OWASP Top 10 Vulnerabilities

Introduction

The OWASP Top 10 is a list of the most critical security risks to web applications. This document aims to provide an overview of these vulnerabilities and guidance on how to mitigate them.

Vulnerabilities Overview

1. Injection

   Injection flaws occur when untrusted data is sent to an interpreter as part of a command or query. This can allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code.

   Tip: Always use parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection.

   SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = ?;

2. Broken Authentication

   When an application improperly implements authentication and session management, attackers can compromise passwords, keys, or session tokens.

   Warning: Always use strong password policies and multi-factor authentication.

3. Sensitive Data Exposure

   Many web applications do not encrypt sensitive data such as credit cards, personal information, etc. This can lead to unauthorized access.

   Tip: Encrypt sensitive data both at rest and in transit.

4. XML External Entities (XXE)

   XXE vulnerabilities occur when an XML parser processes external references within XML documents. This can lead to data leaks or server-side request forgery.

5. Broken Access Control

   Access control vulnerabilities allow users to act outside of their intended permissions. This can lead to unauthorized data access.

   Tip: Implement role-based access controls (RBAC).

6. Security Misconfiguration

   Misconfigured security settings can allow unauthorized access and compromise the application. This includes default settings and incomplete setups.

7. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

   XSS allows attackers to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by others. This can lead to session hijacking or data theft.

   <script>alert('XSS Attack!');</script>

8. Insecure Deserialization

   Insecure deserialization can lead to remote code execution or replay attacks when untrusted data is deserialized.

9. Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities

   Using outdated or vulnerable software components can expose applications to various vulnerabilities.

10. Insufficient Logging & Monitoring

    Insufficient logging can hinder the detection of breaches and lead to longer incident response times.

FAQ