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PhD Thesis Proposal - Nicolaas Weideman

PhD Thesis Proposal - Nicolaas Weideman

Committee Members: Jelena Mirkovic (chair), Christophe Hauser, William Halfond, Mukund Raghothaman, Srivatsan Ravi, Peter Beerel

Title: Improving the Security of Modern Software Systems through Binary Program Analysis with Semantic Understanding, Automated Vulnerability Discovery and Non-disruptive Patching


Abstract: With the ever increasing reliance of the modern world on software systems, the frequency and impact of cyberattacks have greatly increased as well. Software must be analyzed thoroughly to evaluate its security, as vulnerabilities in software can have devastating consequences such as compromised privacy of users, shutdown of infrastructure and significant business losses, and even pose threat to human life. In this thesis we introduce our contributions toward addressing the challenges existing in software security evaluation. It is widely accepted that when evaluating the security of software, analyzing the source code is insufficient. We leverage and extend the field of binary program analysis in three key domains crucial for software security. These domains are semantic understanding, automated vulnerability discovery and nondisruptive patching. Jointly our contributions improve the field of binary program analysis in a threefold manner. We enable analysts to gain a deeper understanding of the program under analysis through extracting high level semantics. We design and implement a new approach for automated and precise vulnerability discovery. We automate vulnerability patching to secure software. Each of these directions independently pushes the boundaries of what is possible in defending modern software, leading to a more secure digital environment

Location: Henry Salvatori Computer Science Center (SAL) - 322

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Melissa Ochoa

Event Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/91332871311?pwd=TmhuUyttWEJqMWQ5NTd1cGlpZVk1QT09