Websites & Web Security

Injection

Unsanitized input becomes part of commands/queries. Defense: parameterized queries/ORMs, input validation, least privilege for DB accounts.

Cross-Site Scripting

Malicious scripts injected into pages seen by other users. Defense: output encoding, Content Security Policy (CSP), input validation.

Cross-Site Request Forgery

Attacker tricks a browser into making authenticated requests. Defense: CSRF tokens, SameSite cookies, require re-authentication for sensitive actions

Broken Authentication & Session Management:

Weak passwords, session fixation, or exposed tokens. Defense: secure session cookies (HttpOnly, Secure, SameSite), multi-factor authentication, strict password policies, token expiration.

Broken Access Control

Users access or perform actions they shouldn’t. Defense: enforce server-side authorization checks, use role-based access control (RBAC), deny-by-default.

Sensitive Data Exposure

Storing/transmitting secrets insecurely. Defense: TLS for transit, encryption at rest, proper key management, avoid sensitive data in logs

Security Misconfiguration

Default credentials, verbose error messages, unnecessary services exposed. Defense: hardening guides, removing unused features, secure defaults.

Insecure Direct Object References

Predictable identifiers allow access to others’ resources. Defense: unpredictable identifiers, server-side authorization checks

Insufficient Logging & Monitoring

Attacks go unnoticed. Defense: centralized logging, alerting, retention policies, incident response plan.

Reconnaissance

c______ (passive first): gather public info (DNS, subdomains, certificate transparency, public endpoints).

Mapping & discovery

______ : enumerate endpoints, files, parameters, APIs, and inputs.

Analysis & identification

______: identify potential weaknesses in authentication, input handling, access control, configuration.

Validation

_____ (non-destructive): verify vulnerabilities in a safe way (proof-of-concept that does not expose or exfiltrate real data).

Reporting & remediation

_______ : document findings with reproducible steps, risk level, and recommended fixes.