LLM-Based Unknown Function Automated Modeling in Sensor-Driven Systems for Multi-Language Software Security Verification

The rapid expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) has made software security and reliability a critical concern. With multi-language programs running on edge computing, embedded systems, and sensors, each connected device represents a potential attack vector, threatening data integrity and privacy. Symbolic execution is a key technique for automated vulnerability detection. However, unknown function interfaces, such as sensor interactions, limit traditional concrete or concolic execution due to uncertain function returns and missing symbolic expressions. Compared with system simulation, the traditional method is to construct an interface abstraction layer for the symbolic execution engine to reduce the cost of simulation. Nevertheless, the disadvantage of this solution is that the manual modeling of these functions is very inefficient and requires professional developers to spend hundreds of hours. In order to improve efficiency, we propose an LLM-based automated approach for modeling unknown functions. By fine-tuning a 20-billion-parameter language model, it automatically generates function models based on annotations and function names. Our method improves symbolic execution efficiency, reducing reliance on manual modeling, which is a limitation of existing frameworks like KLEE. Experimental results primarily focus on comparing the usability, accuracy, and efficiency of LLM-generated models with human-written ones. Our approach was integrated into one verification platform project and applied to the verification of smart contracts with distributed edge computing characteristics. The application of this method directly reduces the manual modeling effort from a month to just a few minutes. This provides a foundational validation of our method's feasibility, particularly in reducing modeling time while maintaining quality. This work is the first to integrate LLMs into formal verification, offering a scalable and automated verification solution for sensor-driven software, blockchain smart contracts, and WebAssembly systems, expanding the scope of secure IoT development.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Sensors
Published
2025-04-24
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/s25092683
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Software Testing and Debugging Techniques
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.31
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

LLM-Based Unknown Function Automated Modeling in Sensor-Driven Systems for Multi-Language Software Security Verification

Qi Zhong, Jingcheng Song, Liangjun Deng, Wenjuan Li et al.
1 citations
Sensors
Software Testing and Debugging Techniques
2.31
article

LLM-Based Unknown Function Automated Modeling in Sensor-Driven Systems for Multi-Language Software Security Verification

Qi Zhong, Jingcheng Song, Liangjun Deng, Wenjuan Li, Hang Lei
article en
1 citations

Abstract

The rapid expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) has made software security and reliability a critical concern. With multi-language programs running on edge computing, embedded systems, and sensors, each connected device represents a potential attack vector, threatening data integrity and privacy. Symbolic execution is a key technique for automated vulnerability detection. However, unknown function interfaces, such as sensor interactions, limit traditional concrete or concolic execution due to uncertain function returns and missing symbolic expressions. Compared with system simulation, the traditional method is to construct an interface abstraction layer for the symbolic execution engine to reduce the cost of simulation. Nevertheless, the disadvantage of this solution is that the manual modeling of these functions is very inefficient and requires professional developers to spend hundreds of hours. In order to improve efficiency, we propose an LLM-based automated approach for modeling unknown functions. By fine-tuning a 20-billion-parameter language model, it automatically generates function models based on annotations and function names. Our method improves symbolic execution efficiency, reducing reliance on manual modeling, which is a limitation of existing frameworks like KLEE. Experimental results primarily focus on comparing the usability, accuracy, and efficiency of LLM-generated models with human-written ones. Our approach was integrated into one verification platform project and applied to the verification of smart contracts with distributed edge computing characteristics. The application of this method directly reduces the manual modeling effort from a month to just a few minutes. This provides a foundational validation of our method's feasibility, particularly in reducing modeling time while maintaining quality. This work is the first to integrate LLMs into formal verification, offering a scalable and automated verification solution for sensor-driven software, blockchain smart contracts, and WebAssembly systems, expanding the scope of secure IoT development.

SensorsVol. 25(9)
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (CN), Linyi University (CN), Education University of Hong Kong (HK), City University of Macau (MO)
Openalex Percentile: Top 15%
Software Testing and Debugging Techniques
2.31
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.