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OWASP – An Introduction

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by

Editorial Team
in

1. What is OWASP?

OWASP stands for Open Web Application Security Project. The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is an online community that produces freely available articles, methodologies, documentation, tools, and technologies in the fields of IoT, system software and web application security. The OWASP provides free and open resources. It is led by a non-profit called The OWASP Foundation.

The OWASP Foundation is a global non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing software security. It serves as a valuable resource for developers worldwide, providing guidelines and best practices to secure web applications.

2. OWASP Top 10

The OWASP Top 10 is a widely recognized list of the top ten most critical security risks to web applications, compiled and maintained by the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP). It aims to raise awareness about the most prevalent vulnerabilities in web applications and provide developers and organizations with guidance on identifying, mitigating, and preventing these issues. The top ten list is developed by Web application security experts worldwide and is updated every couple of years.

The OWASP Top 10 aims to educate organizations and developers on reducing application security risks. The list is compiled with input from the community through surveys, vulnerability databases, and reports on common vulnerabilities and exploits.

An essential aspect of the OWASP Top 10 is that it not only identifies and ranks critical vulnerabilities but also provides detailed remediation guidance to address them. This resource leverages the collective knowledge and expertise of OWASP’s open community contributors, making it a valuable tool for improving application security.

The OWASP Top 10 report is based on a global consensus among security experts, with risks ranked according to the frequency of discovered defects, the severity of vulnerabilities, and the potential impact they could have. Its purpose is to provide developers and web application security professionals with valuable insights into the most prevalent security risks. By implementing the findings and recommendations from the report, they can strengthen their security practices and minimize known risks in their applications.

Following is the 2021 list:

  • A01:2021-Broken Access Control
  • A02:2021-Cryptographic Failures
  • A03:2021-Injection
  • A04:2021-Insecure Design
  • A05:2021-Security Misconfiguration
  • A06:2021-Vulnerable and Outdated Components
  • A07:2021-Identification and Authentication Failures
  • A08:2021-Software and Data Integrity Failures
  • A09:2021-Security Logging and Monitoring Failures
  • A10:2021-Server-Side Request Forgery

3. What is Common Weakness Enumeration?

Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) is a community-driven list of software and hardware vulnerabilities that are common across various applications and systems. It provides a comprehensive catalog of software weaknesses, helping developers, security professionals, and organizations identify, understand, and mitigate common flaws that could lead to security vulnerabilities. CWE is a universal online dictionary of weaknesses that have been found in computer software.

The Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) dictionary is maintained by the MITRE Corporation. It is freely accessible worldwide, providing a comprehensive catalog of software and hardware vulnerabilities. This resource is available to developers, security professionals, and organizations to help identify and mitigate common weaknesses in applications and systems.

The purpose of CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) is to support the effective use of tools that can identify, detect, and resolve vulnerabilities and exposures in software before programs are released or deployed. By categorizing and defining common software weaknesses, CWE enables developers and security professionals to proactively address security issues, improving software quality and reducing the risk of exploitation.

CWE is designed to help in:

  • Identifying Software Defects: It provides a clear categorization of weaknesses, helping developers and security teams recognize where flaws might exist in their code.
  • Improving Software Security: By focusing on known weaknesses, CWE helps developers avoid vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.
  • Developing Secure Code: It serves as a guide for developers to follow secure coding practices and implement better quality controls to minimize the risks of security flaws.

4. Common Vulnerabilities and Exposure

CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) is a publicly accessible, standardized system for identifying and cataloging known cybersecurity vulnerabilities and exposures in software and hardware. Each CVE entry represents a unique security issue, providing a reference number and detailed information, which makes it easier for organizations and security professionals to track and address specific vulnerabilities.

Key Features of CVE:

  • Unique Identifier: Each CVE entry is assigned a unique identifier, such as CVE-2024-12345, which helps in tracking and referencing vulnerabilities across various systems, tools, and databases.
  • Public Database: CVE entries are stored in a publicly accessible database that can be searched and referenced by anyone, including developers, security researchers, and organizations.
  • Standardized Format: The CVE database ensures consistent naming and categorization of vulnerabilities, allowing different security tools and services to use the same terminology and refer to the same issue.

CVE identifiers, also known as CVE names or CVE numbers, provide a standardized way to reference specific cybersecurity vulnerabilities across multiple information sources. These unique identifiers allow security professionals, researchers, and organizations to access detailed information about particular cyber threats, such as known vulnerabilities or exposures, using a consistent and universally recognized name.

5. Difference between Vulnerability and Exposure

A vulnerability is a weakness or flaw in a system, application, or network that can be exploited by an attacker to gain unauthorized access or cause harm. Vulnerabilities are often inherent in the design, implementation, or configuration of a system, and they can be exploited by malicious actors to execute attacks.

Examples of vulnerabilities:

  • SQL Injection: A weakness where an attacker can manipulate an application’s database query to access sensitive data.
  • Buffer Overflow: A flaw that allows attackers to overwrite memory and execute arbitrary code.
  • Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): A vulnerability where attackers inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by others.

In short, a vulnerability is a specific weakness in a system that could potentially lead to a security breach.

Exposure

An exposure refers to a situation where a system, application, or network is open to risk due to external factors, often making it susceptible to potential attacks. Exposure happens when sensitive data, services, or ports are made accessible to unauthorized entities, even if there is no active flaw or vulnerability present. Exposure can increase the likelihood that vulnerabilities will be exploited.Examples of exposure:

  • Open Ports: A networked device or service with ports open to the public internet may be exposed to attacks, even if the service itself is not vulnerable.
  • Default Passwords: Using default or weak passwords exposes a system to potential attacks.
  • Publicly Accessible Data: Sensitive data made available without adequate access controls exposes it to unauthorized users.

An exposure is more about a system’s visibility to threats and risks, while a vulnerability refers to a deficiency that can be exploited.

6. Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS)

The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) is a standardized framework used to assess and quantify the severity of cybersecurity vulnerabilities. It provides a numeric score, ranging from 0 to 10, which reflects the potential impact of a vulnerability on a system or network. The higher the CVSS score, the more critical the vulnerability is considered.

CVSS helps organizations prioritize vulnerabilities based on their severity, enabling them to focus on the most critical issues first and make informed decisions regarding risk management and remediation efforts.

CVSS Components

CVSS scores are calculated based on three main metric groups:

  1. Base Metrics: These measure the intrinsic characteristics of a vulnerability, such as the ease of exploitation and the potential impact on the system. The Base score is the foundation of the CVSS score and is calculated using the following factors:
    • Attack Vector (AV): Describes how the vulnerability can be exploited (e.g., network, adjacent network, local).
    • Attack Complexity (AC): Indicates how complex it is to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., low, high).
    • Privileges Required (PR): The level of privileges an attacker needs to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., none, low, high).
    • User Interaction (UI): Whether or not user interaction is required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., none, required).
    • Scope (S): Whether the vulnerability impacts only the vulnerable component or if it affects the system as a whole (e.g., unchanged, changed).
    • Confidentiality (C), Integrity (I), and Availability (A) Impact: Measures the potential impact on data confidentiality, system integrity, and availability.
  2. Temporal Metrics: These measure the characteristics of a vulnerability that change over time, such as:
    • Exploitability (E): The availability of exploit code or the ease with which the vulnerability can be exploited.
    • Remediation Level (RL): The availability and effectiveness of fixes or workarounds for the vulnerability.
    • Report Confidence (RC): The level of confidence in the reported details of the vulnerability (e.g., confirmed, unknown).
  3. Environmental Metrics: These measure the characteristics of a vulnerability that depend on the environment in which the vulnerable system exists, such as:
    • Modified Base Metrics: Adapted to reflect the specific conditions of the environment.
    • Security Requirements (CR, IR, AR): The importance of confidentiality, integrity, and availability in the given environment.

CVSS Score Ranges:

The CVSS score is typically presented as a base score, which is then used to derive the overall severity of the vulnerability. The score ranges from 0 to 10, with the following general classifications:

  • 0.0 – 3.9: Low severity
  • 4.0 – 6.9: Medium severity
  • 7.0 – 8.9: High severity
  • 9.0 – 10.0: Critical severity

A higher CVSS score indicates a more severe vulnerability that should be prioritized for remediation.