Comprehensive Security Assessment and Software Dependency Management for Connected Vehicle Communication Systems

The client’s system enables real-time vehicle communication through 5G, WiFi, and V2X protocols, exposing it to cybersecurity threats due to system complexity, poorly documented features, and reliance on heterogeneous software components. Ensuring resilience against cyber threats and maintaining compliance with industry standards are critical challenges.

A large automotive technology company developing advanced vehicle communication systems with real-time data exchange capabilities leveraging 5G and WiFi connectivity.

• Perform an in-depth security audit of the vehicle communication system to identify vulnerabilities.
• Develop a comprehensive software bill of materials (SBOM) for all system components and dependencies to facilitate vulnerability management.
• Assess and harden operating system configurations to prevent unauthorized access.
• Analyze custom and poorly documented features through reverse engineering and protocol fuzzing to uncover hidden security issues.
• Conduct targeted penetration and stress testing to evaluate system resilience against cyber attacks, including DDoS scenarios.
• Perform automated code review and compliance validation against relevant industry standards.
• Generate detailed reports with prioritized vulnerabilities, mitigation strategies, and security improvement recommendations.

• Automated vulnerability scanning to identify outdated and unpatched software components.
• Tools for creating a detailed software bill of materials (SBOM) including all dependencies and libraries.
• Security configuration auditing for operating systems and platform hardening features.
• Reverse engineering modules for analyzing custom or undocumented features.
• Protocol fuzzing for testing communication protocols and business logic for security flaws.
• Penetration testing framework for simulating attack scenarios based on models like STRIDE.
• Stress testing tools for assessing system resilience under high traffic and denial-of-service conditions.
• Automated code review and security weakness detection in source code and binaries.
• Compliance validation against standards such as ISO/SAE 21434, NIST, and MISRA C.
• Comprehensive reporting system to document vulnerabilities, risks, and mitigation strategies.

• Industry standard compliance frameworks (ISO 21434, NIST protocols)
• Existing vehicle communication infrastructure and protocols
• Bug tracking and issue management systems
• Continuous integration and deployment pipelines for security testing

• System scalability to handle complex vehicle networks and numerous software components
• High-performance vulnerability scanning and fuzzing with minimal downtime
• Accuracy and thoroughness in vulnerability detection to reduce false negatives
• Compliance with automotive cybersecurity standards and protocols
• Secure handling and storage of sensitive system information and assessment results

Implementing this security assessment and dependency management system will enable the client to proactively identify and mitigate vulnerabilities, ensure compliance with industry standards, improve system resilience against cyber threats, and maintain trust in their connected vehicle solutions. The process is expected to reduce unpatched vulnerabilities, streamline security audits, and facilitate ongoing cybersecurity management, thereby supporting safer and more reliable automotive communication infrastructure.