Vulnerable JavaScript functions detection using stacking of convolutional neural networks

Abstract

System security for web-based applications is paramount, and for the avoidance of possible cyberattacks it is important to detect vulnerable JavaScript functions. Developers and security analysts have long relied upon static analysis to investigate vulnerabilities and faults within programs. Static analysis tools are used for analyzing a program’s source code and identifying sections of code that need to be further examined by a human analyst. This article suggests a new approach for identifying vulnerable code in JavaScript programs by using ensemble of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) models. These models use vulnerable information and code features to detect related vulnerable code. For identifying different vulnerabilities in JavaScript functions, an approach has been tested which involves the stacking of CNNs with misbalancing, random under sampler, and random over sampler. Our approach uses these CNNs to detect vulnerable code and improve upon current techniques’ limitations. Previous research has introduced several approaches to identify vulnerable code in JavaScript programs, but often have their own limitations such as low accuracy rates and high false-positive or false-negative results. Our approach addresses this by using the power of convolutional neural networks and is proven to be highly effective in the detection of vulnerable functions that could be used by cybercriminals. The stacked CNN approach has an approximately 98% accuracy, proving its robustness and usability in real-world scenarios. To evaluate its efficacy, the proposed method is trained using publicly available JavaScript blocks, and the results are assessed using various performance metrics. The research offers a valuable insight into better ways to protect web-based applications and systems from potential threats, leading to a safer online environment for all.