Towards Central Vulnerability Management by Mobile Phone Operators

The application of XML-based approaches in passing vulnerability information between vulnerability management devices or software residing on wired networks has been demonstrated. We propose a proof of concept framework for mobile operators that extends this use of XML into the area of vulnerability management on public land mobile networks. Our proposed framework allows for a pro-active central management of vulnerabilities found on mobile stations such as mobile phones. Despite the relatively limited number of reported vulnerabilities on mobile stations, such a pre-emptive approach from mobile operators is necessary to acquire the confidence of early adopters in Mobile Commerce. Given the diverse collection of devices and software that exist on a public land mobile network, XML-based approaches are best able to providing the inter-operability required for vulnerability management on such a network. Our proposed framework leverages web services by using the Open Vulnerability Assessment Language (OVAL) to provide vulnerability descriptions, and by securing these descriptions in SOAP messages conforming to the OASIS Web Services Security (WSS) standard. We contribute in three areas: firstly, through this framework we show that mobile operators can carry out centralized vulnerability management on their public land mobile networks comprising of a wide variety of devices and software. Secondly, the assurance of integrity, confidentiality and non-repudiation inherently lacking in OVAL vulnerability descriptions is achieved through their encapsulation in SOAP messages conforming to the OASIS WSS standard. Thirdly, SOAP-based web service implementations allow for integration with vulnerability management tools and devices that do not conform to OVAL.