The objective of this project was to assess and improve the security of a web application by identifying common vulnerabilities, such as Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), SQL Injection, and insecure cookies. Using security testing tools like Burp Suite and OWASP ZAP, the project aimed to detect these vulnerabilities, analyze their impact, and apply industry-standard mitigation strategies to ensure the application’s security.
This project involved performing a thorough security assessment of a web application. The security audit focused on identifying common vulnerabilities, including XSS, SQL Injection, and insecure cookies, which are often targeted in cyber-attacks. Using Burp Suite and OWASP ZAP as vulnerability scanners, manual testing for XSS, and cookie security checks, the application’s security was enhanced following the OWASP Top 10 guidelines. The steps involved automated vulnerability scanning, manual validation, exploitation of vulnerabilities, and applying best practices for remediation.
1.Set Up Testing Environment:
- Installed Burp Suite and OWASP ZAP on the testing machine.
- Configured the browser to use Burp Suite and OWASP ZAP as proxy servers to intercept and analyze HTTP traffic. 2.Web Application Mapping:
- Used Burp Suite's Spider tool to crawl and map the web application’s structure.
- Gathered all URLs, input fields, and endpoints that would be analyzed further for security flaws. 3.Automated Vulnerability Scanning:
- Used OWASP ZAP to perform an automated scan of the target web application, identifying security issues such as XSS, SQL Injection, and insecure cookies.
- Enabled Burp Suite's Scanner to run automated vulnerability tests on key pages. 4.Manual Vulnerability Testing:
- Tested for XSS by injecting common JavaScript payloads into input fields and analyzing the application’s behavior.
- Performed SQL Injection tests by injecting malicious SQL queries into search and login fields to detect database vulnerabilities.
- Checked cookies for security flaws, such as the absence of HttpOnly and Secure flags.
5.Remediation and Mitigation:
- Applied fixes based on identified vulnerabilities:
- XSS: Used input sanitization and output encoding techniques to prevent JavaScript execution.
- SQL Injection: Replaced dynamic queries with parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection.
- Cookie Security: Configured the application to use HttpOnly, Secure, and SameSite flags for cookies to enhance session security.
6.Verification and Retesting:
- Conducted a final security scan with both Burp Suite and OWASP ZAP to ensure that all vulnerabilities were mitigated.
- Verified that no XSS or SQL injection vulnerabilities remained, and that cookies were now securely configured.
1.Burp Suite Spider Tool:
- Purpose: Automatically crawls the target application and maps out its structure.
- Process:
- Open the Target tab in Burp Suite.
- Right-click the target URL and select “Spider this host” to begin crawling the application. 2.Burp Suite Intruder Tool (SQL Injection Test):
- Purpose: Automated testing for SQL Injection vulnerabilities on input fields.
- Process:
- Intercept a request from the web application in Burp Suite’s Proxy tab.
- Send the request to the Intruder tab, identify the vulnerable fields (e.g., username, password), and inject common SQL payloads like:
- ' OR '1'='1'; --
- ' UNION SELECT null, null, null; -- 3.OWASP ZAP Automated Scan:
- Purpose: Perform an automated scan to detect common vulnerabilities.
- Process:
- Start OWASP ZAP and configure the browser to proxy through ZAP.
- Run the “Quick Scan” feature to detect issues like XSS, SQL Injection, and cookie vulnerabilities. 4.XSS Testing (Manual Injection):
- Purpose: Manually test for Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities.
- Process:
- Inject XSS payloads into input fields (e.g., <script>alert('XSS')</script>) to check if the application reflects the script. 5.Cookie Security Testing (Browser DevTools):
- Purpose: Check for proper cookie security settings.
- Process:
- Open the browser’s Developer Tools (press F12).
- Navigate to the Application tab, check the cookies, and ensure they have the HttpOnly and Secure flags set. Report:
1.Vulnerabilities Identified:
- Cross-Site Scripting (XSS):
- Identified XSS vulnerability in the search bar of the web application where JavaScript code could be injected and executed.
- SQL Injection:
- Found that the login form was vulnerable to SQL Injection, allowing attackers to bypass authentication using crafted input.
- Insecure Cookies:
- Detected that session cookies lacked the HttpOnly and Secure flags, making them susceptible to theft via JavaScript or insecure connections. 2.Security Measures Applied:
- XSS Mitigation:
- Implemented input sanitization and output encoding to prevent JavaScript code from being executed in the browser.
- SQL Injection Mitigation:
- Replaced vulnerable dynamic SQL queries with parameterized queries to avoid direct injection of malicious SQL code.
- Cookie Security:
- Ensured all cookies were set with the HttpOnly and Secure flags and implemented the SameSite attribute to protect session cookies from cross-site request forgery (CSRF). 3.Mitigation Effectiveness:
- After applying the fixes, the application was resubjected to the same security scans, and all critical vulnerabilities (XSS, SQL Injection) were resolved.
- Cookies were now securely transmitted, and no sensitive data was exposed.
The Web Application Security Assessment successfully identified critical vulnerabilities in the web application, including XSS, SQL Injection, and insecure cookies. By using a combination of Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP, and manual testing, these vulnerabilities were detected and mitigated through industry-standard security practices. The project demonstrated the importance of proactive security assessments and highlighted the effectiveness of automated and manual tools in improving web application security. By applying the OWASP Top 10 principles, the web application’s overall security posture was significantly improved, making it more resilient to common attack vectors.