Web Application Security Testing, also known as Web AppSec, is a method to test whether web applications are vulnerable to attacks. It involves a series of automated and manual tests and different methodologies to identify and mitigate security risks in any web application.
Security Testing is a process that checks whether the confidential data stays confidential or not (i.e., it is not exposed to individuals/entities for which it is not meant) and the users can perform only those tasks that they are authorized to perform.
For Example, a user should not be able to deny the functionality of the website to other users or a user should not be able to change the functionality of the web application in an unintended way, etc.
Recommended Security Testing Tools
#1) Acunetix
An end-to-end scanner for online application security is Acunetix. This will allow you to see your organization’s security from all angles. It can identify 6500 different kinds of vulnerabilities, including weak passwords, XSS, and SQL injections. It scans intricate multi-level forms using cutting-edge macro recording technology.
Why do we recommend this tool?
The platform is intuitive and easy to use. You can schedule and prioritize full scans as well as incremental scans. It contains a built-in vulnerability management functionality. With the help of CI tools like Jenkins, new builds can be scanned automatically.
=> Try Acunetix for Web App Security
#2) Invicti (formerly Netsparker)
Invicti (formerly Netsparker) is a platform for all web application security testing requirements. This web vulnerability scanning solution has capabilities of vulnerability scanning, vulnerability assessment, and vulnerability management.
Why do we recommend this tool?
Invicti is best for scanning precision and unique asset discovery technology. It can be integrated with popular issue management and CI/CD applications.
Invicti provides proof of exploit on the identification of vulnerability to confirm that it is not a false positive. It has an advanced scanning engine, advanced crawling authentication features, and WAF integration functionality, etc.
With this tool, you will get detailed scanned results with insights on vulnerability.
=> Visit Invicti (formerly Netsparker) Website
#3) Intruder
Intruder is a cloud-based vulnerability scanner that performs thorough reviews of your entire tech stack, covering web apps and APIs, single page applications (SPAs), and their underlying infrastructure.
Why do we recommend this tool?
Intruder comes with a number of integrations that speed up issue detection and remediation and you can use its API to add Intruder to your CI/CD pipeline and optimize your security workflow.
Intruder will also perform emerging threat scans when new issues arise, saving your team time by automating manual tasks.
By interpreting the raw data drawn from leading scanning engines, Intruder returns intelligent reports that are easy to interpret, prioritize, and action.
Each vulnerability is prioritized in context for a holistic view of all vulnerabilities, reducing your attack surface.
=> Visit Intruder Website
#4) Blacksight
Blacksight is an online website vulnerability scanner. It allows you to perform both instant and recurring scans of your website. It is quite accurate in detecting issues and presenting you with more clarity regarding the security risks plaguing your website.
Why do we recommend this tool?
Blacksight can be used for free to scan your main website. Its scanner is highly customizable. You can easily incorporate additional subdomains in your targets when scanning a website for vulnerabilities. You can also invite collaborators to help you with detected issues. Blacksight also presents you with comprehensive reports that include tips on how to tackle a detected threat.
=> Visit Blacksight Website
Recommended Security Testing Services
#1) ScienceSoft – When Automated Tools Aren’t Enough
Even the most advanced tools are unable to replicate some intricate assault scenarios and account for every aspect of the danger. A cybersecurity team, on the other hand, tests in a secure setting from the viewpoint of a real hacker.
With over two decades of experience in cybersecurity, ScienceSoft is able to evaluate web applications of any complexity. Clutch has named it a Top Penetration Testing Company.
Service Highlights:
- Penetration testing of web apps and their infrastructures conducted by Certified Ethical Hackers.
- Defining app- and industry-specific attack vectors.
- Security code review, including SAST, DAST, and manual review.
- Report on all detected issues and remediation guidance.
Why we recommend this vendor:
- In cybersecurity since 2003.
- Testing and reporting according to authoritative guidelines and threat classifications, including PTES, NIST, OWASP, WASC, and CVSS methodologies.
- Clients highlight detailed reports and actionable recommendations ScienceSoft provided.
- Knowledge of regional and domain-specific compliance standards and regulations, including HIPAA, GAMP, PCI DSS, SOC 2, and GDPR.
- ISO 27001 and ISO 9001-certified security and quality management systems.
- Accurate and cost-efficient testing since the vendor combines manual exploration and automated tools.
Web App Security Testing Approach
A thorough understanding of the HTTP protocol is necessary for the security tester to conduct an effective security test of a web application. It’s also critical to comprehend how HTTP is used by the client (browser) and server to communicate.
The tester should also be familiar with the fundamentals of XSS and SQL injection.
With any luck, there won’t be many security flaws in the web application. Nonetheless, it will undoubtedly be beneficial to be able to precisely describe any security flaw with all the necessary information.
Web Application Security Testing Methodology and Checklist
Here are the top methods to perform web app security tests.
#1) Password Cracking
The security testing on a Web Application can be kicked off by “Password Cracking”. In order to log in to the private areas of the application, one can either guess a username/ password or use some password cracker tool for the same. A list of common usernames and passwords is available along with open-source password crackers.
If the web application does not enforce a complex password (example, with alphabets, numbers, and special characters or with at least a required number of characters), it may not take very long to crack the username and password.
If a username or password is stored in cookies without being encrypted, then an attacker can use different methods to steal the cookies and the information stored in the cookies like username and password.
For more details, see an article on “Website Cookie Testing”.
#2) URL Manipulation through HTTP GET Methods
An application’s ability to pass critical information in the query string should be examined by a tester. This occurs when the program transfers data between the client and the server using the HTTP GET technique.
The query string’s arguments are used to pass the data. To see if the server accepts it, the tester can change the value of the parameter in the query string.
User data is sent to the server for authentication or data retrieval via an HTTP GET request. To obtain the necessary data or tamper with the data, the attacker can change each input variable sent from this GET request to a server.
Under such circumstances, any odd activity on the part of the web server or application serves as an opening for the attacker to get into an application.
#3) SQL Injection
SQL Injection is the next crucial element that has to be examined.
The program should reject any textbox that has a single quote (‘). Rather, if the tester runs into a database issue, it indicates that the user input was entered into a query that the application then ran. The application is susceptible to SQL injection in this situation.
Because an attacker can obtain important data from the server database, SQL injection attacks are extremely dangerous. Determine the code from your codebase where direct MySQL queries are run on the database by accepting certain user inputs in order to verify SQL injection entry points into your web application.
If the user input data is crafted in SQL queries to query the database, an attacker can inject SQL statements or part of the SQL statements as user inputs to extract vital information from a database.
Even if an attacker is successful in crashing the application, from the SQL query error shown on a browser, the attacker can access information they are searching for. Special characters from the user inputs should be handled/escaped properly in such cases.
#4) Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
Additionally, a tester should look for cross-site scripting, or XSS, in the web application. Any script, like
For Example, http://www.examplesite.com/index.php?userid=123&query=xyz
The attacker can easily pass on some malicious input or <script> as a ‘&query’ parameter which can explore important user/server data on the browser.
Important: During security testing, the tester should be very careful and should not modify any of the following:
- Configuration of the application or the server.
- Services running on the server.
- Existing user or customer data hosted by the application.
Additionally, a security test should be avoided in a production system.
Some Key Terms Used in Security Testing
Before we proceed further, it would be useful to familiarize ourselves with a few terms that are frequently used in web application security testing.
#1) What is “Vulnerability”?
This is a weakness in the web application. The cause of such a weakness can be due to the bugs in the application, an injection (SQL/ script code), or the presence of viruses.
#2) What is “URL Manipulation”?
Some web applications communicate additional information between the client (browser) and the server in the URL. Changing some information in the URL may sometimes lead to unintended behavior by the server and this is termed URL Manipulation.
#3) What is “SQL injection”?
This is the process of inserting SQL statements through the web application user interface into some query that is then executed by the server.
#4) What is “XSS (Cross-Site Scripting)”?
When a user inserts HTML/ client-side script in the user interface of a web application, this insertion is visible to other users and it is termed XSS.
#5) What is “Spoofing”?
Spoofing is the creation of hoax look-alike websites and emails.
Conclusion
A security test’s objective is to identify the web application’s vulnerabilities so that its developers can fix them and protect the program and its data from any unauthorized activity.
You may be interested in:
Security Testing: The Ultimate Guide to Types, Techniques, and Tools
ISTQB International Software Testing Qualifications Board