Web application security testing (WAST) is a process that will help identify web-based vulnerabilities before the web app goes live. Web app developers are tasked with finding bugs in their code, but web application security testers can find these bugs for them. The tools used to perform web application security testing are constantly changing and evolving as new threats emerge on the web. This blog post will introduce you to some of the most popular web application security testing tools!
How to Perform WAST?
A web application security testing is a dynamic testing of the web app that looks for bugs in web-based vulnerabilities. The process involves using different tools to gather information about the web app, identify issues, and report findings back to stakeholders so they can be fixed before launch. To perform WAST you’ll need an understanding of how web apps work (web server configuration), along with knowledge of common web attacks like XSS, SQL injection, etc., and programming languages used to develop websites. Web application security testers will also frequently use proxy software during their tests because it allows them access to each request/response cycle that occurs between client browsers and servers while browsing a website or mobile app.
Web Application Security Tools:
1) The OWASP Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) – The OWASP Zed Attack Prioritization Guide is a web application security scanner that may be used to analyze the security of online applications. It’s designed as an easy-to-use integrated penetration testing tool for finding vulnerabilities in web apps and enterprise networks, but it also works well with personal websites.
2) The Burp Suite – This suite of web app security tools was created by PortSwigger Web Security and has become one of the best web hacking software suites available today. Most professional testers use this tool because it allows them access to each request/response cycle that occurs between client browsers and servers while browsing a website or mobile app.
3) ParosPro – Paros proxy Pro is another popular web application vulnerability assessment tool. It has a web-based interface, so it’s very easy to use and many testers prefer using this web application security testing tool for web app scans because of its ability to identify vulnerabilities quickly.
4) Wapiti – This is an open-source vulnerability scanner that was designed specifically with the purpose of performing web application security audits. Wapiti allows users to perform thorough tests on their web applications by looking for numerous types of web attacks including SQL injections, XSS flaws, file inclusions, etc.
5) Burp Collaborator – Burp collaborator enables teams to work together during a penetration test or ethical hack through real-time collaboration capabilities over the Internet from within the Burp Suite console.
6) Netsparker Application Security Scanner – Netsparker web app security testing tool is a web application scanner that can detect vulnerabilities in web apps. It’s designed to be both easy-to-use and multi-threaded, so it’s perfect for developers who aren’t familiar with web security concepts or coding languages.
7) OWASP Penetration Testing Tools – This popular web hacking software suite from OWASP provides you access to each request/response cycle that occurs between client browsers and servers while browsing a website or mobile app.
8) Changeme Web Application Penetration Tool – Changeme was created as an open-source web applications penetration testing framework written in Python language by Daniel “unicornFurnace” Crowley in 2011. The goal of the project was to provide users with scalable toolsets to perform web application security testing.
Web Application Security Testing Fundamentals:
The following web app security fundamentals are important to be familiar with before you can begin scanning your web apps for vulnerabilities.
- Basic knowledge of programming languages like PHP, HTML/CSS, and JavaScript is essential to understanding how web applications work.
- Knowledge of common web attacks like XSS (cross-site scripting), SQL injection, directory traversal, etc., – will help uncover different types of issues in web-based software.
- Understanding the technologies behind each major platform including Apache Tomcat, .NET Framework, Java EE will allow testers to understand where bugs may lie within code.
- Familiarity with various scanners used to identify potential problems in the web which include ZAP proxy scanner, web crawler, web application security scanner, etc.
Conclusion:
On the surface, web application security testing seems like an easy task. However, when it comes to finding vulnerabilities or defects that may lead to a data breach or other cyber-attack, there is no such thing as “easy.” In fact, many professionals in the cybersecurity world would argue that this type of work can be some of the most difficult and stressful on earth because you’re not only looking for bugs but also thinking about how they could impact your company’s reputation if left unchecked.
