SQL Injection FInal Video

AJAX Security Threats

Below are some sites listed that explain Ajax vulnerabilities and how to test for them:

• Testing for AJAX Vulnerabilities: https://www.owasp.org/index.php/Testing_for_AJAX_Vulnerabilities_(OWASP-AJ-001)                           
• Top 10 AJAX Security Holes:                                                                             http://www.net-security.org/article.php?id=956
• AJAX Vulnerabilities Could Pose Serious Risks:                                                http://www.net-security.org/article.php?id=956

Top Security Threats

This post looks at three different lists of the top security threats in software. The lists come from the Open Web Application Security Projcect (OWASP), Common Weaknesses Enumeration(CWE), and the Department of Homeland Security. Although different threats show up in different positions among the lists, each list has SQL and OS injection at the top, along with cross site scripting towards the top. SQL injections are considered the most dangerous due to the ease of the attack, as well as the high frequency of attacks that occur online. To look further into each of these lists, please visit the sites below!


Department of Homeland Security:
http://www.informationweek.com/government/security/feds-identify-top-25-software-vulnerabil/231000504

Common Weaknesses Enumeration:
http://cwe.mitre.org/top25/#Listing

Open Web Application Security Project:
https://www.owasp.org/index.php/Category:OWASP_Top_Ten_Project

SQL Injection

SQL injection allows attackers to inject arbitrary scripts into SQL queries. This gives the attacker the ability to read, insert new data , or alter existing data in your database. To avoid this, never build queries by string concatenation, instead use API calls. Here is the link to the official OWASP site for this topic.

Configuration Vulnerabilities

Configuration vulnerabilities can be exploited through certain default settings that come with applications. This can easily happen when an attacker has access to a copy of the same application that you are running. An example of a configuration vulnerability is when an application comes with a default username and password. Once an attacker finds those out, then he/she can pretty much do anything with your application that he/she wants. The following is an article regarding configuration vulnerabilities in ASP.NET: http://www.troyhunt.com/2012/04/67-of-aspnet-websites-have-serious.html.

Code Execution

Code execution is the ability to run arbitrary code remotely on a server. This can lead to an attacker taking control of the program or even open up a new shell on the computer. To prevent this, a developer must perform validation of user input before passing it on, and the developer needs to implement functions with least privilege rights. For another resource over code execution please follow this link.

Path Traversal

The goal of a path traversal attack is to gain access to files and directories, including application source code and critical system files, that are stored outside of the web root folder. Attackers can do this by manipulating variables that reference ../ sequences. Please visit this link to go to the OWASP page for this topic.

Cross Site Scripting Example

Cross Site Script Inclusion (XSSI)

While browsers prevent pages from one domain reading pages from a different domain, they do not prevent pages from one domain referencing resources in a different domain. This means that pictures can be rendered and scripts can be ran from other domains. The problem with this is that the included scripts do not have their own security context, rather it runs in the security context of the page that included it.