VERITAS UNIVERSITY ABUJA

(The Catholic University of Nigeria)

DEPARTMENT:
COMPUTER SCIENCE

COURSE:
CSC 404 (CYBER SECURITY II)

NAME:
ONYENA PROSPER CHIBUIKEM

MATRIC NO:
VUG/CSC/20/4686

SUBMITTED TO:
MR. THOMAS BAIDOO

TITLE:
WRITE A VULNERABILITY REPORT ON THE OWASP JUICE SHOP SITE
 OWASP Juice Shop Vulnerability Report

Executive Summary

The OWASP Juice Shop is a purposely insecure web application designed for security testing and
training purposes. Despite its educational value, the application contains numerous
vulnerabilities that could pose significant risks if deployed in a production environment. This
report aims to highlight and address these vulnerabilities, providing insights into their nature,
impact, and mitigation strategies.

Vulnerabilities Found in OWASP Juice Shop

1. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
 Description: Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities allow attackers to inject malicious
scripts into web pages viewed by other users. These scripts can execute arbitrary code
in the context of the victim's session, leading to various attacks such as session hijacking,
phishing, and data theft.
 How to Find: Use the application's search functionality with payloads like
<script>alert('XSS')</script>, submitting forms with payloads in input fields, and
Intercepting and modifying HTTP requests and responses using proxy tools like Burp
Suite.
 Prevention: Implement input validation and output encoding to sanitize user input,
utilize Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the sources of executable scripts,
and use modern web frameworks and libraries that provide built-in protection against
XSS, such as AngularJS or React.

2. SQL Injection
 Description: SQL Injection vulnerabilities occur when user-supplied data is improperly
sanitized and directly incorporated into SQL queries. Attackers can exploit these
vulnerabilities to manipulate database queries, extract sensitive information, or execute
arbitrary SQL commands.
 How to Find: Submitting SQL injection payloads in input fields, observing error messages
or unusual behavior when injecting payloads into search forms or login fields, and using
automated scanning tools like SQLMap to identify potential injection points.
 Prevention: Utilize parameterized queries or prepared statements to separate SQL code
from user input, employ input validation and proper escaping of special characters to
mitigate injection attacks, and implement least privilege principles to restrict database
access rights for application users.

3. Broken Authentication and Session Management

 Description: Broken authentication and session management vulnerabilities arise when
web applications fail to properly authenticate users or manage their sessions securely.
Attackers can exploit these weaknesses to compromise user accounts, impersonate
legitimate users, or gain unauthorized access to sensitive functionality.
  How to Find: Testing for weak or predictable passwords during the registration process,
attempting to bypass authentication mechanisms using techniques like session fixation
or brute force attacks, and analyzing session tokens and cookies for weaknesses or
insufficient randomness.
 Prevention: Implement strong password policies and enforce multi-factor
authentication where possible. Use secure session management techniques, including
random session identifiers and session expiration policies. Regularly review and audit
authentication mechanisms for vulnerabilities and compliance with security best
practices.

4. Insecure Direct Object References (IDOR)

 Description: Insecure Direct Object References occur when an application exposes
internal objects such as files or database records without proper authorization checks.
Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to access sensitive data or perform unauthorized
actions.
 How to Find: Attempt to manipulate parameters or URLs to access resources belonging
to other users or entities.
 Prevention: Implement proper access controls and authorization checks to validate user
permissions before accessing sensitive resources.

5. Security Misconfiguration
 Description: Security Misconfiguration vulnerabilities stem from improper configuration
of security settings, leaving the application vulnerable to exploitation. This could include
default passwords, exposed debug endpoints, or unnecessary services running on the
server.
 How to Find: Conduct automated scanning using tools like Nessus or manual inspection
of configuration files.
 Prevention: Regularly review and update security configurations, follow security best
practices, and remove unnecessary features or services.

6. Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)

 Description: Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities allow attackers to trick
authenticated users into performing unintended actions on a web application. This is
achieved by exploiting the trust relationship between the user's browser and the
application.
 How to Find: Create malicious HTML pages or scripts that send forged requests to the
target application.
 Prevention: Implement CSRF tokens and validate the origin of incoming requests to
mitigate CSRF attacks.

7. XML External Entity (XXE) Injection

 Description: XML External Entity Injection vulnerabilities occur when an application
parses XML input insecurely, allowing attackers to include external entities and read
sensitive files or execute arbitrary code on the server.
  How to Find: Submit XML payloads containing external entity declarations and observe
application responses.
 Prevention: Disable external entity parsing or use secure XML parsers that mitigate XXE
attacks.

8. Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)

 Description: Server-Side Request Forgery vulnerabilities enable attackers to manipulate
server-side requests initiated by the application, potentially leading to unauthorized
access to internal systems or services.
 How to Find: Craft payloads to trigger server-side requests and observe application
behavior.
 Prevention: Implement input validation and restrict the destinations of outgoing
requests to trusted domains or IP addresses.

9. File Upload Vulnerabilities

 Description: File Upload vulnerabilities occur when an application fails to properly
validate and sanitize file uploads, allowing attackers to upload and execute malicious
files on the server.
 How to Find: Attempt to upload files with executable content or unexpected file types.
 Prevention: Implement strict file type validation, store uploads in a secure location, and
use server-side scanning for malware detection.

10. Insecure Deserialization

 Description: Insecure Deserialization vulnerabilities occur when untrusted data is
deserialized without proper validation, leading to remote code execution, denial of
service, or data tampering.
 How to Find: Manipulate serialized objects to trigger unexpected behavior or exploit
vulnerabilities in deserialization libraries.
 Prevention: Use secure deserialization libraries, validate incoming data, and restrict
object instantiation to trusted sources.

11. Insufficient Logging and Monitoring

 Description: Insufficient Logging and Monitoring vulnerabilities occur when an
application fails to adequately log security-relevant events or lacks robust monitoring
capabilities, making it difficult to detect and respond to security incidents.
 How to Find: Review application logs and monitoring systems for gaps or inadequate
coverage.
 Prevention: Implement comprehensive logging of security events, establish alerting
mechanisms for suspicious activities, and regularly review logs for signs of compromise.

12. Clickjacking
 Description: Clickjacking vulnerabilities allow attackers to trick users into clicking on
maliciously crafted UI elements overlaid on legitimate web pages, leading to unintended
actions or disclosure of sensitive information.
  How to Find: Inspect web pages for frames or iframes that may be susceptible to
clickjacking attacks.
 Prevention: Implement frame-busting techniques, such as X-Frame-Options headers or
JavaScript frame-busting code, to prevent clickjacking.

13. Remote Code Execution (RCE)

 Description: Remote Code Execution vulnerabilities occur when an application allows
attackers to execute arbitrary code on the server or client-side, leading to unauthorized
access, data breaches, or system compromise.
 How to Find: Exploit input validation flaws or insecure deserialization to execute
arbitrary code.
 Prevention: Implement secure coding practices, enforce strict input validation, and use
runtime protection mechanisms to mitigate RCE vulnerabilities.

14. Information Disclosure

 Description: Information Disclosure vulnerabilities occur when an application exposes
sensitive information such as system configuration details, error messages, or internal
paths to attackers, potentially aiding them in launching further attacks.
 How to Find: Analyze application responses and error messages for leaked information.
 Prevention: Configure error handling to avoid disclosing sensitive details, enforce
proper access controls, and implement data minimization principles.

15. Insufficient Authorization

 Description: Insufficient Authorization vulnerabilities arise when an application fails to
properly enforce access controls, allowing authenticated users to access unauthorized
resources or perform privileged actions.
 How to Find: Attempt to access restricted resources or perform privileged actions with
regular user accounts.
 Prevention: Implement role-based access controls, conduct regular security
assessments, and enforce principle of least privilege.

16. Improper Session Handling

 Description: Improper Session Handling vulnerabilities occur when an application fails to
manage user sessions securely, leading to session fixation, session hijacking, or session
replay attacks.
 How to Find: Analyze session management mechanisms for weaknesses or
inconsistencies.
 Prevention: Use secure session management techniques, such as random session
identifiers, session expiration, and HTTPS encryption.

17. Insecure Cryptographic Storage

 Description: Insecure Cryptographic Storage vulnerabilities occur when sensitive data
such as passwords or encryption keys are stored in an insecure manner, making it
susceptible to unauthorized access or decryption.
  How to Find: Inspect database schemas and application code for instances of weak or
improper encryption.
 Prevention: Use strong cryptographic algorithms and key management practices to
protect sensitive data at rest and in transit.

18. Insecure Third-Party Components

 Description: Insecure Third-Party Components vulnerabilities arise when an application
incorporates outdated or vulnerable third-party libraries, frameworks, or plugins,
exposing it to known security flaws or exploits.
 How to Find: Scan application dependencies for known vulnerabilities using tools like
OWASP Dependency-Check or Snyk.
 Prevention: Regularly update third-party components to their latest secure versions,
monitor for security advisories, and consider the security posture of dependencies
during the development phase.

19. Insufficient Transport Layer Protection

 Description: Insufficient Transport Layer Protection vulnerabilities occur when an
application fails to encrypt sensitive data transmitted over unsecured channels,
exposing it to interception or eavesdropping attacks.
 How to Find: Analyze network traffic using tools like Wireshark or intercepting proxies.
 Prevention: Enforce HTTPS encryption for all communications containing sensitive
information, utilize secure cipher suites, and configure server security settings
appropriately.

20. Code Injection

 Description: Code Injection vulnerabilities occur when an application executes
untrusted code within its runtime environment, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary
commands or code injection attacks.
 How to Find: Exploit input validation flaws or insecure deserialization to inject malicious
code.
 Prevention: Sanitize and validate all user-supplied input, utilize secure coding practices,
and restrict execution permissions to trusted sources.

21. Command Injection

 Description: Command Injection vulnerabilities occur when an application allows user-
controlled input to be executed as operating system commands, enabling attackers to
execute arbitrary commands with elevated privileges.
 How to Find: Submit payloads containing special characters or command separators to
exploit injection points.
 Prevention: Use parameterized commands, input validation, and proper escaping of
special characters to mitigate command injection attacks.
22. Race Conditions
 Description: Race Condition vulnerabilities occur when the outcome of a system's
execution depends on the sequence or timing of concurrent events, leading to
unpredictable or insecure behavior.
 How to Find: Analyze multi-threaded or asynchronous code paths for potential race
conditions.
 Prevention: Use synchronization mechanisms like mutexes or semaphores to control
access to shared resources, ensure proper error handling and state management in
concurrent environments.

23. Memory Corruption

 Description: Memory Corruption vulnerabilities occur when an application accesses or
manipulates memory in an unintended or unsafe manner, leading to buffer overflows,
format string vulnerabilities, or use-after-free errors.
 How to Find: Analyze application code for unsafe memory operations or input validation
flaws.
 Prevention: Use memory-safe programming languages, enable compiler and runtime
protections, and conduct thorough code reviews and testing to identify and mitigate
memory corruption vulnerabilities.

24. URL Redirection

 Description: URL Redirection vulnerabilities occur when an application redirects users to
external URLs specified by untrusted input, potentially leading to phishing attacks or
open redirect vulnerabilities.
 How to Find: Submit payloads containing malicious redirect URLs to exploit vulnerable
redirection endpoints.
 Prevention: Validate and sanitize redirect URLs, implement a whitelist of allowed
destinations, and avoid relying solely on client-side redirection mechanisms.

25. Insufficient Rate Limiting

 Description: Insufficient Rate Limiting vulnerabilities occur when an application fails to
enforce proper limits on the number of requests or actions performed by a user within a
given time frame, exposing it to abuse, DoS attacks, or brute force attacks.
 How to Find: Analyze application behavior for excessive or repetitive requests from a
single source.
 Prevention: Implement rate-limiting mechanisms at the application or network level to
mitigate abuse, enforce account lockout policies for failed authentication attempts, and
monitor for anomalous activity.

26. Security Headers Misconfiguration

 Description: Security Headers Misconfiguration vulnerabilities occur when essential
security headers, such as Content Security Policy (CSP), X-Content-Type-Options, X-
Frame-Options, and X-XSS-Protection, are either missing or misconfigured, leaving the
application vulnerable to various attacks.
  How to Find: Review HTTP response headers for missing or improperly configured
security headers.
 Prevention: Configure security headers properly to enforce browser security policies,
prevent XSS, clickjacking, and other common web attacks.

27. Directory Traversal

 Description: Directory Traversal vulnerabilities allow attackers to access files or
directories outside of the application's intended directory structure, potentially
exposing sensitive information or executing unauthorized actions.
 How to Find: Manipulate file paths or URL parameters to traverse directories and access
restricted resources.
 Prevention: Implement strict input validation and access controls, utilize server-side file
access APIs with proper permissions, and avoid exposing sensitive files or directories.

28. Server-Side Template Injection (SSTI)

 Description: Server-Side Template Injection vulnerabilities occur when an application
includes user-controlled data in server-side templates without proper sanitization,
enabling attackers to execute arbitrary code and potentially gain control of the server.
 How to Find: Submit payloads containing template injection syntax to exploit vulnerable
template engines.
 Prevention: Use secure template engines with automatic escaping, validate and sanitize
user input, and avoid dynamic template generation with untrusted data.

29. HTTP Parameter Pollution (HPP)

 Description: HTTP Parameter Pollution vulnerabilities occur when an application
processes multiple occurrences of the same parameter in an HTTP request, leading to
ambiguous or inconsistent behavior that could be exploited by attackers to bypass
security controls or manipulate application logic.
 How to Find: Submit requests with multiple occurrences of the same parameter and
observe application behavior.
 Prevention: Validate and sanitize input parameters, enforce consistent parameter
naming conventions, and implement strict input validation to prevent HPP attacks.

30. Insufficient Logging of Sensitive Data

 Description: Insufficient Logging of Sensitive Data vulnerabilities occur when an
application fails to adequately log sensitive information such as passwords,
authentication tokens, or payment details, potentially exposing them to unauthorized
access or misuse.
 How to Find: Review application logs for instances of sensitive data being logged in
plaintext.
 Prevention: Avoid logging sensitive data unless absolutely necessary, use secure logging
mechanisms such as encryption or masking, and implement access controls to restrict
log access to authorized personnel.
31. HTTP Response Splitting
 Description: HTTP Response Splitting vulnerabilities occur when an application
incorporates user-controlled data into HTTP response headers without proper
validation, allowing attackers to manipulate headers and potentially conduct various
attacks, including cache poisoning, XSS, and session fixation.
 How to Find: Submit payloads containing newline characters or CRLF sequences to
inject additional headers or manipulate response content.
 Prevention: Sanitize and validate user input to prevent injection of malicious characters,
encode output properly, and use secure HTTP response header libraries to mitigate
HTTP response splitting attacks.

32. Business Logic Vulnerabilities

 Description: Business Logic Vulnerabilities arise from flaws or weaknesses in the
application's core business logic, allowing attackers to bypass security controls, abuse
functionality, or conduct fraudulent activities that are not detected by traditional
security mechanisms.
 How to Find: Analyze application workflows, transaction processes, and business rules
for inconsistencies or vulnerabilities.
 Prevention: Implement robust validation and verification of business logic, conduct
thorough security testing, and regularly review and update business rules to address
emerging threats and vulnerabilities.

33. Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) Misconfiguration

 Description: Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) Misconfiguration vulnerabilities
occur when an application improperly configures its CORS policy, allowing unauthorized
domains to access restricted resources, potentially leading to data leakage or
unauthorized access.
 How to Find: Analyze CORS headers in HTTP responses for overly permissive or
misconfigured settings.
 Prevention: Configure CORS policies to restrict access to trusted domains, enforce
appropriate access controls, and avoid allowing sensitive resources to be accessed
cross-origin.

34. API Security Issues

 Description: API Security Issues encompass various vulnerabilities and risks associated
with the design, implementation, and usage of application programming interfaces
(APIs), including insecure authentication, authorization flaws, lack of input validation,
and improper data exposure.
 How to Find: Review API documentation and endpoints for security weaknesses,
conduct API penetration testing, and analyze API traffic for vulnerabilities.
 Prevention: Implement secure API authentication and authorization mechanisms,
validate and sanitize input parameters, enforce rate limiting and access controls, and
encrypt sensitive data in transit and at rest.
35. Insecure Cross-Domain Communication
 Description: Insecure Cross-Domain Communication vulnerabilities occur when an
application allows untrusted domains to communicate or share sensitive information
improperly, potentially leading to data leakage, CSRF attacks, or XSS vulnerabilities.
 How to Find: Analyze communication channels between domains for insecure cross-
domain interactions or data exchanges.
 Prevention: Implement secure cross-domain communication protocols such as Cross-
Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) or Cross-Origin Resource Policy (CORP), validate and
sanitize input from untrusted sources, and enforce strict access controls to prevent
unauthorized data access or manipulation.

Conclusion:
The OWASP Juice Shop provides an invaluable platform for learning about web application
security by simulating real-world vulnerabilities in a controlled environment. However, it's
essential to recognize and address these vulnerabilities to mitigate potential risks and protect
against malicious exploitation. By understanding the nature of these vulnerabilities and
implementing appropriate countermeasures, developers can enhance the security posture of
their applications and contribute to a safer online ecosystem.