Method and system for identifying, fixing, and updating security vulnerabilities

US6907531B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Internet Security Systems, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Timothy David Dodd · Tucker, US
• Scott Mewett · Cairns, AU
• Curtis Ide · Roswell, US
• Kevin Overcash · Carlsbad, US
• David Allen Dennerline · Sandy Springs, US
• Bobby J. Williams · Atlanta, US
• Martin D. Sells · Canton, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 30, 2000
• Grant date: Jun 14, 2005
• Expiry date: Jan 18, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F21/577
• WIPO field: Digital communication
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A method and system identifies, fixes, and updates security vulnerabilities in a host computer or host computers. The present invention can communicate between a scanner with plug-in capability, an operating system, and an express update package.The architectural set-up can allow exploits within the scanner and exploits in the express update package to function with no knowledge of each other. The user also needs no knowledge of whether the exploits are within the scanner or the express update package. Mutual authentication procedures can enable the scanner to load only legitimate express update packages, and can provide that express update packages can only be loaded into legitimate scanners.