A computing system includes a database and a discovery application that initiates discovery of software applications within a managed network by probing the computing devices for applications in stalled thereon. The discovery application executes discovery patterns in an attempt to classify a discovered application and determines that the discovered application is unclassified after executing the discovery patterns. In response to determining that the discovered application is unclassified, the discovery application (i) generates a configuration item representing the discovered application without classification and (ii) selects a characteristic file containing attributes of the discovered application. The discovery application provides the characteristic file to a machine learning (ML) classifier trained using a plurality of characteristic files. The discovery application receives, from the ML classifier, a classification of the discovered application, modifies the configuration item to include the classification of the discovered application, and stores, in the database, the configuration item as modified.