Think Like a Hacker: Common Vulnerabilities Found in Web Applications
by Sarah Harvey / September 24th, 2019
Web Pages vs. Web Applications
According to the 2019 Verizon DBIR, web applications are a top vector in data breaches. But is your organization doing anything to mitigate this threat? Are you educated on what vulnerabilities web apps like yours are facing? In the first installment of our “Think Like a Hacker” webinar series, one of our expert penetration testers, Stuart Rorer, dives into the most common vulnerabilities found in web applications during penetration tests. If you’re interested in learning about common ways your web applications may be compromised by a malicious hacker, remediation tactics for mitigating threats facing your web apps, and how to continue to stay abreast of cyber threats with KirkpatrickPrice’s pen testing services, watch the full webinar now.
When it comes to ensuring the security of a web app, there is one critical thing to keep in mind: web apps are not the same as web pages. Web pages are static, whereas web applications are dynamic and respond to user interaction. What does this mean? It means that web pages are simple: you view the page, and there is usually very little that can be attacked, aside from the underlying infrastructure. When there is added dynamic functionality, such as adding a search option, there is greater risk for a malicious attack because there’s a level of interaction with the underlying system. So, what common vulnerabilities are found when there’s added dynamic functionality? We’ll give you five.
5 Common Vulnerabilities Found in Web Applications
When looking at the vulnerabilities found in web applications, it’s important to realize that all web applications are different: there are different frameworks, components, libraries, and services. Considering this, when undergoing a web application penetration test, there could be a number of vulnerabilities found, but the five we most commonly see at KirkpatrickPrice are:
- Misconfiguration
- Vulnerable third-party libraries and components
- Authorization issues
- Redirection issues
- Injections
Your organization’s web apps are only as strong as your latest penetration test. Have you found all of the vulnerabilities in your web applications? Could there be more you’re unaware of? Watch the full webinar now to learn about five common vulnerabilities or contact us today to speak to one of our Information Security Specialists about our web application penetration testing services.
