Leveraging Large Language Models for Command Injection Vulnerability Analysis in Python: An Empirical Study on Popular Open-Source Projects

TL;DR

This paper investigates the effectiveness of large language models like GPT-4 in detecting command injection vulnerabilities in popular open-source Python projects, highlighting their potential and limitations for security analysis.

Contribution

It provides an empirical evaluation of LLMs for vulnerability detection in real-world projects, comparing different models and analyzing their practical utility.

Findings

LLMs show promising accuracy in detecting command injection vulnerabilities.

Detection efficiency varies across different LLM tools.

Insights into integrating LLMs into security workflows are provided.

Abstract

Command injection vulnerabilities are a significant security threat in dynamic languages like Python, particularly in widely used open-source projects where security issues can have extensive impact. With the proven effectiveness of Large Language Models(LLMs) in code-related tasks, such as testing, researchers have explored their potential for vulnerabilities analysis. This study evaluates the potential of large language models (LLMs), such as GPT-4, as an alternative approach for automated testing for vulnerability detection. In particular, LLMs have demonstrated advanced contextual understanding and adaptability, making them promising candidates for identifying nuanced security vulnerabilities within code. To evaluate this potential, we applied LLM-based analysis to six high-profile GitHub projects-Django, Flask, TensorFlow, Scikit-learn, PyTorch, and Langchain-each with over 50,000 stars and extensive adoption across software development and academic research. Our analysis assesses both the strengths and limitations of LLMs in detecting command injection vulnerabilities, evaluating factors such as detection accuracy, efficiency, and practical integration into development workflows. In addition, we provide a comparative analysis of different LLM tools to identify those most suitable for security applications. Our findings offer guidance for developers and security researchers on leveraging LLMs as innovative and automated approaches to enhance software security.