What is the OWASP Top Ten?
The OWASP Top Ten is a globally recognized document that outlines the ten most critical web application security risks. This initiative by the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) aims to raise awareness about security vulnerabilities in web applications and encourages developers to adopt better security practices.
Key Components of the OWASP Top Ten
- Injection: Attacks that allow unauthorized data execution.
- Broken Authentication: Failure in implementing secure authentication mechanisms.
- Sensitive Data Exposure: Inadequate protection of sensitive information.
- XML External Entities (XXE): Issues when XML input is processed.
- Broken Access Control: Failure to properly restrict user actions.
- Security Misconfiguration: Insecure default configurations or improper setup.
- Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): Injections that execute scripts in a user's browser.
- Insecure Deserialization: Risks associated with improperly handling data during deserialization.
- Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities: Utilizing libraries or frameworks with known security weaknesses.
- Insufficient Logging & Monitoring: Lack of logging mechanisms that hinder incident response.
Organizations are encouraged to evaluate their web applications against these risks and implement necessary security controls to mitigate them. The OWASP Top Ten serves as a vital resource for improving application security and protecting sensitive data.