Web application security testing is a key part of any web app development project. It helps to ensure that your apps are safe from attack, as well as identifying any issues or weaknesses that could lead to the security of your data.
For example, a web application may contain vulnerabilities in the way it handles user inputs and outputs. It could also be vulnerable to attacks such as cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL injection and URL manipulation.
Authentication
Authentication is a security practice that checks a user’s identity and ensures that the user has permission to access specific resources. It also protects users from unwanted access and unauthorized use of resources that could be damaging to their business or personal data.
Various methods are used for authentication, and it can be either automated or manual. Automated tests rely on computer programs to scan through an application, while manual testing uses human testers to look for common vulnerabilities.
In an authenticated test, a tester will try to get access to the web application by using login details or other authentication information. This is a good way to test the strength of the application’s security and identify any vulnerabilities that need to be addressed.
The first step is to decide which authentication method is right for your project and application. This can depend on the type of information you’re storing, where it’s stored, and who is gaining access to it.
Once you’ve decided on the type of authentication that will work best for your project, it’s time to conduct some security testing. This should include both automated and manual testing to identify any potential risks.
Authentication can be a very effective means of protecting your application and customer data, and it should be a key part of any web application security testing strategy. It can help prevent identity theft, phishing, and other security threats.
For example, currency and other financial instruments use a form of authentication that incorporates hard-to-duplicate physical features, such as fine printing or engraving, distinctive feel, watermarks, and holographic imagery. This type of authentication can reduce the incentive for fraud and counterfeiting, especially when criminal or civil penalties are applied.
Another authentication method is called multi-factor authentication. This involves the use of one or more factors, such as a password or an OTP (one-time password). It can be used when there is no other way to verify the user’s identity.
Finally, time and location are sometimes used as supplemental authentication factors. They are not sufficient by themselves, but they can be useful in weeding out attackers who attempt to access the system at an unfavorable time or place.
Cross-Site Scripting
Cross-site scripting is a common and potentially dangerous type of web application vulnerability. It has appeared in every edition of the OWASP Top 10 list since its inception and is traditionally seen as less harmful than SQL injection or remote command execution vulnerabilities, though it still can be extremely damaging to an organization’s web application security posture.
XSS vulnerabilities are typically triggered by a website’s failure to properly filter user input or transform it into a safe format. This allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript into a vulnerable website that then executes in the user’s browser.
To carry out an XSS attack, an attacker needs to know the correct URL for the vulnerable website. This is the only way to get a response that contains the relevant JavaScript code.
However, it can be difficult to test for XSS without an OWASP XSS testing tool or a similar solution that enables the automated scanning of HTML and JavaScript inputs. Invicti is designed with this in mind and is integrated with popular issue trackers, so you can create and submit developer tickets automatically to quickly identify the underlying issues that may be causing XSS vulnerabilities to surface.
An XSS exploit can be used to insert unwanted content into the victim’s web page or even gather data that might be used for unauthorized purposes, including CSRF tokens. This can allow an attacker to steal personal information, such as credit card numbers or passwords, that can be used to compromise the victim’s online accounts and cause them financial harm.
Another way to avoid XSS attacks is to ensure that your web application’s inputs are consistently filtered by using context-dependent encoding. This encoding can be done by changing the character sets, function names, and other inputs to ensure that only valid strings are displayed.
In addition, be sure to check that your site’s content security policy (CSP) is not allowing the insertion of unwanted JavaScript in the user’s inputs or web page. This can prevent a vulnerable website from delivering malicious JavaScript to the user’s browser and can help protect your organization from XSS.
URL Manipulation
In web application security testing, URL manipulation is a common technique that is used to test the integrity of a website. It allows hackers to change the way that information is transmitted between a user and the server. It also helps testers test the functionality of their application and detect potential vulnerabilities.
A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is a string of printable ASCII characters that allows users to access information shared by specific servers. It contains five parts: the protocol, ID and password, server name, port number, and path. The first part of a URL, the protocol, is usually associated with HTTP, which is the most popular protocol for sending and receiving data on a network.
The second part of the URL is the server name, which allows users to access information stored on specific servers by domain or IP address. The third part is the port number, which indicates what type of information the server is providing and is typically associated with a service.
Finally, the fifth part is the path, which allows users to directly access resources on specific servers. This is an important piece of information for hackers as it can allow them to access information that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to.
Manipulation of this information is a serious threat to businesses and their customers because it can lead to data breaches. It can also affect a business’s ability to operate effectively and attract potential customers.
While it is impossible to completely prevent these attacks, there are a few steps that can be taken to protect the security of the system. In addition to firewalls and other defenses, implementing a good set of web application security tests can be a great help in preventing URL manipulation attacks.
When testing the integrity of a web application, the tester will need to verify that all incoming data from the user and outgoing data from the application are encrypted. They should also test that the data is transmitted securely between different forms and screens. They may need to implement salting to make the data stronger and more difficult to crack.
SQL Injection
SQL Injection is a type of attack that lets malicious hackers modify the database content. This can give them access to sensitive data and enable them to tamper with the application or website. This can lead to serious consequences, including information disclosure and identity theft.
To test for SQL Injection vulnerabilities, testers must understand the interaction between an application and a database server. They also need to understand how applications communicate with a database (authenticating web forms and performing searches).
They should also test for input fields that could be used in SQL queries, as well as characters that could cause the input to be transformed into an arbitrary SQL query. For example, they may add a quotation mark or semicolon to a parameter or field to see if it produces an error message or results in an incorrect query.
The first step in testing for SQL Injection vulnerabilities is to identify a vulnerable user input within a web application. The attacker could use this input to change the logic of a valid SQL query and inject a new command.
Another common technique is to create an injected query that is joined with the original query. This allows the attacker to get values from a different table. This is an effective way to find users with admin privileges.
A time-based SQL injection is a technique that forces the database to respond after a certain period of time. This gives an attacker information on the level of control that they have over the application and can help them assess whether they can extract the desired result from the database.
There are other techniques that can be used to prevent SQL Injections, such as privilege limitations and data separation. However, until these techniques are adopted by developers and security professionals, SQL Injection attacks will remain a serious threat.
This means that developers, QA staff, DevOps, and SysAdmins must be familiar with the risks of SQL Injection and receive security training to reduce the chances of a successful attack. They should also ensure that their applications are patched against known vulnerabilities and regularly run malware scans to detect potential attacks.
