WhiteBoxAnalyse

WhiteBoxAnalyse is a term used to describe a class of analysis approaches that rely on access to internal information of a system in order to reason about its behavior. In software engineering and security contexts, it denotes methods that use knowledge of internal structure, such as source code, design models, and runtime data, rather than treating the system as a closed component.

The scope of WhiteBoxAnalyse includes static and dynamic techniques that examine internal artifacts. Static analysis inspects code and models without execution, while dynamic analysis observes behavior during execution with instrumentation. Additional methods often associated with this approach include symbolic execution, model checking, formal verification, data-flow and control-flow analysis, taint tracking, and API call tracing. The goal is to verify correctness, identify vulnerabilities, ensure compliance with security or safety standards, and evaluate performance or reliability.

A typical workflow involves collecting internal artifacts (code, diagrams, specifications), constructing an explicit model of the system, applying analyses, and generating reports that highlight findings and remediation recommendations. Benefits include higher defect detection, traceability to design decisions, and stronger auditability. Drawbacks can include resource intensity, the need for access to sensitive internal data, and potential for false positives or negatives.

WhiteBoxAnalyse is commonly employed in secure software development lifecycles, regulatory compliance reviews, and software certification processes. The term is generic and may refer to any framework or toolchain that leverages internal knowledge to perform analysis, rather than a single standardized product. See also white-box testing, static analysis, symbolic execution, and formal methods.