TECHNIQUES FOR ATTACKING WEB APPLICATION SECURITY

International Journal of Information Sciences and Techniques (IJIST) Vol.6, No.1/2, March 2016
DOI : 10.5121/ijist.2016.6205 45
TECHNIQUES FOR ATTACKING WEB
APPLICATION SECURITY
Rutvi Pradipkumar Adhyaru
Faculty of Computer Science & Applications, CHARUSAT, Changa, Gujarat
ABSTRACT
The web is absolutely necessary part of our lives. It is wide platform which is used for information
sharing and service over internet. They are used for the financial, government, healthcare, education
and many critical services. Everyday billions of user purchase items, transfer money, retrieve
information and communicate over web with each other. Although the web is best friend of users
because it provide anytime anywhere access to information and services at the same time. All things are
created by human in the world so its reality that the things created by man are little bit problematic. So
web applications are also created by human so it contains too many loopholes. The popularity of
applications allure hackers towards them. Now a Days Securing and maintaining the websites against
attack is very hard and challenging task. Finding loopholes in Web application, Computer system or
network and exploiting them called hacking. New approaches for web attacks are invented day to day so
the study of detect and prevent against web application attack and finding solution is important part in
internet world. In this paper we introduced all web application based attack including two major attacks
like XSS (Cross Site Scripting) and SQLI.
KEYWORDS
Web Application Attacks, Web Security, Vulnerability.
1. INTRODUCTION
Web application security and cyber security is Current, demandable and hot career field
subject. The World Wide Web becomes most important and global information medium in the
world. It quickly becomes most dominant way to provide access to online services. User use
web based applications to search data, exchange message, interact with each other, conduct
business, and perform financial operation and many more. For many users the web is very easy
to use and convenient because it provide 24 – hour anytime, anywhere access to information
and service for all concerned the stakes are high: A)business : that derive increasing income
from internet commerce. B) Users: Those who trust web application with sensitive
information. C) Criminals: Those who can make big money by stealing payment details or
compromising bank accounts.
2. PROBLEM OF WEB SECURITY
An important security research problem is how to enable user who is running a client on an
untrusted platform to securely communicate with the web application. Because some people want
to do business with insecure site. Some organization or companies don’t want to give the
information about their own security holes. So, it’s very hard task to get the reliable information
about the state of web security today. Too many sites are there that did not authenticate users

46
because there was no need. Each user treated in a same way and was presented in same
information [4]. Any security threats arising from hosting a website were related largely to
vulnerabilities in web server software. If an attacker compromises a web server he would not gain
access to any sensitive information because the information held on the server was already open
to public view. An attacker typically would modify the files on the server to deface the website’s
contents. No user want to use web application if she believes her information will be disclosed
with unauthorized parties.
3. WORKING OF WEB APPLICATION
Web applications are computer program allowing website visitors to submit and retrieve data to
database over the internet using their preferred web browser. The World Wide Web consists of
websites and websites were collection of web pages [16]. There are mainly two types: 1) Static: a
web page is one that does not change when a user request it. The web server sends the page to
the requesting web browser without modifying it. 2) Dynamic: It’s modified by server before it
is sent to the requesting browser. Web browsers were invented as a means of retrieving and
displaying these documents. Web page contain HTML, images, script code and become more
user friendly but also exploits security loopholes. Each web application is different and may
contain unique vulnerability. Web application is mainly created to perform practically useful
functions you could possibly implement like,
 Web mail services : Gmail, yahoo, Hotmail
 Interactive information : Wikipedia

 Social networking : Facebook, Myspace, hi5.com, twitter, LinkedIn, classmates

 Shopping : Amazon, flip kart

 Weblogs : blogger

 Online calendars : Google calendar, o2 calendar, yahoo calendar

 Online telephone directory : yellow.com, whitepages.com, anywho.com

Figure 1: Working of Web Application

47
At client side, client sends request to particular task than at server side, client’s request processed
with web server using dynamic HTML pages through execution or interpretation[6]. If user is
authorized then server provides appropriate response to the client request otherwise it responds
with 401 errors for non-authorized client. It’s called http authentication and then web application
interact with backend database for storing and retrieving data. The programming language, state
maintenance, logic implementation and design differentiate web application from others.
Generally attacker attacks via Application Layer. Attacker sends attack inside valid http request.
Firewall, patching, IDS and SSL cannot detect or stop attack inside http request.
4. MISCONCEPTIONS REGARDING SECURITY
Some security misunderstandings are there,

Firewall protects my web server and database.

 The IDS protects my server and database.

 IDS configured to detect attacks.

 Honey pot catches the attackers.

 SSL secure my site.

 SSL secure transaction of data between web server and browser of user.
These all misconceptions are wrong. SSL does not protect against the server and applications but
SSL is the hacker’s best friend due to false sense of security. There is one beautiful sentence said
by John Viegel and Gary McGraw that “Malicious hackers don’t create security holes; they
simply exploit them. Security holes and vulnerabilities – the real root cause of the problem – are
the result of bad software design and implementation.”
5. REASONS FOR ATTACKING WEB APPLICATIONS
Currently there are many privacy risks in web applications. Today too many websites are hacked
by anonymous. They target website because of different types of reasons. They are mentioned in
table 1.
Attack Goal %
Stealing Sensitive Information 42%
Defacement 23%
Planning Malware 15%
Unknown 08%

48
Deceit 03%
Blackmail 03%
Link Spam 03%
Worm 01%
Phishing 01%
Information Warfare 01%
Table 1: Reasons for Attacks [12]
6. WEB APPLICATION VULNERABILITY
There are several different types of attacks used by hackers. These types of attacks and its usage
are mentioned in following Table 2.
Attack/Vulnerability Used % of use
SQL Injection 20%
Unintentional Information Disclosure 17%
Known Vulnerability 15%
Cross Site Scripting (XSS) 12%
Insufficient Access Control 10%
Credential/Session Prediction 08%
OS Commanding 03%
Security Misconfiguration 03%
Insufficient Ant automation 03%
Denial Of Service 03%

49
Redirection 02%
Insufficient Session Expiration 02%
Cross Site Request Forgery(CSRF) 02%
Table 2: types of Attacks [12]
This all are the Vulnerability types and how much it’s usage. The SQL Injection and Cross Site
Scripting are the most famous vulnerabilities in web application. Generally web servers,
application servers, and web application environment are affected to following types of
vulnerabilities. The OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) listed all security
vulnerability at [12].There are two types of attacks which are frequently used by hackers namely
SQL Injection attack and XSS (Cross Site Scripting) Attack. The following are the brief
explanation of each type of attack.
6.1 SQL Injection Attack
Injection means tricking an application into including unintended commands in the data sent to an
interpreter. Here what interpreter do. They take strings and interpret them as command. (SQL, OS
Shell, XPath, LDAP etc.) Any web application which accepts the user input as a basis of
performing database query may be vulnerable to SQL Injection. It use loopholes in the web
application that interact with database. In this attacker exploits input vulnerability and attempt to
send incorrect command or SQL query to the web application. These queries can fraud the
interpreter to display unauthorized data to hacker [11]. By this attack hacker can Read the
important information related to user (user name, password, email) from database. Access admin
account and perform all the operation which is done by only admin. Hacker can also modify data
by passing query. He run operating systems command on database server. There are also some
parts in SQL Injection;
Union Based SQL Injection
String Based SQL Injection
Error Based SQL Injection

6.2 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
XSS is also one of the danger attack. In this attack hacker simply inject script in Webpages. These
pages are returned to client and malicious code will be executed in the browser of client with alert
popup. And by simply responding the web application hacks. (Ex. Attacker sets the trap – update
my profile then victim views page – see Attacker profile and script silently sends attacker
victim’s session cookie) . Hacker can Access cookies, session tokens, do remote code execution
and get sensitive data. We can classify xss into two classes’ server xss and client xss. There are
three types of xss;
o Stored XSS
o Reflected XSS
o Dom based XSS
Stored xss also known as persistent xss .This occur when hacker stored malicious script
permanently in target server like database, visitor log, and comment field or in URL. Reflected
xss occur when hacker insert inject script into some input field [13]. This is not permanent by

50
refreshing page it will lost. And Dom base xss occur on client side when hacker enters malicious
script.
6.3 Broken Authentication / Session Management
This attack also like bypass authentication. Authentication is method utilized by web application
to verify that whether the user is authorize or not. Valid user’s password and username stored in
to database. This is a most frequent system for web application. Various action can broke the
authentication no matter its strong [11]. If the user authentication system of website is weak then
Hacker can take full advantage he can change the password, modify account information, and get
sensitive information.
6.4 Cross site request forgery (CSRF) :
This attack also like a XSS but there is one difference that is here attacker create forged http
request (e.g. Update account, login – logout, purchase process) and forced victim in to submitting
malicious action via image tags, XSS, or other techniques. In which he is authenticated such as
submitting http request through alert box or with other techniques [11]. If the user is authenticated
the attack succeeds. By this attack attacker can steal all the information or get the password or
username.
6.5 Insecure Direct Object References
When developer expose references to initial implementation object like file, dictionary, database
key. Without access control check or other protection attacker can manipulate these references to
access an authorized data hacker who is unauthorized simply changes a parameter value that
directly refers to the system object to another object the user isn’t authorized for [12].
6.6 Security Misconfiguration
Good security requires having a secure configuration defined and deployed for the application,
frameworks, application server, web server, database server and platform. In these types of attack
hacker accesses default accounts, unused pages, unpatched flaws, unprotected files and
dictionaries to gain unauthorized access or for the knowledge of the system.
6.7 Sensitive Data Exposure
Many applications do not properly protect important information like credit card, tax ID’s,
authentication Ids. Hacker may steal or change such weekly protected data to conduct credit card
fraud, id theft or other crimes. Hacker generally does not break cryptography. They break
something else such as steal keys, do man in middle attacks or steal clear text data of the server
while transit or from user’s browser.
6.8 Using Components with Known Vulnerability
Components like frameworks or software module always run with full privileges. If vulnerable
component exploited then attack can facilitate important data loss. In this hacker search a weak
component by scanning. He customizes the exploit as need and executes the attack. It gets more
danger if used component is deep in application.

51
6.9 Invalidated Redirects and Forwards
Generally web application redirects users to another page or website and use untrusted data to
consider designation pages without proper validation. Hacker can redirect victim to phishing site.
Hacker links to redirect and forced victim to click. Since the link is to a valid site. Attacker
targets unsafe forward to bypass authentication.
6.10 Missing Function Level Access Control :
Mostly web applications verify function level rights before making that visible in the UI.
Application need to perform the same access control checks on the server when each function is
accessed. If request are not verified hacker, it will be able to forge requests in order to access
functionality without proper authorization. Hacker who is authorized user simply changes the
URL or a parameter to privileged system. He can also access private functions that aren’t
protected.
7. CONCLUSIONS
This paper presents an overview about the web application security area. It explains the different
types of attacks used by hackers and mainly focuses on SQL Injection and XSS types of danger
attack. Web security is required because Information is asset of any organization. Any breach in
information security can affect image of organization. Only 10% of people are aware about
hacking and hackers. Many techniques have been proposed to secure web application and
browser from attackers, but even so this technique still poor.
Future work will be on the SQL Injection in web security area because it’s a common but still
latest attack.
REFERENCES
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[2] Ashwani Garg and Shekhar Singh. “A Review on Web Application Security Vulnerabilities”.
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Author
Rutvi Pradipkumar Adhyaru
Faculty of Computer Science and Application
Charotar University of Science & Technology

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