Method and apparatus for detecting and identifying security vulnerabilities in an open network computer communication system

A system for generating a service topology map for each computer on an open network without completing a communication connection with any computer on the open network comprising:

• a communication initiation message generator for generating communication initiation messages, said communication initiation messages being transmitted to ports on a computer on an open network;
• and
• a response message evaluator for determining from response messages received from said ports receiving said communication initiation messages whether services exist on said ports receiving said communication initiation messages, said response messages not completing communication connections with said ports so that services coupled to said ports may be detected without completing communication connection with said ports.

A system for detecting vulnerability of ports coupled to remote procedure call (RPC) services on a computer of an open network comprising:

• a remote procedure call (RPC) message generator for generating and sending RPC service commands to ports on a computer on an open network;
• and
• a response message evaluator for evaluating response messages from said ports of said computer receiving said RPC service commands, said response messages indicating whether said RPC service commands were executed by an RPC service coupled to said ports of said computer receiving said RPC service commands without establishing a communication connection with said ports.

A system for detecting vulnerabilities in routers comprising:

• a communication message generator for generating and sending service commands from a computer external to an open network to ports on computers coupled to said open network through a router;
• and
• a response message evaluator for evaluating response messages received from said ports on computers of said open network in response to said service commands sent from said communication message generator external to said open network whereby access to said computers on said open network through said router may be determined without referencing configuration files of said router.