Contextual Attack Path Visualization
Contextual Attack Path Visualization is a method of graphically representing the sequences of steps an attacker could take to compromise a system or network, enhanced with additional information that provides critical context for understanding and prioritizing those attack paths.
Here's a breakdown of the key elements:
Graphical Representation: At its core, graphic representation involves visually mapping out attack paths. This typically includes nodes representing systems, assets, or vulnerabilities and edges representing the connections or steps an attacker could take between them.
Sequences of Steps: It illustrates the various routes an attacker might follow, showing how they could chain together different vulnerabilities or exploits to achieve their objective.
Additional Information (Context): This distinguishes it from basic attack path visualization. The "context" can include a wide range of data, such as:
Vulnerability Severity: Highlighting the severity of vulnerabilities within the attack path to prioritize the most dangerous routes.
Likelihood of Exploitation: Indicating how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited based on factors like exploit availability or attacker trends.
Impact of Compromise: Showing the potential damage if an attacker successfully follows a particular path, such as data loss, system disruption, or financial implications.
Attacker Tactics and Techniques: Overlaying information about known attacker behaviors to predict how they might move through the system.
Asset Value: Visualizing the value of the assets at risk so security teams can quickly see the "crown jewels" that are most vulnerable.
Security Controls: Displaying existing security controls and their effectiveness in blocking or detecting specific attack paths.
Business Context: Incorporating business-relevant information, such as critical business functions that rely on the affected systems.
Benefits of Contextualization
Improved Prioritization: Security teams can quickly focus on the most critical and dangerous attack paths.
Enhanced Understanding: Visualization makes it easier to understand complex attack scenarios.
Better Decision-Making: Context helps make informed resource allocation and mitigation strategies decisions.
Effective Communication: Visualizations facilitate risk communication to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Contextual Attack Path Visualization goes beyond simply showing how an attack could happen; it shows why it matters and what should be done about it.
Based on the provided description, here's how ThreatNG can help with Contextual Attack Path Visualization:
ThreatNG's external discovery lays the groundwork by identifying the assets that form the nodes and connections in an attack path visualization. This provides the initial map of where an attacker could go. For example, it discovers:
Web applications and subdomains: These become the entry points and targets in a visual representation.
Cloud services: These are shown as connected systems that might be vulnerable.
Open ports: These represent potential access points for attackers.
ThreatNG's external assessments provide critical context to those discovered assets, adding layers of information to the visualization:
Web Application Hijack Susceptibility: When visualizing a path that involves a web application, ThreatNG's assessment result (e.g., "high susceptibility") becomes a contextual label on that node, immediately indicating the risk level.
Subdomain Takeover Susceptibility: If a subdomain is in the attack path, ThreatNG's assessment adds context about how easily that subdomain could be taken over, highlighting a weak point in the path.
Cyber Risk Exposure: ThreatNG's cyber risk exposure score for a system adds a layer of context about its overall vulnerability within the attack path.
Code Secret Exposure: If the attack path involves accessing a code repository, ThreatNG's findings on exposed credentials or API keys provide crucial context about the potential impact of that step in the attack.
3. Reporting
ThreatNG's reporting can be tailored to present attack path visualizations in a relevant context. For example:
A "Prioritized" report could visualize attack paths, with the color-coding of lines or nodes representing the risk level (e.g., red for high risk, yellow for medium, green for low).
A "Ransomware Susceptibility" report could visualize attack paths that are likely to lead to ransomware attacks, with annotations about the potential financial impact (derived from "Sentiment and Financials").
ThreatNG's continuous monitoring ensures that the Contextual Attack Path Visualizations remain up-to-date. As the attack surface changes or new vulnerabilities are discovered, the visualizations are refreshed with the latest information.
ThreatNG's investigation modules provide detailed information that can be incorporated into Contextual Attack Path Visualizations:
Domain Intelligence: Provides details about domains, subdomains, and DNS records, which can add context about the legitimacy of systems in the attack path (e.g., to highlight potential phishing sites).
Sensitive Code Exposure: Gives details about the secrets exposed, allowing visualization to show the exact credentials an attacker could obtain at that step.
Sentiment and Financials: Provides business context, such as the potential financial impact of a successful attack, which can be visualized alongside the technical details of the attack path.
ThreatNG's intelligence repositories provide valuable external context:
Dark Web Presence: Information about compromised credentials found on the dark web can be used to highlight attack paths that involve credential stuffing as a high-risk scenario.
Known Vulnerabilities: ThreatNG's database of known vulnerabilities provides severity scores and exploitability information, which can be used to add context to the visualization.
7. Working with Complementary Solutions
ThreatNG's contextual attack path information can be shared with other security tools to enhance their visualization capabilities:
SIEM Systems: ThreatNG can provide enriched data to SIEMs, allowing them to visualize attack paths in the context of real-time security events.
Vulnerability Management Tools: ThreatNG's external view can be combined with internal vulnerability data to create more comprehensive and contextualized attack path visualizations.
ThreatNG provides a wealth of information that can be used to create rich and Contextual Attack Path Visualizations, enabling security teams to better understand, prioritize, and respond to potential threats.
