Due to the growing number of cyber threats, companies are constantly looking for new ways to protect their web apps. Web application penetration testing is one of those techniques, and it has already become an essential part of any solid protection strategy.
The popularity of cybersecurity services is constantly growing, and this isn’t just talk. Research from Markets and Markets projects the pen testing industry will increase from $1.7 billion in 2020 to an impressive $2.7 billion by 2027. That’s why we suggest you discover what penetration testing for a web application is, why it is important, and what protective value it adds.
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Penetration testing, often abbreviated as “pen test,” is a simulated cyber attack against computer systems to check for exploitable vulnerabilities. In the context of web applications, it involves testing websites, web applications, and online services for security weaknesses that hackers could use.
Penetration testing for web applications can involve the attempted breaching of any number of application systems (e.g., application protocol interfaces (APIs), frontend/backend servers) to uncover web app vulnerabilities, such as unsanitized inputs that are susceptible to code injection attacks.
E-commerce, online banking, healthcare, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Content Management Systems (CMS), billing, accounting, and payrolling software usually come in the form of a web app. Since these web applications store and transfer sensitive data, it is crucial to keep these apps secure through the software development lifecycle, particularly those that are publicly exposed to the World Wide Web.
Web application penetration testing, in turn, is important for the next reasons:
For 8 years of building web and mobile applications, we have learned how to make them secure. Contact us to get a quote for penetration testing services from our cybersecurity experts.
Get a quotePenetration testing for web applications can be categorized into various types, each focusing on different aspects of web security. These tests aim to identify vulnerabilities that could potentially be exploited by attackers. Here’s a breakdown of the primary types of penetration testing 2024 specifically tailored for web applications:
In black box testing, the tester has no prior knowledge of the application’s internal workings. This approach simulates an external cyber attack and focuses on identifying vulnerabilities that can be exploited from the outside, without any insider information. It’s useful for testing the application’s external defense mechanisms.
White box testing provides the tester with complete information about the application, including source code, architecture diagrams, and credentials. This comprehensive knowledge allows for a thorough examination of the application for vulnerabilities, including those that are difficult to detect from the outside. It’s effective for assessing the application’s internal security and logic.
Gray box testing is a hybrid approach that offers the tester partial knowledge of the application’s internals. This might include limited access or an overview of the architecture and protocols but not full source code access. Gray box testing balances the depth of white box testing with the realism of black box testing, providing a well-rounded security assessment.
SAST involves analyzing the source code, byte code, or binaries of an application without executing it. This type of testing is designed to identify security flaws at the code level, making it possible to find vulnerabilities early in the development cycle.
DAST focuses on testing an application during its execution, simulating attacks against a running application. This approach is effective for identifying runtime and environment-related vulnerabilities, such as those related to authentication and session management.
IAST combines elements of both SAST and DAST, analyzing the application from within during runtime. This method provides deep insight into how data flows through the application and how vulnerabilities can be exploited, offering a comprehensive view of the application’s security posture.
Given the critical role of APIs in modern web applications, API penetration testing specifically targets the security of web APIs. This involves testing methods, data handling, authentication mechanisms, and the way APIs interact with other components of the application.
This testing method zeroes in on the weak spots found in client-side technologies, including HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. It aims to identify security issues that could be exploited through the user’s browser, such as cross-site scripting (XSS) and cross-site request forgery (CSRF).
Each type of penetration testing offers unique insights into the security vulnerabilities of web applications. By employing a combination of these testing approaches, organizations can achieve a comprehensive assessment of their web application’s security, uncovering and mitigating potential vulnerabilities to prevent cyber attacks.
Your next read – Recognise App Security Vulnerabilities Beforehand With Application Threat Modeling
Web Application Penetration Testing follows a structured approach to identify and exploit vulnerabilities within web applications. This methodology is designed to systematically assess the security of web applications by simulating attacks that could be carried out by malicious actors. Here’s an overview of the typical phases involved in a Web Application Penetration Testing Methodology 2024:
a. Passive Reconnaissance: Leverage search engines, social media, and public sources for information on the organization, its employees, and potential security gaps.
b. Active Reconnaissance: Utilize tools such as Nmap and automated web crawlers to map out the application’s structure, along with its ports and services.
This structured methodology ensures a thorough assessment of web application security, uncovering vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers and providing actionable insights for enhancing the application’s security posture.
Penetration testing for web applications involves a targeted approach to identify and exploit vulnerabilities. Here’s how web penetration testing could be executed for an e-commerce app:
This web pentesting roadmap provides a comprehensive assessment of the e-commerce web application’s security posture, focusing on identifying and addressing vulnerabilities to enhance the platform’s defense against potential cyberattacks.
Web application penetration testing tools are a vital part of any organization’s security strategy. These tools simulate attacks on a web application in order to identify vulnerabilities and assess the effectiveness of the application’s defenses. Let’s look at the top penetration tools used for web applications in the industry today:
A popular tool for penetration testing, used to crack password hashes. It can perform dictionary attacks, brute-force attacks, and hybrid combinations. John the Ripper analyzes password hashes and, if successful, reveals the cracked password along with the number of attempts needed.
SQLmap is a penetration tester’s secret weapon against SQL injection vulnerabilities, one of the most common web application security flaws. This command-line warrior automates the entire process, from detecting these vulnerabilities to exploiting them with lightning speed and efficiency.
Wireshark, a top network protocol analyzer, lets you capture and dissect live or recorded traffic. The tool deeply analyzes protocols, then exports data (XML, CSV, etc.) for further exploration.
This vulnerability assessment tool helps testers identify vulnerabilities, configuration problems, and even the presence of malware on web applications. This tool, however, is not designed for executing exploitations but offers great help when doing reconnaissance.
Nmap or Network Mapper is more than a scanning and reconnaissance tool. It is used for both network discovery and security auditing purposes. Aside from providing basic information on the target website, it also includes a scripting engine that can be used for vulnerability and backdoor detection and execution of exploitations.
Metasploit stands out among other penetration testing tools for web applications. The reason is that this is actually a framework and not a specific application. You can use it to create custom tools for particular tasks. You can use it to select and configure the exploit, payload, and encoding schema to be used, then execute the exploit.
Aircrack-ng is a go-to tool for cracking WEP/WPA/WPA2 keys on wireless LANs, beloved by penetration testers since 2002 for its efficacy in testing wireless network security. Beyond testing, Aircrack-ng helps identify unsecured networks, crack weak or unprotected Wi-Fi passwords, and decrypt traffic on encrypted networks.
We’ve mentioned Burp Suite a couple of times earlier, and this is because this tool is an all-in-one platform for testing the security of web applications. It has several tools that can be used for every phase of the testing process, including Intruder for fuzzing and brute-forcing, Repeater for manipulating requests and responses, and Sequencer for identifying predictable elements.
While the concept of penetration testing seems simple at first glance, building a career in this field requires specific certifications. Let’s review them briefly.
Automated and manual web application penetration testing are two different approaches to conducting a penetration test.
Automated pen testing involves using specialized software tools to scan a system for vulnerabilities and perform attacks. This approach is fast and efficient, and it can cover a large number of vulnerabilities in a short amount of time. However, it can also produce false positives (i.e., reporting vulnerabilities that do not actually exist) and may not be able to identify all vulnerabilities, especially those that require a human touch to discover.
Manual pen testing, on the other hand, involves a skilled security professional manually testing a system for vulnerabilities and exploiting them. This approach is slower and requires more human effort, but it can be more thorough and accurate. Manual pen testing can uncover vulnerabilities that automated tools might miss, and it allows the tester to think creatively and adapt to unexpected situations.
While both approaches have pros and cons, they can be used together successfully to create a more thorough test. In fact, some companies find that combining the two approaches gives them the best possible results by bringing together the strengths of each method.
Read our guides on how to hire a cybersecurity developer and site reliability engineer.
Web applications are convenient, cost-effective, and value-adding. However, most systems are publicly exposed to the Internet, and the data can become easily available to those who are willing to do a bit of research. What’s more, even the most advanced web applications are prone to vulnerabilities, in both design and configuration, that hackers might find and exploit. Because of this, the web application penetration testing roadmap should be a priority.
Relevant has helped more than 200 companies with setting up teams of remote developers and site reliability engineers with industry-specific expertise and a product-oriented mindset. Our cybersecurity developers would also be glad to help you run a web application penetration testing and get an insightful look into the possible vulnerabilities.
Contact us now to get a quote for penetration testing for your web app.
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