VOLTA Maturation for AF/DoD Embedded Systems Analysis (V-MESA)

Modern, networked, cyber-physical systems pose a special challenge for áCyber Vulnerability Assessment. áCommunication protocols may be inherently vulnerable, may be implemented in an unsafe manner, or may be vulnerable to timing attacks, in which carefully-timed inputs can be used to disrupt system operations. Developed under AFRL's NOVA program, Adventium Labsĺ VOLTA software automates the process of exploring the behavior of implemented systems, including timed behavior. VOLTA supports this analysis by identifying and investigating the implementation of both known and unknown protocols. Because it learns implemented behavior, VOLTA can be applied to legacy systems, even where documentation is not available, or as a design aid to identify vulnerabilities in systems currently being designed or modified. VOLTA learns an explicit model of the behavior of the implemented system, and so can detect vulnerabilities that neither fuzzing nor conventional testing may be able to find. áIn some cases, VOLTA can establish that no such vulnerabilities exist. áWith feasibility established using several commercial products as exemplars, this project will extend, mature, and transition VOLTA for use in Air Force and DoD specific analysis applications.