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Komodo Research

Web Application Penetration Testing: What You Need to Know

Updated: Apr 3, 2023



Web Application Penetration Testing

As the world increasingly moves online, the importance of web application security grows. While there are many steps that organizations can take to secure their web applications, one of the most important is penetration testing.


Penetration testing, also known as pen testing, is the process of testing a computer system, network, or web application to find security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers. Pen tests can be conducted manually or automated, and can be performed by internal security teams or by external security consultants.


There are many different types of web application vulnerabilities, but some of the most common include SQL injection flaws, cross-site scripting (XSS) flaws, and broken authentication and session management. By finding and exploiting these vulnerabilities, attackers can gain access to sensitive data, take over user accounts, and launch attacks against other systems.


Web application security testing is an important part of any organization's security program, but it's not the only thing you need to do to keep your web applications secure. In addition to pen testing, you should also implement security controls such as web application firewalls, input validation, and proper authentication and authorization.

Some of the Common vulnerabilities in Web Applications include:


  1. SQL Injection Flaws SQL Injection is a technique of vulnerability code injection that empowers hackers to control the back-end process by giving them access to the database. Hackers can easily extract or delete your confidential files at will. Using SQL Injection, attackers can compromise the underlying server and, in some instances, open a perpetual backdoor into the organizational system almost undetected. Some major SQL Injection concerns are retrieving hidden data, subversion of application logic and blind SQL injection.

  2. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Flaws Benign or trusted websites can be attacked via the XSS flaws that inject malicious scripts with devastating impact on web applications. Attackers can masquerade as authorised users. Three main categories of XSS flaws are: - Stored XSS - Reflected XSS - Document Object Model (DOM)-based XSS

  3. Broken Authentication and Session Management It reserves its spot in the OWASP Top Ten list of most dangerous web application security flaws of today’s modern technology. Broken authentication occurs when the user’s unique session, which is a key to the user’s identity on the server, is adequately encrypted. This makes it easier for hackers to impersonate the users.

  4. Insufficient Authorization and Authentication It results from the inadequate authorization task undertaken by an application to ensure the user’s actions are in sync with the security policy. If the authentication scheme is vulnerable, it is easy for the adversary to bypass authentication and create an overwhelming hindrance to the application, host or organization.

  5. Insufficient Cryptography It is due to either a bad implementation or a complete lack of encryption. This is the 2nd most exploited risk in the mobile application as per the OWASP Top Ten list. It impacts both the technical aspect and business, ranging from unauthorized access to privacy and data theft.

Komodo Consulting is one of the leading providers of penetration testing services globally. We have a team of qualified, highly trained and experienced penetration testers who quickly identify holes in networks and systems.


Our penetration testing services assist organisations in locating and addressing security flaws before hackers can take advantage of them. We employ several methods, like social engineering, password cracking, and denial of service assaults, to test the security of systems and networks.


In today’s application-dominated world, cybersecurity is one of the primary concerns. Web Application Penetration Testing has become an indispensable step that needs to be incorporated to create a secure organizational environment.


Get in touch with Komodo Consulting to strengthen your security posture. We'll discuss your unique demands and build a solution that fulfills your needs within your budget.

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