Technical Report on OWASP Top 10: Web

Application Security Risks

Omar Khalid Ali Mohamed
ID: s202111316
December 9, 2024

Abstract
This technical report provides an in-depth analysis of the OWASP Top 10, covering
its significance in web security, key vulnerabilities, and best practices for mitigation.
The report aims to offer a comprehensive understanding of these vulnerabilities to
help developers and security professionals enhance the security of web applications.
Instructions: Briefly summarize the key points of your report. Include the main

topic you are discussing, why it is important, and what your report will cover. Aim
for a concise overview that highlights the scope and objectives of your analysis.

Contents

1 Introduction 2

2 Background 3

3 Detailed Analysis 4
3.1 1. Injection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.2 2. Broken Authentication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3.3 3. Sensitive Data Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.4 4. XML External Entities (XXE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

4 Case Studies / Examples 8

4.1 Case Study: SQL Injection at XYZ Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

5 Tools and Resources 9

6 Conclusion 10

7 References 11

A Appendix 11

1
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1 Introduction
The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is a non-profit organization fo-
cused on improving the security of software. One of its flagship resources is the OWASP
Top 10, which identifies the ten most critical web application security risks. This list
serves as a guideline for developers, security professionals, and organizations to prioritize
their web application security efforts.

• Background Information: The OWASP Top 10 provides a snapshot of the most

common and impactful vulnerabilities found in web applications today.

• Scope of the Report: This report covers each of the vulnerabilities in the OWASP
Top 10 list, offering insights on the risk, impact, and mitigation strategies for each.

• Objectives: The goal of this report is to provide a detailed analysis of the OWASP
Top 10 vulnerabilities, explain their significance, and offer recommendations for
mitigating each risk.

Figure 1: OWASP Logo: A symbol of web security and awareness.

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2 Background
The OWASP Top 10 has been a fundamental resource for developers and security profes-
sionals since its creation in 2003. It highlights the most significant security risks facing
web applications, providing essential guidelines for securing software.

• Historical Context: The OWASP Top 10 list was first published to raise aware-
ness about common web application vulnerabilities. Over the years, the list has
evolved to reflect the changing landscape of web security.

• Purpose and Importance: The list helps organizations understand where they
are most vulnerable and provides actionable recommendations for improving secu-
rity.

• Key Terminology:

– Vulnerability: A flaw in a system that can be exploited by attackers.

– Exploit: A technique or method used to take advantage of a vulnerability.
– Mitigation: The actions taken to reduce the risk or impact of a vulnerability.

Figure 2: OWASP Framework Overview: Visual representation of key components.

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3 Detailed Analysis
This section delves into the detailed analysis of the OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities, in-
cluding their descriptions, risks, and mitigation strategies.

3.1 1. Injection
Injection flaws, such as SQL injection, occur when untrusted data is included in a com-
mand or query, allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary commands.

• Impact: Can lead to unauthorized access, data loss, and full system compromise.

• Mitigation: Use parameterized queries and prepared statements. Validate all user
inputs.

Figure 3: Example of SQL Injection in a Login Form

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3.2 2. Broken Authentication

Broken authentication allows attackers to compromise user authentication and imperson-
ate users.

• Impact: Attackers can impersonate legitimate users and gain unauthorized access
to sensitive data.

• Mitigation: Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA), and enforce secure

password policies.

Figure 4: Session Hijacking Attack: Example of exploiting authentication flaws.

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3.3 3. Sensitive Data Exposure

Sensitive data exposure occurs when sensitive information, such as credit card numbers
or passwords, is not properly encrypted or protected.

• Impact: Can lead to financial loss, identity theft, and unauthorized access to
sensitive resources.

• Mitigation: Encrypt data both at rest and in transit using strong encryption
algorithms. Use HTTPS for all communications.

Figure 5: Sensitive Data Exposure during Transmission: Unprotected data in transit.

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3.4 4. XML External Entities (XXE)

XXE vulnerabilities arise when XML parsers process external entity references, allowing
attackers to access sensitive files.

• Impact: Unauthorized file access and remote code execution.

• Mitigation: Disable external entity processing in XML parsers.

Figure 6: XXE Vulnerability Leading to File Access: Attack illustration.

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4 Case Studies / Examples

This section includes real-world examples that illustrate how these vulnerabilities have
been exploited and how mitigation strategies were applied.

4.1 Case Study: SQL Injection at XYZ Corp.

XYZ Corp. experienced a breach due to an SQL injection vulnerability. The attackers
used the flaw to steal sensitive customer information.

• Mitigation: After the breach, XYZ Corp. implemented parameterized queries and
improved input validation.
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5 Tools and Resources

The following tools and resources were essential in the analysis of the OWASP Top 10
vulnerabilities:

• OWASP ZAP: A popular penetration testing tool used for identifying and ex-
ploiting vulnerabilities in web applications.

• Burp Suite: A suite of tools for performing security testing of web applications,
including vulnerability scanning.

• OWASP Cheat Sheets: A collection of best practices for developers and security
professionals to follow in securing web applications.

Figure 7: OWASP ZAP Tool Overview: Essential tool for security professionals.
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6 Conclusion
The OWASP Top 10 provides critical insights into the most common and impactful
vulnerabilities in web applications. By addressing these vulnerabilities, developers can
significantly improve the security of their applications.

• Summary of Findings: The OWASP Top 10 highlights the most critical vulner-
abilities in web applications, including injection flaws, authentication issues, and
sensitive data exposure.

• Implications: Addressing these vulnerabilities is essential for preventing attacks

and securing user data.

• Recommendations: Developers should implement best practices such as input

validation, encryption, and multi-factor authentication to mitigate these risks.
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7 References

References
[1] OWASP, OWASP Top 10 - 2021, Available at: https://owasp.org/www-project-top-
ten/, Accessed on: [Date].

[2] Gupta, S., Nayar, A., ”A Study on SQL Injection Attacks and Their Mitigation,”
Journal of Web Security, 2023. Available at: https://www.jws.org/sql-injection.

[3] Anderson, M., ”Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) and Its Implications,” 2022. Available
at: https://www.securityexperts.com/xss-implications.

[4] Smith, J., ”Understanding Broken Authentication and How to Prevent It,” Cyber-
security Digest, 2021. Available at: https://www.cybersecuritydigest.com/broken-
authentication.

A Appendix

• Code Snippets: Include examples of code relevant to your analysis if applicable.

• Diagrams and Figures: Add any visual aids that help explain your points, such
as charts, graphs, or diagrams.

• Extended Data: Provide any additional data that supports the main content of
your report but is too detailed to include in the main sections.