Meta-instrumentation for security analysis

1. A method for testing and analyzing a security vulnerability of a multi-device network system to protocol abuse of a network communications protocol, the method implemented by a security analyzer device, comprising:

establishing a first communication link between a member network device-under-analysis (DUA) of the multi-device network system and the security analyzer device;

establishing a second communication link between a member network device-under-observation (DUO) of the multi-device network system and the security analyzer device, the DUA and the DUO being distinct member devices of the multi-device network system;

establishing a baseline snapshot of the multi-device network system's state when the multi-device network system is operating normally, comprising:

sending to the DUO through the second communication link a message that is valid with respect to the network communication protocol;

observing the DUO's response to the valid message through the second communication link; and

establishing the baseline snapshot based at least in part on the observed response;

attacking the DUA multiple times, the attacks comprising sending to the DUA through the first communication link test messages that are invalid with respect to the network communication protocol;

periodically establishing snapshots of the multi-device network system's state during the attacks, comprising periodically:

sending to the DUO through the second communication link the valid message;

observing the DUO's response to the valid message through the second communication link; and

establishing a snapshot of the multi-device network system's state during the attacks based at least in part on the observed response;

determining, based on the baseline snapshot and the snapshots established during the attacks, whether the multi-device network system includes a security vulnerability; and

responsive to a determination that the multi-device network system includes a security vulnerability, using the baseline snapshot and the snapshots established during the attacks to identify which attack causes the security vulnerability.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the security analyzer device is not a member device of the multi-device network system, and wherein determining whether the multi-device network system includes a security vulnerability comprises (1) determining whether the attacks cause a system-wide impact through the DUA in the multi-device network system and (2) determining whether the system-wide impact comprises a security vulnerability.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the system-wide impact comprises a change or an attempt to change a system-wide variable.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the system-wide variable comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a routing table and a shared database.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the system-wide impact comprises a malfunction in a member network device of the multi-device network system.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a communication protocol of the first communication link is different from a communication protocol of the second communication link.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

monitoring responses of the DUA to the attacks, wherein determining whether the multi-device network system includes a security vulnerability further comprises analyzing the DUA based on the responses.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the multi-device network system includes a security vulnerability further comprises:

comparing the baseline snapshot and the snapshots established during the attacks to identify a system-wide impact of the DUA in the multi-device network system.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating the attacks based on one of the following information: a supported communication protocol of the DUA, a software configuration of the DUA, and a hardware configuration of the DUA.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second communication link does not pass through the DUA.

11. A computer program product for testing and analyzing a security vulnerability of a multi-device network system to protocol abuse of a network communications protocol, the method implemented by a security analyzer device, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium containing computer program code for performing a method comprising:

establishing a first communication link between a member network device-under-analysis (DUA) of the multi-device network system and the security analyzer device;

establishing a second communication link between a member network device-under-observation (DUO) of the multi-device network system and the security analyzer device, the DUA and the DUO being distinct member devices of the multi-device network system;

establishing a baseline snapshot of the multi-device network system's state when the multi-device network system is operating normally, comprising:

sending to the DUO through the second communication link a message that is valid with respect to the network communication protocol;

observing the DUO's response to the valid message through the second communication link; and

establishing the baseline snapshot based at least in part on the observed response;

attacking the DUA multiple times, the attacks comprising sending to the DUA through the first communication link test messages that are invalid with respect to the network communication protocol;

periodically establishing snapshots of the multi-device network system's state during the attacks, comprising periodically:

sending to the DUO through the second communication link the valid message;

observing the DUO's response to the valid message through the second communication link; and

establishing a snapshot of the multi-device network system's state during the attacks based at least in part on the observed response;

determining, based on the baseline snapshot and the snapshots established during the attacks, whether the multi-device network system includes a security vulnerability; and

responsive to a determination that the multi-device network system includes a security vulnerability, using the baseline snapshot and the snapshots established during the attacks to identify which attack causes the security vulnerability.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the security analyzer device is not a member device of the multi-device network system, and wherein determining whether the multi-device network system includes a security vulnerability comprises (1) determining whether the attacks cause a system-wide impact through the DUA in the multi-device network system and (2) determining whether the system-wide impact comprises a security vulnerability.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the system-wide impact comprises a change or an attempt to change a system-wide variable.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the system-wide variable comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a routing table and a shared database.

15. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the system-wide impact comprises a malfunction in a member network device of the multi-device network system.

16. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein a communication protocol of the first communication link is different from a communication protocol of the second communication link.

17. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

monitoring responses of the DUA to the attacks, wherein determining whether the multi-device network system includes a security vulnerability further comprises analyzing the DUA based on the responses.

18. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein determining whether the multi-device network system includes a security vulnerability further comprises:

comparing the baseline snapshot and the snapshots established during the attacks to identify a system-wide impact of the DUA in the multi-device network system.

19. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

generating the attacks based on one of the following information: a supported communication protocol of the DUA, a software configuration of the DUA, and a hardware configuration of the DUA.

20. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the second communication link does not pass through the DUA.

21. A security analyzer device for testing and analyzing a security vulnerability of a multi-device network system to protocol abuse of a network communications protocol, comprising:

a computer processor for executing computer program instructions; and

a computer-readable storage medium having executable computer program instructions tangibly embodied thereon, the executable computer program instructions for the computer processor to perform the steps of:

establishing a first communication link between a member network device-under-analysis (DUA) of the multi-device network system and the security analyzer device;

establishing a second communication link between a member network device-under-observation (DUO) of the multi-device network system and the security analyzer device, the DUA and the DUO being distinct member devices of the multi-device network system;

establishing a baseline snapshot of the multi-device network system's state when the multi-device network system is operating normally, comprising:

sending to the DUO through the second communication link a message that is valid with respect to the network communication protocol;

observing the DUO's response to the valid message through the second communication link; and

establishing the baseline snapshot based at least in part on the observed response;

attacking the DUA multiple times, the attacks comprising sending to the DUA through the first communication link test messages that are invalid with respect to the network communication protocol;

periodically establishing snapshots of the multi-device network system's state during the attacks, comprising periodically:

sending to the DUO through the second communication link the valid message;

observing the DUO's response to the valid message through the second communication link; and

establishing a snapshot of the multi-device network system's state during the attacks based at least in part on the observed response;

determining, based on the baseline snapshot and the snapshots established during the attacks, whether the multi-device network system includes a security vulnerability; and

responsive to a determination that the multi-device network system includes a security vulnerability, using the baseline snapshot and the snapshots established during the attacks to identify which attack causes the security vulnerability.

22. The security analyzer device of claim 21 , wherein the security analyzer device is not a member device of the multi-device network system, and wherein determining whether the multi-device network system includes a security vulnerability comprises (1) determining whether the attacks cause a system-wide impact through the DUA in the multi-device network system and (2) determining whether the system-wide impact comprises a security vulnerability.