Web Application Security

While many resources for network and IT security are available, detailed knowledge regarding modern web application security has been lacking—until now. This practical guide provides both offensive and defensive security concepts that software engineers can easily learn and apply. Andrew Hoffman, a senior security engineer at Salesforce, introduces three pillars of web application security: recon, offense, and defense. You’ll learn methods for effectively researching and analyzing modern web applications—including those you don’t have direct access to. You’ll also learn how to break into web applications using the latest hacking techniques. Finally, you’ll learn how to develop mitigations for use in your own web applications to protect against hackers. Explore common vulnerabilities plaguing today's web applications Learn essential hacking techniques attackers use to exploit applications Map and document web applications for which you don’t have direct access Develop and deploy customized exploits that can bypass common defenses Develop and deploy mitigations to protect your applications against hackers Integrate secure coding best practices into your development lifecycle Get practical tips to help you improve the overall security of your web applications

Security Smarts for the Self-Guided IT Professional “Get to know the hackers—or plan on getting hacked. Sullivan and Liu have created a savvy, essentials-based approach to web app security packed with immediately applicable tools for any information security practitioner sharpening his or her tools or just starting out.” —Ryan McGeehan, Security Manager, Facebook, Inc. Secure web applications from today's most devious hackers. Web Application Security: A Beginner's Guide helps you stock your security toolkit, prevent common hacks, and defend quickly against malicious attacks. This practical resource includes chapters on authentication, authorization, and session management, along with browser, database, and file security--all supported by true stories from industry. You'll also get best practices for vulnerability detection and secure development, as well as a chapter that covers essential security fundamentals. This book's templates, checklists, and examples are designed to help you get started right away. Web Application Security: A Beginner's Guide features: Lingo--Common security terms defined so that you're in the know on the job IMHO--Frank and relevant opinions based on the authors' years of industry experience Budget Note--Tips for getting security technologies and processes into your organization's budget In Actual Practice--Exceptions to the rules of security explained in real-world contexts Your Plan--Customizable checklists you can use on the job now Into Action--Tips on how, why, and when to apply new skills and techniques at work

Over 75% of network attacks are targeted at the web application layer. This book provides explicit hacks, tutorials, penetration tests, and step-by-step demonstrations for security professionals and Web application developers to defend their most vulnerable applications. This book defines Web application security, why it should be addressed earlier in the lifecycle in development and quality assurance, and how it differs from other types of Internet security. Additionally, the book examines the procedures and technologies that are essential to developing, penetration testing and releasing a secure Web application. Through a review of recent Web application breaches, the book will expose the prolific methods hackers use to execute Web attacks using common vulnerabilities such as SQL Injection, Cross-Site Scripting and Buffer Overflows in the application layer. By taking an in-depth look at the techniques hackers use to exploit Web applications, readers will be better equipped to protect confidential. The Yankee Group estimates the market for Web application-security products and services will grow to $1.74 billion by 2007 from $140 million in 2002 Author Michael Cross is a highly sought after speaker who regularly delivers Web Application presentations at leading conferences including: Black Hat, TechnoSecurity, CanSec West, Shmoo Con, Information Security, RSA Conferences, and more

Gain a solid foundation for designing, building, and configuring security-enhanced, hack-resistant Microsoft® ASP.NET Web applications. This expert guide describes a systematic, task-based approach to security that can be applied to both new and existing applications. It addresses security considerations at the network, host, and application layers for each physical tier—Web server, remote application server, and database server—detailing the security configurations and countermeasures that can help mitigate risks. The information is organized into sections that correspond to both the product life cycle and the roles involved, making it easy for architects, designers, and developers to find the answers they need. All PATTERNS & PRACTICES guides are reviewed and approved by Microsoft engineering teams, consultants, partners, and customers—delivering accurate, real-world information that’s been technically validated and tested.

HTML5 -- HTML injection & cross-site scripting (XSS) -- Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) -- SQL injection & data store manipulation -- Breaking authentication schemes -- Abusing design deficiencies -- Leveraging platform weaknesses -- Browser & privacy attacks.

This book is a practical guide to discovering and exploiting security flaws in web applications. The authors explain each category of vulnerability using real-world examples, screen shots and code extracts. The book is extremely practical in focus, and describes in detail the steps involved in detecting and exploiting each kind of security weakness found within a variety of applications such as online banking, e-commerce and other web applications. The topics covered include bypassing login mechanisms, injecting code, exploiting logic flaws and compromising other users. Because every web application is different, attacking them entails bringing to bear various general principles, techniques and experience in an imaginative way. The most successful hackers go beyond this, and find ways to automate their bespoke attacks. This handbook describes a proven methodology that combines the virtues of human intelligence and computerized brute force, often with devastating results. The authors are professional penetration testers who have been involved in web application security for nearly a decade. They have presented training courses at the Black Hat security conferences throughout the world. Under the alias "PortSwigger", Dafydd developed the popular Burp Suite of web application hack tools.

Rigorously test and improve the security of all your Web software! It’s as certain as death and taxes: hackers will mercilessly attack your Web sites, applications, and services. If you’re vulnerable, you’d better discover these attacks yourself, before the black hats do. Now, there’s a definitive, hands-on guide to security-testing any Web-based software: How to Break Web Software. In this book, two renowned experts address every category of Web software exploit: attacks on clients, servers, state, user inputs, and more. You’ll master powerful attack tools and techniques as you uncover dozens of crucial, widely exploited flaws in Web architecture and coding. The authors reveal where to look for potential threats and attack vectors, how to rigorously test for each of them, and how to mitigate the problems you find. Coverage includes · Client vulnerabilities, including attacks on client-side validation · State-based attacks: hidden fields, CGI parameters, cookie poisoning, URL jumping, and session hijacking · Attacks on user-supplied inputs: cross-site scripting, SQL injection, and directory traversal · Language- and technology-based attacks: buffer overflows, canonicalization, and NULL string attacks · Server attacks: SQL Injection with stored procedures, command injection, and server fingerprinting · Cryptography, privacy, and attacks on Web services Your Web software is mission-critical–it can’t be compromised. Whether you’re a developer, tester, QA specialist, or IT manager, this book will help you protect that software–systematically.

Modern web applications are built on a tangle of technologies that have been developed over time and then haphazardly pieced together. Every piece of the web application stack, from HTTP requests to browser-side scripts, comes with important yet subtle security consequences. To keep users safe, it is essential for developers to confidently navigate this landscape. In The Tangled Web, Michal Zalewski, one of the world’s top browser security experts, offers a compelling narrative that explains exactly how browsers work and why they’re fundamentally insecure. Rather than dispense simplistic advice on vulnerabilities, Zalewski examines the entire browser security model, revealing weak points and providing crucial information for shoring up web application security. You’ll learn how to: –Perform common but surprisingly complex tasks such as URL parsing and HTML sanitization –Use modern security features like Strict Transport Security, Content Security Policy, and Cross-Origin Resource Sharing –Leverage many variants of the same-origin policy to safely compartmentalize complex web applications and protect user credentials in case of XSS bugs –Build mashups and embed gadgets without getting stung by the tricky frame navigation policy –Embed or host user-supplied content without running into the trap of content sniffing For quick reference, "Security Engineering Cheat Sheets" at the end of each chapter offer ready solutions to problems you’re most likely to encounter. With coverage extending as far as planned HTML5 features, The Tangled Web will help you create secure web applications that stand the test of time.