A Large-scale Study of Security Vulnerability Support on Developer Q&A Websites (2008.04176v2)

Abstract: Context: Security Vulnerabilities (SVs) pose many serious threats to software systems. Developers usually seek solutions to addressing these SVs on developer Question and Answer (Q&A) websites. However, there is still little known about on-going SV-specific discussions on different developer Q&A sites. Objective: We present a large-scale empirical study to understand developers' SV discussions and how these discussions are being supported by Q&A sites. Method: We first curate 71,329 SV posts from two large Q&A sites, namely Stack Overflow (SO) and Security StackExchange (SSE). We then use topic modeling to uncover the topics of SV-related discussions and analyze the popularity, difficulty, and level of expertise for each topic. We also perform a qualitative analysis to identify the types of solutions to SV-related questions. Results: We identify 13 main SV discussion topics on Q&A sites. Many topics do not follow the distributions and trends in expert-based security sources such as Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) and Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP). We also discover that SV discussions attract more experts to answer than many other domains, but some difficult SV topics (e.g., Vulnerability Scanning Tools) still receive quite limited support from experts. Moreover, we identify seven key types of answers given to SV questions on Q&A sites, in which SO often provides code and instructions, while SSE usually gives experience-based advice and explanations. Conclusion: Our findings provide support for researchers and practitioners to effectively acquire, share and leverage SV knowledge on Q&A sites.

• The paper reveals that mining 71,329 posts identifies 13 distinct security vulnerability topics on Q&A platforms.
• The paper employs Latent Dirichlet Allocation to categorize discussions, offering insights into both common issues like SQL Injection and overlooked areas such as vulnerability scanning tools.
• The paper highlights a disconnect between community-driven Q&A responses and expert-curated resources, emphasizing the need for improved cross-platform expertise sharing.

Analyzing Security Vulnerability Discussions in Developer Q&A Communities

This paper offers a comprehensive investigation into the proliferation and dynamics of security vulnerability (SV) discussions within developer-focused Question and Answer (Q&A) websites, specifically Stack Overflow (SO) and Security StackExchange (SSE). The authors delve into the vast landscape of online technical forums to examine how these platforms support conversations around security issues, which are vital to maintaining software integrity.

Empirical Methodology

The paper embarks on a large-scale empirical assessment by mining 71,329 posts related to SV topics on both SO and SSE. The authors employ Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), a topic modeling technique, to classify SV discussions into 13 distinct topics. These include notable topics such as SQL Injection, Cross-site Scripting (XSS), and Vulnerability Scanning Tools. The paper differentiates itself by analyzing the full breadth of SV discussions, as opposed to prior studies that typically focused narrowly on narrower security domains or restricted themselves to SO only.

Key Findings

Among the thirteen identified topics, some, like SQL Injection and Cross-site Request Forgery (CSRF), align with well-documented industry standards and taxonomies such as the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) and OWASP Top Ten. However, several less-discussed areas in professional literature, like Malwares and Synchronization Errors, emerged as prominent domains on these Q&A platforms.

Interestingly, not all topics follow the distribution patterns observed in expert-based sources, underscoring a disconnection between real-world developer challenges and standardized security knowledge.

Popularity and Difficulty

The paper identifies Brute-force/Timing Attacks and Vulnerability Theory as among the most popular discussion topics. In contrast, topics such as Vulnerability Scanning Tools, which are pivotal for automated security assessments, exhibit both high difficulty and low attention from community experts. This suggests a potential gap in support for these complex yet critical areas.

Expertise Involvement

An analysis of expertise contribution reveals that SV discussions attract a higher-than-average level of expertise compared to other technical domains on Q&A sites. Nevertheless, the paper notes limited overlap between experts on SO and SSE, which might constrain cross-platform knowledge dissemination.

Answer Types

The findings in answer types further illuminate the nature of community support. SO answers often provide tangible, implementable code snippets, while SSE discussions lean towards theoretical, experience-driven advice. This bifurcation in support styles implies that developers may benefit from using each platform for different types of inquiries depending on their needs.

Implications for Research and Practice

For researchers, the documented gaps and trends can inform future tool development focusing on less-supported SV areas such as scanning tool configuration and cryptographic implementation errors. For practitioners, this paper highlights the importance of community resources in bridging the gap between formal recommendations and practical, implementation-level insights.

Conclusion

The paper showcases that developer Q&A platforms, while invaluable for crowdsourced expertise and real-time community discussion, do not wholly align with expert-curated SV advisories. This investigation into the community-driven dynamics of software security topics unveils significant areas where both research and practice can be enhanced, indicating that broader engagement and clearer translation of expert knowledge into accessible forms for developers are necessary for effectively addressing today's security challenges. Future research could extend this analysis to additional platforms or correlate these findings with security activities on platforms like GitHub, potentially offering richer insights into the structural intricacies of software security practice.