Student's Signature: . Date: 21/03/19: Bello Abdullahi Abubakar
Student's Signature: . Date: 21/03/19: Bello Abdullahi Abubakar
Student's Signature: . Date: 21/03/19: Bello Abdullahi Abubakar
I declare that:
• I understand what is meant by plagiarism
• The implication of plagiarism has been explained to me by my institution
• This project is all my own work and I have acknowledged any use of the
published and unpublished works of other people.
Student’s signature: ……………………………. Date: 21/03/19
Marker’s comments
Contents
CLOUD COMPUTING BASED APPLICATION VULNERABILITY..................2
VULNERABILITY
Vulnerability is the flaw or oversight in an existing control that may passively allow a
threat to exploit it to gain unauthorized access to organizational asset. Many
Information Technology system weaknesses identified using authorized scanning
equipment. Process and performance vulnerabilities are difficult to certain and may
require careful analysis to uncover. Audits are usually helpful in identifying
vulnerabilities. It is useful to categorize the vulnerabilities according to administration,
physical and technical areas.
ADMINISTRATION VULNERABILITIES: Are those vulnerabilities that exist in
policies, procedures or security activities. Example include missing acceptable use
policies, lack of security functionality, gaps in termination procedures, the lack of
independence in security testing inadequate compliance enforcement, inadequate
management, and insufficient staff.
PHYSICAL VULNERABILITIES: Are those vulnerabilities that exist in the
physical, geographical, personnel, or utility provisioning controls. Examples lack of
background checks for sensitive positions, detective software, and the lack of redundant
power supplies.
TECHNICAL VULNERABILITIES: That exist in the logical controls in the
organizations system examples include improperly configured equipment (e.g.
misconfigured routers)backdoors in programs, untested technology, transmission of
unprotected communication, lack of redundancy ,and weak password(e.g. poor choice
of password).
Here are some of the vulnerabilities that can be found generally in Hackademics
challenges;
Application error message
Html form without CSRF protection
Apache server-info is enable
Apache server-status is enable
User credential are sent in clear text
Trace method is enable
Password type input with auto-complete
Cross site scripting verified
Broken links
There are different web application vulnerability scanners available in other to perform
this project some of this applications includes acunetix, vega, watcher, webcruiser,
netsparker, xapiti, web scrabber, and metaspoit and so on many are available online.
However, to proceed this project three (3) challenges is intructed to be choosen from the
OWASP HACKADEMIC CHALLENGE in which challenge 3, 8, and 10 has been
choosen as the challenges to be discused.
CHALLENGE 3
Challenge 3 states “XSS which allows a malicious user to inject his own codes into a
vulnerable web application pages. According to OWASP 2010 Top 10 Application
Security Risks, XSS attacks rank second 2nd in the most dangerous list of attacks.
When challenge 3 was scanned using the web vulnerability scanner (Acunetix), the
following vulnerabilities was found which are listed below;
1. Trace Method.
2. HTML Form without CSRF protection.
3. Apache http only cookie disclosure.
4. PHP collision denial of service.
5. Unprotected phpMyAdmin interface.
Therefore to proceed with the project, I will focus on two among the above listed
vulnerabilities discovered from challenge 3 which are,
1. Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF) and
2. Trace Method.
It’s sometime possible to keep the CSRF attack on the vulnerable site itself. Such
vulnerabilities are called “Stored CSRF flaws”. This can be achieved by simply storing
an IMG or IFRAME tag in a field that accepts HTML, or by a more complex cross-site
scripting attacks. If the attacker can store a CSRF attack in the site, the strictness of the
attack is amplified.
Trace Method
Trace Method is also referred to as cross-site tracing (XST) which involves the use of
cross-site Scripting (XSS) and the TRACE or TRACK HTTP methods. Trace Method is
an attack that allows the user to see what is being received at the other end of the
request chain and use that data or information for testing or diagnostic information. The
Track method works in the same way but is specific to Microsoft’s IIS web server.
Cross-site Tracing (XST) could be used as a method to steal user’s cookies via Cross-
site Scripting (XSS) even if the cookies has the HttpOnly flag set or exposes the user’s
Authorization header.
The Trace method attack, though actually harmless, it can be successfully controlled in
some scenarios to steal legitimate user’s credentials. This type of attack technique was
been discovered by Jeremiah Grossman in 2003, in an attempt to bypass the HttpOnly
tag that Microsoft introduced in Internet Explorer 6 sp1 to protect cookies from being
accessed by JavaScript. However, the Trace Method attack can be used to bypass this
protection and access the cookie even in this scenario. Modern browsers now prevent
trace request being made via JavaScript, however, other ways of sending trace request
with browsers have been discovered, such as using java. The influence of this type of
attack is that attackers may misuse HTTP TRACE functionally to gain access to
information in the HTTP headers such as cookies and authentication data.
PROOF OF CONCEPTS
Start button
After clicking the start button, scan finished and the following listed vulnera
COUNTER MEASURES
6. Never allow the browser to save username/password and do not allow site to
“remember” login credentials.
7. Log off immediately after using any kind of web application.
8. Do not use the same browser access sensitive information and to surf freely on
the internet, if it is necessary to do both things at the same machine, perform
them with separate web browser.
Integrated HTML-enabled mail/browser, newsreader/browser environments pose
additional risks since simply viewing a mail message or a news message might lead to
the execution of an attack.
DEVELOPER’s preventives actions such as
Based on site requirement and policy, consider disabling HTTP Trace Method support
in web servers. As a best practice, we recommend limiting input (“whitelisting”) to the
minimum set of methods required for operation of a given application.
14. Apache HTTP Server
To dis able HTTP TRACE support, set Trace Enable OFF. Otherwise, use Apache mod
rewrite module to deny HTTP Trace request or permits only the methods needed to
meet the site requirements and policy. Trace mode rewrite can be syntax:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %( REQUEST_METHOD) ^TRACE
RewriteRule.* - [f].
CHALLENGE 8
Challenge 8 has state that;
“You have managed, after several tries, to install a backdoor shell (Locus7Shell) to
trytohack.gr
The problem is that, in order to execute the majority of the commands (on the machine
running the backdoor) you must have super-user rights (root).
Your aim is to obtain root rights.”
The following vulnerabilities listed below were found after scanning the challenge 8 of
OWSAP HACKADEMIC CHALLENGE which they are listed as follows;
DESCRIPTION OF VUNERABILITY
Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
Cross Site Scripting (CSS for short, but sometimes abbreviated as XSS) is one of the most
common application level attacks that hackers use to sneak into web applications today.
Cross site scripting is an attack on the privacy of clients of a particular web site which can
lead to a total breach of security when customer details are stolen or manipulated. Unlike
most attacks, which involve two parties the attacker, and the web site, or the attacker and
the victim client, the CSS attack involves three parties the attacker, a client and the web
site. The goal of the CSS attack is to steal the client cookies, or any other sensitive
information, which can identify the client with the web site. With the token of the legitimate
user at hand, the attacker can proceed to act as the user in his/her interaction with the site
specifically, impersonate the user. For example, in one audit conducted for a large
company it was possible to peek at the user’s credit card number and private information
using a CSS attack. This was achieved by running malicious JavaScript code at the victim
(client) browser, with the “access privileges” of the web site. These are the very limited
JavaScript privileges which generally do not let the script access anything but site related
information. It should be stressed that although the vulnerability exists at the web site, at no
time is the web site directly harmed. Yet this is enough for the script to collect the cookies
and send them to the attacker. The result, the attacker gains the cookies and impersonates
the victim. XSS attacks occur when the following happens;
PROOF OF CONCEPT
After I insert the URL then I scan the site for vulnerability
Acunetix proof that the web site is vulnerable to Cross site scripting.
After I insert the URL then I scan the site for vulnerability
Acunetix proof that the web site is vulnerable to Apache server-Info enable.
Acunetix proof that the web site is vulnerable toApache server-Status enable
After I insert the URL then I scan the site for vulnerability
Acunetix proof that the web site is vulnerable to HTML from without CSRF protection.
After I insert the URL then I scan the site for vulnerability
COUNTER MEASURES
Cross-Site Scripting Counter Measures (XSS)
The following are counter measures required for the above mentioned vulnerability;
1. By performing “in-house” input filtering (sometimes called “input sanitation”). For
each user input be it a parameter or an HTTP header, in each script written in-house,
advanced filtering against HTML tags including JavaScript code should be applied.
For example, the “welcome.cgi” script from the above case study should filter the
“<script>” tag once it is through decoding the “name” parameter.
2. By performing “output filtering”, that is, to filter the user data when it is sent back to
the browser, rather than when it is received by a script. A good example for this
would be a script that inserts the input data to a database, and then presents it. In this
case, it is important not to apply the filter to the original input string, but only to the
output version. The drawbacks are similar to the ones in input filtering.
3. By installing a third party application firewall, which intercepts CSS attacks before
they reach the web server and the vulnerable scripts, and blocks them. Application
firewalls can cover all input methods (including path and HTTP headers) in a generic
way, regardless of the script/path from the in-house application, a third party script,
or a script describing no resource at all (e.g. designed to provoke a 404 page
response from the server). For each input source, the application firewall inspects the
data against various HTML tag patterns and JavaScript patterns, and if any match,
the request is rejected and the malicious input does not arrive to the server.
CHALLENGE 10
This challenge requires you to bypass and get serial number, which you will use for
obtaining the password that will enable you to become a member of the world largest
hackers group.
Challenge 10 site
VULNERABILITY DESCRIPTION
COOKIE DISCLOSURE
Cookie disclosure is type of attack that requires unauthorized access attempt into a web
application.HttpOnly is an additional flag included in a Set-Cookie HTTP response
header and also using the HttpOnly flag the risk of client side scripting to access the
protected cookie when generating a cookie decreased. Apache HTTP Cookie could
allow a remote attacker to obtain sensitive information, caused by an error in the default
error response for status code 400. If no custom Error Document is specified, a remote
attacker could exploit this vulnerability to disclose HttpOnly cookies and other sensitive
information. In Apache Http-Only Server Information disclosure, the signature detects a
malformed cookie combined with a 400 response code which may indicate an attempt to
execute a cross-site scripting attack against Apache servers.Apache HTTP Server 2.2.x
through 2.2.21 does not properly restrict header information during construction of Bad
Request or 400 error documents, which allows remote attackers to obtain the values of
HttpOnly cookies via vectors involving a long or malformed header in conjunction with
crafted web script.
DIRECTORY LISTING
The web server is configured to display the list of files contained in this directory. This
is not recommended because the directory may contain files that are not normally
exposed through links on the web site with detailed Information. While browsing web
pages, most of us expect to see only the pages offered.Though occasionally we come
upon what looks like a listing of files that we might see in Windows Explorer as
opposed to a web page. This is called a directory listing, it is sometimes used to offer
files easily on the internet, but if unintended, which it can allow an attacker to gain
valuable information about the target.
Directory listings can occur in two different ways:
Firstly, an attacker could view all files in a given web directory. This allows an attacker
to see files which might not be linked anywhere on your site, including files which may
include sensitive information, such as backup script files (like index.php, http access
files, or text files with notes (password.txt!). The other technique is more dangerous.
Some web servers are setup such that the web home is actually the user home, so
passing in certain values in the web address can allow directory listings outside of the
normally safe web folder structure. This is more dangerous since an attacker may be
able to find and execute programs on your server through a web browser, potentially
exploiting those programs as well.
PROOF OF CONCEPTS
After I insert the URL then I scan the site for vulnerability
Acunetix proof that the web site is vulnerable to Application Error Message.
After I insert the URL then I scan the site for vulnerability
Acunetix proof that the web site is vulnerable to Html Form without CSRF Protection
After I insert the URL then I scan the site for vulnerability
Acunetix proof that the web site is vulnerable to User credential sent in clear text.
After I insert the URL then I scan the site for vulnerability
Input the serial number and proceed to login page of the URL
Input password viewed in the URL page source by using the developer options in
the browser
COUNTER MEASURES
Do ensure that messages only contain minimal details that are useful to the intended
audience and nobody else.
The messages need to strike the balance between being too cryptic and not being cryptic
enough.
They should not necessarily reveals the method that were used to determine the error.
Such detail information can be used to refine the original attack to increase the chance
of success.
Check if this form requires CSRF protection and implement CSRF counter measures if
necessary.
Because user credential are considered sensitive information, it’s recommended to be
sent to the server over an encrypted connection.
Use authentication mechanism that do not require clear credentials to be passed over the
network.
Do not store credentials in an insecure manner.
The password auto complete should be disable in sensitive applications.
To disable auto complete, use a code similar to<input type=”password” auto complete
=”off”>
Having both Anti-Dos technology and Dos emergency response service.
Proper configuration of network equipments.
Enabling Ingress filtering and egress filtering.
Correctly Identify incoming traffic to separate human traffic from human-like bots and
hijacked web browser.
Avoid amplification and spoofing, therefore reduce the number of relay networks
available to attackers.
PRESENTATION SLIDES
QUESTION 2
If this organization will undergo daily updates, therefore the system will be familiar
with any kind malware or a virus detected and help block them before they do any harm
to the company’s system as a whole why because malwares and viruses are created and
released almost every day in the world of internet.
Moreover, Honeypots are used to detect malware, by exploiting the known duplication
and attack vectors malware uses. Replication vectors such as USB flash drives can
easily be verified for evidence of modifications, either through manual means or
utilizing special purpose honeypot that emulate drives. Malware increasingly is used to
search for and steal crypt occurrences. So the company will still make use of this
honeypots in other to detect certain malwares that are mistakenly brought into the
organization or deliberately by disgruntled employees.
A firewall is like a security or defense wall that prevents any malicious code from
moving in or out of the organization. Now, many personal computer operating systems
include software-based firewalls to protect against threats from the public Internet.
Many routers that pass data between networks contain firewall components.
The organization is going to harden the software based firewall existing but it’s going to
be more concerned with establishing the hardware based firewall for better security.
DMZ which is simply refers to Demilitarized Zone, it’salso refer to as a perimeter
network, it is a physical or logical sub-network that contains and exposes an
organization's external-facing services to a larger and untrusted network, usually the
Internet. The purpose of a DMZ is to add an additional layer of security to an
organization's local area network (LAN), an external attacker only has direct access to
equipment in the DMZ which are more highly protected than the rest of the equipment
within the organization, rather than any other part of the network.
In a DMZ configuration, most computers on the LAN run behind a firewall connected
to a public network like the Internet. One or more computers also run outside the
firewall, in the DMZ. Those computers on the outside intercept traffic and broker
requests for the rest of the LAN, adding an extra layer of protection for computers
behind the firewall.
With the help of the DMZ, the organization’s firewall will be more secured. After all,
DMZ is also considered to be a firewall configuration for securing local area networks
(LANs).
With the use of the VPN in the organization, it will enables employees to securely
access their company's intranet while traveling outside the office. Similarly, VPNs
securely connect geographically disparate offices of an organization, creating one
cohesive network. VPN technology is also used by Internet users to connect to proxy
servers for the purpose of protecting personal identity and location.
WIRELESS SECUIRITY
Various wireless security protocols were developed to protect home wireless networks.
These wireless security protocols include WEP, WPA, and WPA2, each with their own
strengths and weaknesses. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is the original encryption
protocol developed for wireless networks. As its name implies, WEP was designed to
provide the same level of security as wired networks. However, WEP has many well-
known security weaknesses, is difficult to configure, and is easily broken.
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) was then introduced as a temporary security
enhancement over WEP while the 802.11i wireless security standard was being
developed. WPA Enterprise uses an authentication server to generate keys or
certificates.
Wi-Fi Protected Access version 2 (WPA2) being the most protected is going to be used
in the organization. The most significant improvement to WPA2 over WPA is the use of
the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) for encryption. The security provided by
AES is sufficient and also approved for use by the U.S. government to encrypt
information classified as top secret. That is why we go for the WPA2 wireless protocol
for greater wireless security.
Therefore the current company will make use of the both the IDS/IPS in order to reduce
workloads on the rest of the IT department in other to detect and also block the
intrusion.
Honeypot is a trap device which is setup to detect or monitors an attempts at
unauthorized use of information systems. Ideally, a honeypot consists of a computer,
data, or a network site that appears to be part of a network, but is actually isolated and
monitored, and which seems to contain information or a resource of value to attackers.
As said to be a trap, honeypot makes it possible to duplicate your main server to make it
look like the original server where all the intrusions made for the original server is
going to be directed to it since intruders have been made to believe it is the main server,
thus making it possible for network administrators to make proper reconfigurations as
per the new threat made.
The organization will surely make use of the honeypot in order to avoid direct access to
our main server and in the process will make proper reconfigurations to the main server
harden it against intruders.
HOST HARDNENING
Is concerned host of the network which might be a personal computer, server, router or
even a tablet and all these may work with a different platform as per the requirements of
the organization. Host hardening may be easily done at the same time it may be the
trickiest. It is easy in the sense that once you follow the simple procedures like, once an
application/software is not useful anymore you have to disable and remove it from the
system because living it may be a loophole for an attack to occur.
Moreover, it is not advisable for one system to serve as a multifunctional system (i.e. a
system that acts as more than one server for the organization) because once the host has
been altered with, this means that not only one server is going down but many will be
down and this will cause serious problem to the organization.
PRESENTATION SLIDES
REFERENCES;
1. http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/antimalware
2. http://www.techopedia.com/definition/25873/anti-malware
3. "XML Path Language (XPath) Version 1.0 - W3C Recommendation, 16 November
1999",
4. “XML Path Language (XPath) 2.0 – W3C Working Draft, 12 November 2003”,
http://www.w3.org/TR/xpath20/
5. <http://code.google.com/apis/analytics/docs/concepts/gaConceptsCookies.html>.
6. <http://surfthenetsafely.com/surfsafely5.htm>.
7. Cross-site Scripting (Web Security Threat Classification)
http://www.webappsec.org/projects/threat/classes/cross-site_scripting.shtml
8. Cross-Site Scripting Worm Hits MySpace, BetaNews, October 13, 2005
http://www.betanews.com/article/CrossSite_Scripting_Worm_Hits_MySpace/1
129232391
9. Foreman, P: Vulnerability Management, page 1. Taylor & Francis Group,
2010.ISBN 978-1-4398-0150-5
10. Gilkeson, J. H., Reynolds, K. (2003). Determinants of Internet auction success
and closing price: An exploratory study. Psychology & Marketing, 20(6), 537-
566. Retrieved September 2, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database.
(Document ID: 340652811).