What is OWASP?
The OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) is a nonprofit foundation focused on improving software security. It publishes the widely known OWASP Top 10, a list of the most critical web application security risks.
This list has seen updates in 2013, 2017, and the latest in 2021.
Below are the OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities and how to mitigate them:
1. Broken Access Control
Occurs when restrictions on what authenticated users are allowed to do are not properly enforced.
Remediation:- Implement proper access control checks.
- Remove unnecessary accounts and disable unused services.
- Use multi-factor authentication.
- Disable directory listings on the server.
2. Cryptographic Failures
These happen when data is exposed due to insufficient encryption.
Remediation:- Encrypt sensitive data at rest and in transit.
- Use modern algorithms and strong key management.
- Disable form autocomplete for sensitive fields.
- Use salted password hashes.
3. Injection
Injection flaws like SQL or command injection occur when untrusted data is sent to an interpreter.
Remediation:- Use parameterized queries or ORM libraries.
- Sanitize and validate all input.
- Avoid dynamic query construction.
4. Insecure Design
Refers to the lack of security consideration during software design.
Remediation:- Include secure design principles in the SDLC.
- Apply threat modeling and abuse case testing.
- Implement rate-limiting and quotas to mitigate abuse.
5. Security Misconfiguration
Using default settings, open cloud storage, or verbose errors can introduce vulnerabilities.
Remediation:- Harden configurations and disable unnecessary features.
- Keep software and libraries up to date.
- Hide detailed error messages from users.
6. Vulnerable and Outdated Components
Using old libraries or frameworks with known issues can lead to compromise.
Remediation:- Update dependencies regularly.
- Use tools that alert you to known vulnerabilities.
- Perform regular vulnerability assessments.
7. Identification and Authentication Failures
Weak authentication allows attackers to compromise accounts and sessions.
Remediation:- Implement strong password policies and MFA.
- Avoid using default or predictable credentials.
- Secure session cookies with proper flags.
8. Software and Data Integrity Failures
Occurs when you rely on components from untrusted sources or without validation.
Remediation:- Use signed packages and verify integrity with checksums.
- Secure your CI/CD pipeline.
9. Security Logging and Monitoring Failures
Lack of visibility can prevent timely detection of attacks.
Remediation:- Log key events and monitor them regularly.
- Ensure logs are accessible to incident response teams.
10. Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)
SSRF occurs when an app fetches a remote resource without validating the user-provided URL.
Remediation:- Validate and whitelist URLs.
- Block internal IP address ranges.
- Use regex patterns to control input format.
This post is based on my interpretation of multiple sources on OWASP Top 10.
Resources:
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