transitory computer readable article of manufacture tangibly embodying computer readable instructions which when executed by a processor causes a computer to:

sends a request to said web application while monitoring executed code of said web application and scanning said web application, wherein scanning includes invoking specific actions in relation to the web application;

receives a response to said request;

retrieves code coverage information from said monitoring of said executed code and retrieving scanning information from said scanning of said web application;

extracts, from said code coverage information, part of said executed code that was executed between a time when said request was sent and when said response was received;

maps said part of said executed code to said request to establish a relationship between said part of said executed code and said request;

retrieves the part of previously executed code on said web application that was executed between a time when a previous request was sent and when a previous response was received, wherein said request is the same as said previous request; and

determines if said part of previously executed code is different from said part of said executed code that was executed between the time when said request was sent and when said response was received.