{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7134826252","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.08520","title":"SCAFFOLD-CEGIS: Preventing Latent Security Degradation in LLM-Driven Iterative Code Refinement","display_name":"SCAFFOLD-CEGIS: Preventing Latent Security Degradation in LLM-Driven Iterative Code Refinement","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-03-09","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7134826252","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.08520"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"pmh:doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.08520","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":null,"pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4406922384","display_name":"Open MIND","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5128686099","display_name":"Yi Hsuan Chen","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Chen, Yi","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5122037966","display_name":"Yun Bian","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Bian, Yun","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5128643807","display_name":"Haiquan Wang","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Wang, Haiquan","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5128646549","display_name":"Shihao Li","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Li, Shihao","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5101546956","display_name":"Zhe Cui","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9708-2000"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Cui, Zhe","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":0,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.28943278,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11424","display_name":"Security and Verification in Computing","score":0.6255000233650208,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11424","display_name":"Security and Verification in Computing","score":0.6255000233650208,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11241","display_name":"Advanced Malware Detection Techniques","score":0.12349999696016312,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1711","display_name":"Signal Processing"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10743","display_name":"Software Testing and Debugging Techniques","score":0.06300000101327896,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1712","display_name":"Software"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/code","display_name":"Code (set theory)","score":0.5666000247001648},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/baseline","display_name":"Baseline (sea)","score":0.4530999958515167},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/block","display_name":"Block (permutation group theory)","score":0.40869998931884766},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/iterative-method","display_name":"Iterative method","score":0.398499995470047},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/security-analysis","display_name":"Security analysis","score":0.3977999985218048},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/degradation","display_name":"Degradation (telecommunications)","score":0.36800000071525574},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/root-cause","display_name":"Root cause","score":0.366100013256073},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/computer-security-model","display_name":"Computer security model","score":0.3325999975204468},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/component","display_name":"Component (thermodynamics)","score":0.31369999051094055}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.7598999738693237},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776760102","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5139990","display_name":"Code (set theory)","level":3,"score":0.5666000247001648},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C12725497","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q810247","display_name":"Baseline (sea)","level":2,"score":0.4530999958515167},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777210771","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4927124","display_name":"Block (permutation group theory)","level":2,"score":0.40869998931884766},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C159694833","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2321565","display_name":"Iterative method","level":2,"score":0.398499995470047},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C38369872","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7445009","display_name":"Security analysis","level":2,"score":0.3977999985218048},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C80444323","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2878974","display_name":"Theoretical computer science","level":1,"score":0.3935000002384186},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C11413529","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8366","display_name":"Algorithm","level":1,"score":0.3905999958515167},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779679103","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5251805","display_name":"Degradation (telecommunications)","level":2,"score":0.36800000071525574},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C84945661","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7366567","display_name":"Root cause","level":2,"score":0.366100013256073},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C121822524","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5157582","display_name":"Computer security model","level":2,"score":0.3325999975204468},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C168167062","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1117970","display_name":"Component (thermodynamics)","level":2,"score":0.31369999051094055},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C85847156","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q59015987","display_name":"Verifiable secret sharing","level":3,"score":0.31189998984336853},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C177774035","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1246948","display_name":"Granularity","level":2,"score":0.2989000082015991},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C147764199","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6865248","display_name":"Minification","level":2,"score":0.2838999927043915},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776359362","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2145286","display_name":"Representation (politics)","level":3,"score":0.2815999984741211},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780428219","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16952335","display_name":"Cover (algebra)","level":2,"score":0.275299996137619},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C185798385","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1161707","display_name":"Benchmark (surveying)","level":2,"score":0.2727999985218048},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C72169020","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q194404","display_name":"Monotonic function","level":2,"score":0.27239999175071716},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C33762810","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q461671","display_name":"Data integrity","level":2,"score":0.2721000015735626},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C206345919","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20380951","display_name":"Resource (disambiguation)","level":2,"score":0.2702000141143799},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779808786","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6664603","display_name":"Locality","level":2,"score":0.2687999904155731},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C149364088","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q185917","display_name":"Translation (biology)","level":4,"score":0.2646999955177307},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C51823790","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q504353","display_name":"Greedy algorithm","level":2,"score":0.26460000872612},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C124101348","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q172491","display_name":"Data mining","level":1,"score":0.25760000944137573},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776459999","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2119376","display_name":"Fidelity","level":2,"score":0.2524999976158142}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"pmh:doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.08520","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":null,"pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4406922384","display_name":"Open MIND","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Article"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.08520","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.08520","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"pmh:doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.08520","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":null,"pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4406922384","display_name":"Open MIND","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/16","score":0.7274503707885742,"display_name":"Peace, Justice and strong institutions"}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"The":[0,115],"application":[1,89],"of":[2,20,61,130,136,226],"large":[3],"language":[4],"models":[5],"to":[6,14,48,112,218],"code":[7],"generation":[8,13],"has":[9],"evolved":[10],"from":[11,106,167,198],"one-shot":[12],"iterative":[15,38],"refinement,":[16],"yet":[17],"the":[18,37,68,101,109,128,134,145,150,156,209,213],"evolution":[19],"security":[21,47,90,103,165,215],"throughout":[22],"iteration":[23,62],"remains":[24],"insufficiently":[25],"understood.":[26],"Through":[27],"comparative":[28],"experiments":[29,75,201],"on":[30,149],"three":[31],"mainstream":[32],"LLMs,":[33],"this":[34,78,141],"paper":[35],"reveals":[36],"refinement":[39],"paradox:":[40],"specification":[41],"drift":[42],"during":[43],"multi-objective":[44],"optimization":[45],"causes":[46],"degrade":[49],"gradually":[50],"over":[51],"successive":[52],"iterations.":[53],"Taking":[54],"GPT-4o":[55],"as":[56,127,181],"an":[57],"example,":[58],"43.7":[59],"%":[60],"chains":[63],"contain":[64],"more":[65],"vulnerabilities":[66],"than":[67],"baseline":[69,111],"after":[70],"ten":[71],"rounds,":[72],"and":[73,177,194,220],"cross-model":[74],"show":[76,207],"that":[77,85,119,163,208],"phenomenon":[79],"is":[80,118],"prevalent.":[81],"Further":[82],"analysis":[83],"shows":[84],"simply":[86],"introducing":[87],"static":[88],"testing":[91],"(SAST)":[92],"gating":[93],"cannot":[94,122],"effectively":[95],"suppress":[96],"degradation;":[97],"instead,":[98],"it":[99],"increases":[100],"latent":[102,214],"degradation":[104,216],"rate":[105,217,225],"12.5%":[107],"under":[108],"unprotected":[110],"20.8":[113],"%.":[114],"root":[116],"cause":[117],"static-analysis":[120],"rules":[121],"cover":[123],"structural":[124],"degradations":[125],"such":[126],"removal":[129],"defensive":[131],"logic":[132],"or":[133],"weakening":[135],"exception":[137],"handling.":[138],"To":[139],"address":[140],"problem,":[142],"we":[143],"propose":[144],"SCAFFOLD-CEGIS":[146],"framework.":[147],"Drawing":[148],"counterexample-guided":[151],"inductive":[152],"synthesis":[153],"(CEGIS)":[154],"paradigm,":[155],"framework":[157,211],"adopts":[158],"a":[159,222],"multi-agent":[160],"collaborative":[161],"architecture":[162],"transforms":[164],"constraints":[166,183],"implicit":[168],"prompts":[169],"into":[170],"explicit":[171],"verifiable":[172],"constraints.":[173],"It":[174],"automatically":[175],"identifies":[176],"solidifies":[178],"security-critical":[179],"elements":[180],"hard":[182],"through":[184,190],"semantic":[185],"anchoring,":[186],"enforces":[187],"safety":[188,223],"monotonicity":[189,224],"four-layer":[191],"gated":[192],"verification,":[193],"continuously":[195],"assimilates":[196],"experience":[197],"failures.":[199],"Comparative":[200],"against":[202],"six":[203],"existing":[204],"defense":[205],"methods":[206],"full":[210],"reduces":[212],"2.1%":[219],"achieves":[221],"100%.":[227]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-15T18:14:33.161393","created_date":"2026-03-11T00:00:00"}
