How to Test Application Security | Best Web and Desktop Application Security Testing Techniques

Best Web and Desktop Application Security Testing Techniques

By Shoaib Khan 31-Jan-2023
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By performing network security testing, organizations can ensure that their applications are protected from network-based security threats and that their networks are secure.

These are the 10 best Techniques for web and dekstop Application testing security

A complete guide to testing mobile applications with in-depth Details:

1. Input validation testing:

2. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) testing:

3. Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) testing:

4. SQL injection testing:

5. Session management testing:

6. Authorization testing:

7. Configuration management testing:

8. File upload testing:

9. Network security testing:

10. Code review testing:

Input validation testing:

Input validation testing is a technique that involves testing the application's ability to validate user inputs and prevent unauthorized data from being processed. This technique is important because user inputs can be maliciously manipulated to exploit vulnerabilities in the application. Input validation testing should check for:

Correct data type: The application should validate the data type of the user input to ensure it matches the expected data type.
Range and Length: The application should validate that the input falls within a specified range and length.
Special Characters: The application should validate that the input does not contain special characters that could be used to exploit vulnerabilities.
Whitelist: The application should validate the input against a whitelist of allowed values.
Blacklist: The application should validate the input against a blacklist of prohibited values.
Sanitization: The application should sanitize the input to prevent malicious data from being processed.
Error handling: The application should handle any validation errors properly and provide meaningful feedback to the user.

By performing input validation testing, organizations can protect their applications from potential security threats and data breaches.

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) testing:

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) testing is a technique that is used to test for vulnerabilities that allow attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. XSS attacks can result in sensitive information being stolen or unauthorized actions being performed on behalf of the user. XSS testing should check for:

Reflected XSS: This type of XSS occurs when the application reflects user input back to the user, allowing malicious scripts to be injected.
Stored XSS: This type of XSS occurs when the application stores malicious scripts in the database, allowing the scripts to be executed every time the affected page is viewed.
DOM-based XSS: This type of XSS occurs when the application uses dynamic HTML and JavaScript, allowing malicious scripts to be executed within the client’s browser.
Input validation: The application should validate user input to prevent malicious scripts from being injected.
Output encoding: The application should encode any output that is based on user input to prevent malicious scripts from being executed.
Use of a Content Security Policy (CSP): The application should use a CSP to specify which sources of content are trusted and prevent malicious scripts from being executed.

By performing XSS testing, organizations can ensure that their applications are protected from this type of attack, preserving the privacy and security of their users.

Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) testing:

Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) testing is a technique that is used to test for vulnerabilities that allow attackers to make unauthorized actions on behalf of an authenticated user. CSRF attacks occur when an attacker tricks a user into making a request to a vulnerable application, allowing the attacker to perform actions as the user. CSRF testing should check for:

Lack of proper CSRF tokens: The application should use unique tokens for each request to prevent CSRF attacks.
Use of HTTP GET requests for sensitive actions: The application should not use HTTP GET requests for sensitive actions, as they can be easily forged.
Lack of same-site cookie protection: The application should use the same-site cookie attribute to prevent cross-site requests from being processed.
Lack of proper origin validation: The application should validate the origin of each request to prevent CSRF attacks.
Misconfigured CORS policy: The application should properly configure its CORS policy to prevent cross-site requests from being processed.

By performing CSRF testing, organizations can ensure that their applications are protected from this type of attack, preserving the privacy and security of their users.

SQL injection testing:

SQL injection testing is a technique that is used to test for vulnerabilities that allow attackers to execute malicious SQL statements to access or manipulate data stored in the database. SQL injection attacks can result in sensitive data being compromised or altered. SQL injection testing should check for:

Unvalidated user input: The application should validate user input to prevent malicious SQL statements from being executed.
Use of dynamic SQL statements: The application should avoid the use of dynamic SQL statements, as they are more susceptible to SQL injection attacks.
Lack of input sanitization: The application should sanitize all user inputs to prevent malicious SQL statements from being executed.
Use of proper escape characters: The application should use proper escape characters when constructing SQL statements to prevent SQL injection attacks.
Use of prepared statements: The application should use prepared statements to prevent SQL injection attacks.
Use of stored procedures: The application should use stored procedures to prevent SQL injection attacks.

By performing SQL injection testing, organizations can ensure that their applications and databases are protected from this type of attack, preserving the confidentiality and integrity of their data.

Session management testing:

Session management testing is a technique that is used to test the application's ability to manage user sessions securely. Session management is important because it controls the access of users to sensitive data and functionality within the application. Session management testing should check for:

Session ID generation: The application should generate unique and secure session IDs to prevent session hijacking.
Session ID storage: The application should store session IDs securely to prevent session hijacking.
Session timeout: The application should implement a session timeout to prevent sessions from remaining active indefinitely.
Session termination: The application should terminate sessions properly to prevent session hijacking.
Session fixation: The application should protect against session fixation attacks by regenerating session IDs when necessary.
Session over SSL/TLS: The application should transmit session IDs over SSL/TLS to prevent session hijacking.
Session Management APIs: The application should use secure session management APIs to ensure that sessions are managed securely.

By performing session management testing, organizations can ensure that their applications are protected from session-related security threats and that user sessions are managed securely.

Authorization testing:

Authorization testing is a technique that is used to test the application's ability to enforce proper access control. Authorization is the process of determining whether a user is permitted to access a resource or perform an action within the application. Authorization testing should check for:

Lack of proper authentication: The application should require authentication before allowing access to sensitive data or functionality.
Authorization bypass: The application should prevent authorization bypass attacks by checking user permissions for each request.
Role-based access control: The application should implement role-based access control to ensure that users can only access the resources and functionality that they are authorized to access.
Least privilege: The application should implement the principle of least privilege, which states that users should have the minimum permissions necessary to perform their job.
Access control lists: The application should use access control lists (ACLs) to enforce proper access control.
Access tokens: The application should use access tokens to control access to resources and functionality.

By performing authorization testing, organizations can ensure that their applications are protected from unauthorized access and that access control is implemented correctly.

Configuration management testing:

Lack of proper authentication: The application should require authentication before allowing access to sensitive data or functionality.
Authorization bypass: The application should prevent authorization bypass attacks by checking user permissions for each request.
Role-based access control: The application should implement role-based access control to ensure that users can only access the resources and functionality that they are authorized to access.
Least privilege: The application should implement the principle of least privilege, which states that users should have the minimum permissions necessary to perform their job.
Access control lists: The application should use access control lists (ACLs) to enforce proper access control.
Access tokens: The application should use access tokens to control access to resources and functionality.

By performing authorization testing, organizations can ensure that their applications are protected from unauthorized access and that access control is implemented correctly.

File upload testing:

File upload testing is a technique that is used to test the security of the file upload functionality in the application. File uploads can be a security risk if not properly secured, as they allow attackers to upload malicious files to the server. File upload testing should check for:

Unrestricted file types: The application should restrict the types of files that can be uploaded to prevent malicious files from being uploaded.
Lack of file validation: The application should validate uploaded files to prevent malicious files from being uploaded.
Lack of file sanitization: The application should sanitize uploaded files to prevent malicious files from being uploaded.
File path traversal: The application should prevent file path traversal attacks by validating file paths and preventing directory traversal.
File overwrite: The application should prevent file overwrite attacks by ensuring that uploaded files are stored securely and with unique filenames.
Unsecured file storage: The application should store uploaded files securely to prevent sensitive information from being compromised.

By performing file upload testing, organizations can ensure that their applications are protected from security threats related to file uploads and that their file upload functionality is secure.

Network security testing:

Network security testing is a technique that is used to test the security of the network infrastructure and protocols used by the application. Network security is critical because it protects the application and its data from network-based attacks. Network security testing should check for:

Insecure protocols: The application should use secure protocols such as SSL/TLS to encrypt data in transit.
Unsecured data transmission: The application should encrypt data in transit to prevent sensitive information from being intercepted.
Insecure network architecture: The application should use a secure network architecture to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data.
Unsecured wireless networks: The application should secure wireless networks to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data.
Lack of firewalls: The application should use firewalls to prevent unauthorized access to the network and to protect sensitive data.
Lack of network segmentation: The application should use network segmentation to isolate sensitive data and prevent unauthorized access.

By performing network security testing, organizations can ensure that their applications are protected from network-based security threats and that their networks are secure.