Top 10 Security Threats

About

Security flaws in applications are weaknesses or vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit to gain unauthorized access, manipulate data, or disrupt services. The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is dedicated to identifying and mitigating these security flaws by providing guidelines, tools, and best practices for secure software development.

The OWASP Top 10 is a globally recognized list of the most critical security risks in web applications. It is updated periodically to reflect emerging threats and changing attack patterns.

Why Understanding Security Flaws is Important ?

• Security flaws increase the risk of data breaches, financial loss, and reputational damage.

• Exploitable vulnerabilities can lead to account takeovers, unauthorized transactions, or full system compromise.

• Many security flaws arise due to poor coding practices, misconfigurations, or lack of security awareness.

• Understanding these flaws helps developers build secure applications from the ground up.

A01:2021 – Broken Access Control

Description

• Occurs when an application fails to enforce restrictions on what authenticated users can do.

• Attackers can bypass authorization mechanisms to access or modify resources beyond their intended permissions.

Examples of Exploitation:

• Modifying URL parameters to access other users' data (/api/user/123 → /api/user/124).

• Privilege escalation via insecure access controls.

• Disabling security features by modifying requests.

Solution:

• Implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) with least privilege principles.

• Use server-side enforcement for access controls (do not rely on client-side checks).

• Enforce proper authentication & session management.

• Perform security testing to identify misconfigurations.

A02:2021 – Cryptographic Failures (Sensitive Data Exposure)

Description:

• Insufficient encryption or improper handling of sensitive data like passwords, credit card details, or personal data.

• Attackers can intercept unencrypted data, brute-force weak encryption, or exploit misconfigured cryptographic implementations.

Examples of Exploitation:

• Storing passwords in plain text instead of hashing them.

• Weak encryption (e.g., MD5, SHA-1) making data vulnerable to brute force attacks.

• Not enforcing TLS encryption for data in transit.

Solution:

• Use strong encryption algorithms (AES-256, bcrypt, Argon2 for password hashing).

• Never store plaintext passwords—always hash them with salt.

• Enforce TLS (HTTPS) for all communication.

• Use HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) to prevent SSL stripping attacks.

A03:2021 – Injection (SQL, NoSQL, Command, etc.)

Description:

• Occurs when untrusted data is sent to an interpreter (SQL, NoSQL, LDAP, OS commands) as part of a query or command.

• Attackers can manipulate queries to extract or modify data, execute arbitrary code, or escalate privileges.

Examples of Exploitation:

• SQL Injection (SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = 'admin' -- ' AND password = 'password')

• Command Injection (; rm -rf /)

• NoSQL Injection ({ "$where": "this.password == 'password'" })

Solution:

• Use parameterized queries (Prepared Statements) or ORM frameworks.

• Sanitize and validate user inputs before processing.

• Implement Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) for additional protection.

• Use least privilege for database accounts to limit impact.

A04:2021 – Insecure Design

Description:

• Flaws in architecture and design that expose security risks.

• Unlike misconfigurations or bugs, these issues arise from fundamental design weaknesses.

Examples of Exploitation:

• API endpoints that lack rate limiting, allowing brute-force attacks.

• Application lacking multi-factor authentication (MFA), making account takeovers easier.

Solution:

• Perform Threat Modeling early in the design phase.

• Follow Secure by Design principles (least privilege, fail-safe defaults).

• Conduct regular security reviews and architectural risk assessments.

A05:2021 – Security Misconfiguration

Description:

• Occurs when an application, database, or server is improperly configured, leading to vulnerabilities.

• Attackers can exploit default credentials, unpatched software, and excessive permissions.

Examples of Exploitation:

• Leaving default admin credentials unchanged (admin/admin).

• Exposing debug error messages that reveal sensitive details.

Solution:

• Harden configurations by disabling unnecessary services and features.

• Remove default accounts and enforce strong authentication mechanisms.

• Automate security configuration checks using CIS Benchmarks.

A06:2021 – Vulnerable and Outdated Components

Description:

• Using outdated third-party libraries, plugins, or dependencies with known vulnerabilities.

• Attackers can exploit old vulnerabilities to gain control of applications.

Examples of Exploitation:

• Running an outdated Log4j version vulnerable to RCE attacks.

• Using deprecated cryptographic algorithms in outdated libraries.

Solution:

• Regularly update software dependencies and apply patches.

• Use OWASP Dependency-Check to identify outdated components.

• Follow Software Composition Analysis (SCA) best practices.

A07:2021 – Identification and Authentication Failures

Description:

• Weak authentication mechanisms allow attackers to bypass login protections.

• Users can be impersonated, leading to data breaches and account takeovers.

Examples of Exploitation:

• Allowing weak passwords like "password123".

• Not enforcing account lockout after failed login attempts.

• Using JWT tokens without expiration.

Solution:

• Enforce strong password policies and implement MFA.

• Implement secure session management (short-lived tokens, session timeout).

• Use OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, or SAML for authentication.

A08:2021 – Software and Data Integrity Failures

Description:

• Attackers modify software, configuration files, or transmitted data to introduce malicious behavior.

• Lack of code signing, CI/CD security controls, or integrity verification leads to risk.

Examples of Exploitation:

• Malicious code injection in third-party scripts (e.g., Magecart attack).

• Supply chain attacks where compromised libraries introduce backdoors.

Solution:

• Use digital signatures and checksum validation.

• Implement secure CI/CD pipelines with signed artifacts.

• Validate third-party dependencies before use.

A09:2021 – Security Logging and Monitoring Failures

Description:

• Without proper logging, attacks go undetected, making it harder to respond.

• Lack of monitoring enables stealthy persistence of attackers in systems.

Examples of Exploitation:

• No logs for failed login attempts, allowing brute-force attacks.

• Not detecting suspicious API calls or privilege escalation attempts.

Solution:

• Enable centralized security logging (SIEM solutions).

• Implement real-time monitoring and alerts for suspicious activity.

• Perform regular security audits and log analysis.

A10:2021 – Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)

Description:

• Attackers manipulate server requests to access internal resources or sensitive data.

• Often exploited in cloud environments where internal APIs are exposed.

Examples of Exploitation:

• Sending a crafted request to access metadata services (e.g., AWS, Azure).

• Exploiting vulnerable file upload functionality to retrieve local files.

Solution:

• Restrict external URL fetching with allowlists.

• Validate and sanitize user input before processing URLs.

• Use network segmentation to prevent unauthorized internal access.