OWASP Top 10 - HackTheBox (HTB)
In this article, we explored three engaging Capture the Flag (CTF) challenges provided by HackTheBox (HTB): Looking Glass, Sanitize, Baby Auth, Baby Nginxatsu, Baby WAFfles Orderm Baby Todo or Not Todo, Baby BoneChewerCon, Fullstack Conf, Baby Website Rick, and Baby Breaking Grad. Each of these CTFs represents real-world scenarios requiring keen understanding and skillful application of cybersecurity principles and techniques.
These challenges are specifically designed to test and sharpen your skills on the OWASP Top 10, a critical document every cybersecurity professional should be familiar with.
The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Top 10 is a periodically updated document that outlines the most critical security risks to web applications. As of last update d in September 2021, the OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities are:
Broken Access Control has ascended to the top spot from the previous fifth position. The vast majority of applications (94%) were tested for this vulnerability, with the 34 associated Common Weakness Enumerations (CWEs) being the most frequently observed in applications.
Cryptographic Failures has moved up one position to the second spot, superseding the previous category known as Sensitive Data Exposure. The updated category focuses more specifically on cryptographic issues that often result in sensitive data breaches or system compromises.
Injection has dropped to the third position. Yet, it remains a prevalent issue, with 94% of tested applications at risk from one form or another of injection. Cross-site Scripting, previously a standalone category, is now subsumed within this group.
Insecure Design is a new addition, emphasizing the risks associated with design flaws. The introduction of this category underscores the industry's push to adopt proactive security measures such as threat modeling, secure design principles, and reference architectures.
Security Misconfiguration has climbed up one place from the sixth position in the previous edition, reflecting the growing complexity and configurability of software systems. XML External Entities (XXE), previously a separate category, now falls under this umbrella.
Vulnerable and Outdated Components, previously known as Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities, has jumped from the ninth position. This category's rise reflects the industry's ongoing struggle with assessing risks related to outdated software components.
Identification and Authentication Failures has descended from the second spot. Formerly known as Broken Authentication, the category now encompasses issues related to identification failures as well. Despite its lower position, the issue remains a critical part of the Top 10. However, the growing use of standardized frameworks seems to be mitigating its impact.
Software and Data Integrity Failures is another new entry, spotlighting the risks of making unverified assumptions about software updates, data integrity, and CI/CD pipelines. Insecure Deserialization, previously its own category, is now included in this broader category.
Security Logging and Monitoring Failures, formerly known as Insufficient Logging & Monitoring, has jumped up a spot from the tenth position. This category has been broadened to cover a larger set of potential failure points, highlighting the importance of maintaining visibility and incident alerting.
Server-Side Request Forgery is a new addition based on community survey data. Although its incidence rate is relatively low, it has a higher-than-average potential for exploitation and impact. The inclusion of this category emphasizes the importance of community feedback in identifying emerging threats.
These shifts reflect the ever-changing nature of web application security and the importance of keeping abreast of the most current vulnerabilities.
The OWASP Top 10 aims to raise awareness about application security by identifying some of the most critical risks facing organizations. The document provides information on the threat, potential impact, and relative prevalence of each risk, along with practical guidance for mitigating those threats.
Knowing the OWASP Top 10 and understanding how these vulnerabilities can be exploited is crucial for building secure web applications. By testing your skills against HTB challenges, you can better comprehend these risks and learn practical ways to protect against them in real-world applications. It's a proactive measure to prevent security breaches, providing a more robust and secure digital infrastructure.
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