Introduction

We live in a world of applications, and the apps on our phones are just the tip of the iceberg. With the increasing reliance on these systems, application security vulnerabilities have become a significant concern for organizations. 

Safeguarding sensitive data in data transits and maintaining user trust is at the core of every startup and the bigwigs in the AI age. Attackers are constantly looking for weaknesses to exploit, making it crucial to address application security vulnerabilities to prevent breaches that compromise the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of systems.

Understanding the most common application security vulnerabilities is essential to maintaining a long-lasting, stable security posture. Below, we explore the top 10 vulnerabilities and how to mitigate them. Let’s dig in.

Top 10 Application Security Vulnerabilities in 2024

Application security vulnerabilities refer to weaknesses in a system that delight attackers since they acquire unauthorized access or manipulate data. These vulnerabilities threaten the CIA triad (confidentiality, integrity, and availability), leading to security breaches, data theft, or denial of service.

Attackers often use techniques like code injections, credential stuffing, and exploiting insecure components to discover and leverage these weaknesses. Understanding these top 10 vulnerabilities helps developers implement proactive defences.

1. Injection Attacks

   Injection attacks take place when an attacker inserts malicious code into a system, typically through an input field. Common forms include SQL, NoSQL, OS, and LDAP injections. These attacks lead to data breaches, unauthorized data manipulation, and even full system compromise.

   Mitigation:

   • Implement strong input validation to filter and sanitize user inputs.

   • Use parameterized queries and prepared statements to avoid injecting malicious SQL code.

   • Incorporate ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) frameworks to abstract and manage database queries securely.
     
     

2. Broken Authentication

   Broken authentication occurs when an attacker exploits weak authentication mechanisms, such as poor password management or session vulnerabilities, to impersonate a legitimate user.

   Mitigation:

   • Enforce strong password policies, including length and complexity requirements.

   • Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of security.

   • Configure session timeout and invalidation after a period of inactivity to prevent session hijacking.
     
     

3. Sensitive Data Exposure

   Sensitive data exposure happens when applications fail to shield confidential information (passwords, credit card numbers, personal data, etc) leaving it vulnerable to interception or theft.

   Mitigation:

   • Use strong encryption protocols like TLS (Transport Layer Security) for data in transit and at rest.

   • Implement proper key management practices to safeguard encryption keys.

   • Regularly audit and update encryption protocols to stay ahead of evolving threats.
     
     

4. XML External Entities (XXE)

   XML External Entities (XXE) attacks exploit vulnerabilities in XML parsers. In these attacks, external entities are injected that can read files, execute code, or send data to an unauthorized server.

   Mitigation:

   • Disable external entity processing in XML parsers.

   • Use XML libraries that are resistant to XXE vulnerabilities.

   • Implement input validation to ensure that only safe XML data is processed.
     
     

5. Broken Access Control

   Broken access control occurs when unauthorized users gain access to resources or perform actions they shouldn’t be able to. Examples include accessing confidential files or modifying settings.

   Mitigation:

   • Use role-based access control (RBAC) to ensure that only authorized users can perform certain actions.

   • Regularly review and update permissions to ensure proper access control.

   • Conduct security audits to identify and address access control weaknesses.
     
     

6. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

   Cross-site scripting (XSS) involves injecting malicious scripts into a web application, allowing attackers to steal session tokens, deface websites, or redirect users to unwarranted malicious sites. There are 3 types of XSS: stored, reflected, and DOM-based.

   Mitigation:

   • Sanitize user input to halt the execution of harmful scripts.

   • Use content security policies and security headers to reduce the impact of XSS attacks.

   • Implement output encoding techniques to ensure that user-supplied data is treated as text rather than executable code.
     
     

7. Insecure Deserialization

   Insecure deserialization vulnerabilities occur when untrusted data is deserialized, leading to code execution, privilege escalation, or data tampering.

   Mitigation:

   • Avoid using untrusted data sources for deserialization.

   • Use secure and trusted serialization formats that do not allow arbitrary code execution.

   • Implement integrity checks to validate serialized objects before deserialization.
     
     

8. Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities

   Many applications rely on third-party components such as libraries and frameworks. Using outdated components with known vulnerabilities exposes applications to attacks.

   Mitigation:

   • Regularly update all third-party components and libraries.

   • Conduct vulnerability scans to identify and address security issues in external components.

   • Monitor for security patches and promptly apply them to minimize risk.
     
     

9. Insufficient Logging and Monitoring

   Insufficient logging and monitoring make it difficult to detect and respond to security breaches. Without comprehensive logging, organizations may not know that an attack occurred until it’s too late.

   Mitigation:

   • Implement detailed logging of security-related events.

   • Set up real-time monitoring and alerts to detect suspicious activities.

   • Conduct regular reviews of logs to identify patterns or anomalies that could indicate an attack.
     
     

10. Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)

    Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) happens when an attacker manipulates a vulnerable server. They proceed by making requests to unauthorized or unintended locations, potentially exposing internal systems or private networks.

    Mitigation:

    • Sanitize and validate all user input to prevent malicious requests.

    • Implement network segmentation to limit the server’s ability to interact with sensitive internal resources.

    • Firewall rules & access control lists (ACLs) are effective to restrict outbound connections from the server.

Conclusion

Understanding and mitigating application security vulnerabilities is essential for maintaining the integrity of your applications and protecting sensitive data. By implementing proactive security measures such as input validation, encryption, access control, and regular vulnerability scans, you can hugely arrest the risk of attacks and ensure that your applications remain secure.

Seezo.io is a platform dedicated to offering automated security design reviews for software features. It focuses on providing developers with context-specific security requirements prior to the coding phase, ensuring that security is incorporated into the development process from the very beginning.

At Seezo.io, we streamline a crucial aspect of security: incremental threat modeling. Since Seezo helps in providing security requirements, many of these vulnerabilities will not be introduced in code if correctly implemented. This ensures that applications under development are secure by design.

Book a demo today to discover how Seezo.io can assist in identifying and addressing vulnerabilities before they become a risk.