What is Web Application Pen Testing?
The process of using penetration testing techniques on a web application to identify its vulnerabilities is known as Web Application Pen Testing. In other words, evaluating the security of a website/web application and its components (source code, database, back-end network) by simulating attacks.
Web application penetration testing works by using manual or automated penetration tests to identify any vulnerability, security flaws or threats in a web application. These tests involve implementing malicious penetration attacks on the application. The penetration tester fabricates attacks and environment from an attacker?s perspective, such as using SQL injection tests.
Web Application Pen testing not only helps in detecting the vulnerabilities but also helps in prioritizing the identified vulnerabilities and threats, and possible ways to mitigate them. So what we bring to you is a hybrid concept of penetration testing. When searching for vulnerabilities in websites or web applications, manual pen testing is essential since automated penetration testing tools simply can?t find every flaw ? sometimes, it takes the skill and insight of the manual tester to identify complex authorization issues or business logic flaws.
OWASP Top 10 ? The Saviour
The OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) Top 10 is a powerful awareness document for web application security. It represents a broad consensus about the most critical security risks to a web applications. So it is recommended that all organizations incorporate this document into their development and testing processes in order to minimize and/or mitigate security risks.
Injection attacks
When an attacker injects invalid or malicious code into the web application with the intention to make it to do something different from what the application was intended to do results in Injection Attack. Common injection attacks are SQL injection, Cross Site Scripting (XSS), OS Command injection.
Broken Authentication
Broken Authentication refers to logic issues due to poor authentication mechanisms, like bad session management prone to username enumeration. Hence this vulnerability allows an attacker to gain control over any account he/she wants in the system, or even worse, gain complete control over the system.
Sensitive data exposure
Protecting users? and customer?s information and privacy is the most critical element of any organization. Attackers can deploy attacks to gain access to this sensitive data.
XML External Entities (XXE)
A web application that parses XML input which refers an external entity, helps attackers to launch attacks including remote code execution, and to disclose internal files and SMB file shares.
Broken Access control
In website security, access control means to put a limit on what sections or pages end users can reach, depending on their needs. Once this limit is bypassed by an attacker he/she can access administration level pages/sections.
Security misconfigurations
Security Misconfigurations like unpatched flaws, default configurations, unprotected files and directories, unnecessary services can help attacker to penetrate into your web application
Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
Injecting malicious client-side scripts into a website and modifying how it is displayed or its intent, forcing a victim?s browser to execute the code provided by the attacker while loading the page leads to devastating effects.
Insecure Deserialization
An insecure deserialization exploit is the result of de-serializing data from untrusted sources, that can result in serious risks like DDoS attacks and remote code execution attacks.
Using Components with known vulnerabilities
These days the websites have several dependencies, hence failing to update every piece of software on the backend and frontend of a website will, without a doubt, introduce heavy security risks.
Insufficient logging and monitoring
While 100% security is not a realistic goal, there are ways to keep your website monitored on a regular basis so that you can take immediate action when something happens. Not having an efficient logging and monitoring process in place can increase the chances of a website compromise.
Some Common Web Application Attacks
ATTACK |
DESCRIPTION |
Session Fixation |
Permits an attacker to hijack a valid user session. The attack explores a limitation in the way the vulnerable web application manages the session ID. |
Session Replay |
Attack that maliciously ?repeats? a valid data transmission or a users? valid session. |
Directory / Path Traversal |
Allows attackers to improperly access site or user credentials, configuration files, databases or other sites co-located on the same physical machine by injecting patterns to travel up the server directory hierarchy. |
POODLE attack |
Man-in-the-middle exploit which takes advantage of Internet and security software clients' fallback to SSL 3.0 |
Cross Site Scripting(XSS-Reflected) |
The malicious results when returned after injecting malicious code into the website causes disturbance in the victim's working in various ways. |
Cross Site Scripting(XSS-Stored) |
More hazardous than any other XSS. The malicious code or script is saved on the web server (or the database) and is executed every time when the users will call the appropriate functionality. |
Cross Site Scripting(XSS-DOM based) |
When the DOM environment is modified in the victim?s browser, then the client side code executes differently. |
Privilege Escalation |
The attacker maliciously gains authenticated higher-level permissions while accessing the web application. |
SQL Injection |
A successful SQLi attack can delete, modify or reveal the sensitive information stored in the database to the attacker. |
File Upload |
File uploading is the basic form of injecting malicious code for exploitation of the website. |
CSRF |
Forces an end user to execute unwanted actions on a web application in which they're currently authenticated. |
OSRF |
Influences the Clients to send crafted requests to their destined location on behalf of vulnerable application. |
Clickjacking |
A script which Changes the functionality or the behavior of web application?s UI elements, such as clicking on a button that appears to perform some another function |
Why Valency Networks is in Top 10 Pentesting Companies?
With a great track record, tons of happy customers, proven testimonials and a great techie team, Valency Networks had been successful in maintaining their expertise in the subject matter. A large repeating customer base a proof of our credibility in the market. This makes us one of the
top pentesting company in the industry
. We are also an award winning company being recognized as abest cyber security consultant company.
Our Culture
Valency Networks is a very agile, friendly and fun loving atmosphere and yet we maintain a cutting edge technical vibrant work environment.
Working at Valency Networks helps me gain great knowledge everyday.
Hardly goes a day when I have not learnt anything new in cyber security space and IT technologies.
Working at Valency Networks helps me gain great knowledge everyday.