The last few years the biggest buzzword was shifting left. You have seen it everywhere. The concept is pretty simple when you think about the evolution of application security. We started out with a huge focus on penetration testing and providing a report back to the development team. The majority of organizations didn't have application security teams, and if they did, they were usually pretty small and limited in function. This method of app security was easy because it was in a time where … [Read more...] about Don’t Shift Left, Expand
security testing
Client vs. Server Validation
How many times have we thrown a vulnerability over to the development team assuming they understand what the issue is? How many times have we sat with the development team to show them what we do? This isn't a point of showing how to attack to build up the next generation of security people. Instead, it is focused on showing the development team how at attacker looks at their application so they better understand the issue identified. Let's walk through a really simple scenario You have an … [Read more...] about Client vs. Server Validation
The risk of Spell Checking
Did you know that input fields on a web form support spell checking by default in many web browsers? This is a feature of the browser that can help catch errors early for the end user. Recently, some testers found that some data may be leaked during the spell checking function to 3rd parties. Here is a reference article describing this: https://www.darkreading.com/application-security/spellchecking-google-chrome-microsoft-edge-browsers-leaks-passwords The first point to make here is this is … [Read more...] about The risk of Spell Checking
What is the difference between encryption and hashing?
Encryption is a reversible process, whereas hashing is one-way only. Data that has been encrypted can be decrypted back to the original value. Data that has been hashed cannot be transformed back to its original value. Encryption is used to protect sensitive information like Social Security Numbers, credit card numbers or other sensitive information that may need to be accessed at some point. Hashing is used to create data signatures or comparison only features. For example, user passwords … [Read more...] about What is the difference between encryption and hashing?
Proxying localhost on FireFox
When you think of application security testing, one of the most common tools is a web proxy. Whether it is Burp Suite from Portswigger, ZAP from OWASP, Fiddler, or Charles Proxy, a proxy is heavily used. From time to time, you may find yourself testing a locally running application. Outside of some test labs or local development, this isn't really that common. But if you do find yourself testing a site on localhost, you may run into a roadblock in your browser. If you are using a recent version … [Read more...] about Proxying localhost on FireFox
Ep. 115: Is CSRF Really Dead?
In 2020, Chrome will default the SameSite attribute to Lax on all cookies. SameSite helps mitigate CSRF, but does that mean CSRF is Dead? For more info go to https://www.developsec.com or follow us on twitter (@developsec). Join the conversations.. join our slack channel. Email james@developsec.com for an invitation. DevelopSec provides application security training to add value to your application security program. Contact us today to see how we can help. … [Read more...] about Ep. 115: Is CSRF Really Dead?