NetRise launches Trace, its AI-powered semantic search for software supply chain security

XIoT security firm NetRise announced Thursday the introduction of Trace in the NetRise Platform. The solution utilizes AI-powered semantic search to enable users to identify and validate compromised and vulnerable third-party and proprietary software assets, marking a significant advancement in the field.

Trace helps to revolutionize vulnerability detection and validation by introducing intent-driven searches. The approach allows users to search their assets based on the underlying motives or purposes behind the code and configurations that lead to vulnerabilities, instead of relying solely on signature-based methods. 

By querying the system based on the intent of malicious actors or negligent developers, users can capture various software packages, misconfigurations, or unidentified flaws. Trace goes beyond searching for specific code patterns or known vulnerabilities, highlighting affected assets, files, and packages using natural language. It also maps their intricate relationships across the entire software supply chain, eliminating the need for a scanning mechanism.

“Identifying issues in XIoT devices and their components has been an especially challenging problem,” Michael Scott, co-founder, CTO, and chief scientist of NetRise, said in a media statement. “This product release represents a significant advancement in product security and streamlines the detection and resolution of issues in complex systems. Moreover, it changes how NetRise customers discover and address issues more generally, with AI as a key driver in process enhancements.”

Trace is the first solution to integrate AI-driven semantic search, supply chain impact analysis, and vulnerability validation utilizing large language model (LLM) capabilities, which offer customers a unified and potent solution to detect known and hidden threats in low-level firmware and other cyber-physical systems.

Key enhancements and capabilities of the new Trace solution in the NetRise Platform include: 

• AI-Powered Search: Semantic and keyword-based search for all files, operating system configurations, and vulnerabilities across all assets using AI.
• Deep Supply Chain Introspection and Origin Tracing: Discover and trace the origin of code and risk back to the third-party or proprietary software packages that introduced it across all assets.
• LLM-Based Vulnerability Discovery and Validation: Identify vulnerabilities and gauge their impact in the software supply chain using code-based or broad natural language queries, validating issues across an organization’s firmware, software, and cyber-physical systems.

Supply chain compromises are increasing, often targeting firmware or open-source software packages through dependency poisoning and other attacks. A widespread effort across numerous industries, involving both public and private sectors, is underway to discern which assets, devices, and software contain compromised software packages and vulnerabilities. The complexity of analyzing device firmware and build artifacts further exacerbates this challenge.

NetRise addresses these challenges by enabling organizations to quickly trace all impacted assets using a single query. Upon identifying a positive match, it generates a comprehensive graph of the affected software supply chain components, eliminating the need for repeated scans or asset reprocessing. This approach is essential in discerning the extent of threats — from nation-state actors to inherent vulnerabilities and inadequate development practices — across devices, firmware, and software packages.

Last month, NetRise announced that it has been accepted for the Approved Product List (APL) through the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) Program. The initiative aims to strengthen federal agencies’ ability to secure their networks against the ever-increasing threat of cyberattacks. It is led by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Industrial Cyber News Desk

Industrial Cyber News Desk