A Web application (Web app) is an application program that is stored on a remote server and delivered over the Internet through a browser interface. Web apps process sensitive data such as user and financial information, making them frequent targets for cybercriminals. As web apps grow more complex, the range of exploitable vulnerabilities increases.
Why Perform Web Application Penetration Testing?
Penetration testing is performed manually or using automated tools to identify vulnerabilities, flaws, or threats in a web application. It simulates known malicious attacks to uncover security weaknesses across the entire application stack, including the source code, database, web application firewall (WAF), and front-/back-end networks.
Web Application Penetration Testing Process
- Scanning: Crawls the website to identify vulnerabilities. Tools called web application scanners or vulnerability scanners perform this task by testing inputs, parameters, and surface routes.
- Vulnerability Assessment: Scans look for vulnerabilities like Cross-site Scripting (XSS), SQL Injection, Command Injection, Path Traversal, and insecure configurations.
- Exploitation: Validates findings by attempting safe exploits on misconfigurations or vulnerable code to understand potential attacker impact.
- Reporting: Scan results are analyzed and presented through dashboards and exportable reports for frameworks like PCI DSS, OWASP Top 10, HIPAA, ISO 27001, and more.