OWASP Top 10: The Most Critical Web Security Vulnerabilities

OWASP Top 10 is a reference document published by the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) that lists the most common and critical security vulnerabilities in web applications. This list serves as a guide for web developers and security experts and is updated every three years to reflect current threats. At BARLAS, our web application security services are conducted based on these standards.

As the Istanbul-based BARLAS Cyber Security team, we test the web applications of organizations in Istanbul and throughout Türkiye according to the OWASP Top 10 2021 list and use this framework as a primary reference in our web application security and penetration testing projects.

What is OWASP Top 10?

OWASP Top 10 is a document prepared based on the results of thousands of web application security tests conducted worldwide, listing the most critical and common web application security vulnerabilities. This list provides a practical guide for web application developers, security experts, and organizations.

The OWASP Top 10 list was last updated in 2021 and reflects current cyber threats. Each security vulnerability in the list has been evaluated in terms of prevalence, ease of exploitation, and business impact.

OWASP Top 10 Security Vulnerabilities (2021)

The OWASP Top 10 list contains the following critical security vulnerabilities:

1. Broken Access Control

These are security vulnerabilities that allow unauthorized users to access functions or data they are not authorized to access. This is one of the most common types of security vulnerabilities and can lead to serious data breaches.

2. Cryptographic Failures

Önceden "Sensitive Data Exposure" olarak bilinen bu kategori, hassas verilerin korunmasında yetersiz kriptografi kullanımını kapsar. Güçlü şifreleme algoritmaları ve güvenli veri aktarımı kritik öneme sahiptir.

3. Injection

SQL Injection, NoSQL Injection, Command Injection and similar attacks fall under this category. These types of attacks can lead to serious security breaches, from database access to execution of system commands.

4. Insecure Design

This new category covers security architecture and design flaws. It emphasizes that security controls should be considered from the design stage.

5. Security Misconfiguration

Configuration errors such as using default settings, having unnecessary features enabled, and overly detailed error messages fall under this category.

6. Vulnerable and Outdated Components

It covers the situation where libraries, frameworks, and components used in a web application contain known security vulnerabilities. Regular updates are critical.

7. Identification and Authentication Failures

Önceden "Broken Authentication" olarak bilinen bu kategori, zayıf parolalar, güvensiz oturum yönetimi, çok faktörlü kimlik doğrulamanın eksikliği gibi sorunları kapsar.

8. Software and Data Integrity Failures

This new category covers risks that arise when processing code or data from untrusted sources.

9. Security Logging and Monitoring Failures

Insufficient logging and monitoring mechanisms prevent the detection of and response to security incidents. This category emphasizes the importance of logging and monitoring.

10. Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)

SSRF, a new category, refers to security vulnerabilities that allow attackers to send unwanted requests on the server side.

Importance of OWASP Top 10

The OWASP Top 10 list identifies critical areas that should be focused on to improve the security of web applications. This list:

• Guide for Developers: Shows web developers which security vulnerabilities they should prioritize.
• Reference for Security Experts: It determines which vulnerabilities should be focused on in security tests.
• Priority for Organizations: It shows where security investments should be made.
• Protection Against Cyber Attacks: Addressing these vulnerabilities significantly increases protection against cyber attacks.

Secure Web Application Development with OWASP Top 10

The following measures should be taken to achieve compliance with the OWASP Top 10 list:

• Secure Development Practices: Adoption of secure code development principles
• Security Tests: Conducting regular security tests (penetration testing, vulnerability assessment)
• Code Review: Reviewing code for security vulnerabilities
• Security Training: Providing security training to developers
• Automated Security Scans: Using automated security scanning tools

BARLAS OWASP Top 10 Compliance Services

As BARLAS Cyber Security, we identify and remediate all security vulnerabilities in the OWASP Top 10 list through our web application security tests. Our services include:

• OWASP Top 10 compliance assessment
• Web application security tests (penetration testing, vulnerability assessment)
• Detection and prioritization of security vulnerabilities
• Detailed security reporting and recommendations
• Technical support for closing security vulnerabilities