UK-based security company Next Generation Security Software (NGSSoftware), which is best known for discovering the underlying flaw exploited by the Slammer worm, today released the latest version of its vulnerability scanner, Typhon III.

The software has been designed to fill the gap between vulnerability scanning, application testing, war dialling and several commonly used public domain tools, drawing together this functionality into one tool.

The scanner is not based around a particular database of checks but is able to perform "arbitrarily complicated check sequences" needed to identify more complex vulnerabilities, according to NGSSoftware (http://www.nextgenss.com).

The product can perform in-depth testing on applications (including bespoke applications), looking for common problems such as SQL injection and Cross-Site Scripting.

Features include the ability to check services on custom ports, redefine error responses on Web applications and perform checks using known credentials. The checks carried out by Typhon III are constantly fed by NGSSoftware's research efforts.

NGSSoftware, which is going up against the likes of ISS with the product, claims Typhon III is the most comprehensive security-auditing tool currently available.

Features of Typhon III include:

• A scanning engine that bypasses SYN flood protection
• Oracle Checks (NGSSquirrel for Oracle performs comprehensive scanning)
• Checks over SSL, for applications over HTTPS, as well as SMTP and POP3 over SSL
• Web Spidering, including the ability to let users manually enter known parts of the website.
• SQL injection tests against all variables found in an application
• Cross-Site Scripting against all variables found in an application
• War dialling

Bootnote

Typhon, a figure in Greek mythology, was so feared that when the gods saw him they changed into animals and fled in terror. Hissing like a hundred snakes and roaring like a hundred lions, he tore up whole mountains and threw them at the gods. ®

Related Stories

Oracle security claim to be debunked -- expert (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/23709.html)
Slammer: Why security benefits from proof of concept code (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/29195.html)
Wired to publish Slammer code (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/31083.html)