Web application attacks are a type of cyberattack that exploit vulnerabilities in web applications. Attackers use these vulnerabilities to inject malicious code into the application, steal data, or take control of the application. Common web application attacks include SQL injection, Cross-site scripting (XSS), and Broken authentication and session management.
Organizations that develop and deploy web applications should use security best practices to mitigate the risk of these attacks. These best practices include:
Using strong authentication and session management mechanisms.
Validating user input to prevent injection of malicious code. Ensuring that all software is up to date and patched.
Performing regular security audits.
Organizations that use web applications should also ensure that their web applications are protected by a web application firewall (WAF). A WAF is a security appliance that sits in front of the web application and protects it from attacks.