Access control is a critical aspect of ensuring the security of web applications. Broken access control vulnerabilities can lead to unauthorized access, data disclosure, and other malicious activities. In the OWASP Top 10 list, broken access control has gained prominence, with a high incidence rate and notable vulnerabilities like CWE-200, CWE-201, and CWE-352.
Common vulnerabilities in access control include granting excessive privileges, bypassing checks through URL or parameter tampering, insecure direct object references, missing access controls in APIs, and elevation of privilege. To prevent these vulnerabilities, several measures can be implemented:
- Adopt a deny-by-default approach, except for public resources.
- Implement access control mechanisms consistently across the application.
- Enforce ownership and business limit requirements in the access control model.
- Secure server configurations, disable directory listing, and remove sensitive files.
- Log access control failures and set up appropriate alerts.
- Rate limit API and controller access to mitigate automated attacks.
- Invalidate session identifiers and use short-lived JWT tokens.
- Conduct functional access control tests during development and quality assurance.
By following these preventive measures, organizations can enhance their access control systems and mitigate the risks associated with broken access control vulnerabilities.
To ensure the security of your web application, you can leverage tools like INFRA (www.infrascan.net) and check.website for vulnerability scanning and assessment. These services can help identify and address access control weaknesses, ensuring robust security for your application.