Web Application Security Audit

Objectives of a web application security audit

The main goal of a manual web application security audit is to detect and neutralize vulnerabilities before they are exploited by malicious individuals. This rigorous process aims to:

Identify application vulnerabilities

These include a wide range of common security vulnerabilities, such as SQL injections, cross-site scripting (XSS), component security vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and access management vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities, if not corrected, can open the door to malicious intrusions and theft of sensitive data.

Assess the potential impact

Each vulnerability identified is subject to in-depth analysis to assess its severity and potential impact on the application, its data and its users. This assessment makes it possible to prioritize corrective actions based on the risk incurred.

Prioritize vulnerabilities

Based on their severity and exploitability, vulnerabilities are prioritized. This prioritization allows developers and security teams to focus on the most critical vulnerabilities first, thereby optimizing resource allocation and the effectiveness of corrective actions.

Recommend solutions

For each vulnerability identified, the audit team offers concrete and detailed solutions to correct it effectively. These recommendations are based on good security practices and current standards, guaranteeing adequate remediation of detected vulnerabilities.

Test fixes

Once fixes are implemented, the audit team conducts rigorous testing to ensure they are effective and do not introduce new vulnerabilities. This step guarantees the quality and reliability of the solutions provided.

Conduct of a web application security audit

A manual security audit can be carried out in 6 key steps.

1. Planning and framing

This initial phase defines the contours of the audit and establishes clear communication between stakeholders. It contains :

Definition of objectives and scope: Determine the specific objectives of the audit and the elements of the application to analyze.
Stakeholder Identification: Identify individuals or teams responsible for applying, auditing, and making decisions about fixes.
Establishing communication channels: Define the means of communication between auditors and stakeholders to ensure smooth exchange of information.
Understanding of specific requirements: Acquire in-depth knowledge of the safety requirements and regulatory constraints applicable to the application.
Information collection: Gather detailed information on the application architecture, the technologies used, its functionalities and data flows.

2. Static analysis of source code

Carefully examining application source code helps detect potential security vulnerabilities that might go unnoticed at runtime. This step involves:

Manual Code Review: Perform line-by-line analysis of source code to identify programming errors, incorrect configurations, and insecure coding practices.
Use of static analysis tools: Supplement manual analysis with automated tools that scan code for known vulnerabilities and common security holes.
Focus on critical components: Prioritize the analysis of sensitive components of the application that manage confidential data or control critical access.

3. Manual pentest

Experts simulate real attacks against the application to exploit identified vulnerabilities and measure their potential impact. Their process:

Reconnaissance and mapping: Discover potential entry points to the application, such as web pages, APIs and external interfaces.
Black Box Pentest: Act as an external attacker without any internal knowledge of the application to attempt to penetrate it.
Gray Box Pentest: Have partial information about the application to target specific vulnerabilities and access points.
White Box Pentest: Have full access to the application source code and architecture to perform in-depth testing and exploit complex vulnerabilities.
Vulnerability Exploitation: Attempt to exploit discovered vulnerabilities to execute malicious actions such as data theft, account takeover, or website defacement.

4. Vulnerability assessment

Once vulnerabilities are identified, they are analyzed in detail to determine their severity and priority for remediation.

Impact Analysis: Assess the potential consequences of exploiting a vulnerability, such as data loss, systems compromise, or operational disruptions.
Ease of Exploitation Assessment: Determine the level of difficulty required to exploit a vulnerability, taking into account the skills and resources needed by an attacker.
Vulnerability Prioritization: Rank vulnerabilities based on their severity and priority for remediation, based on analysis of impact and ease of exploitation.

5. Reporting et communication

Audit results are documented clearly and concisely to inform stakeholders and facilitate decision-making regarding remediation. The audit report includes:

Summary of findings: Present an overall overview of the vulnerabilities identified, their severity and their potential impact.
Vulnerability Details: Describe each vulnerability in detail, including technical information, evidence of exploitation and screenshots if necessary.
Recommendations for correction: Provide clear and precise instructions for correcting the identified vulnerabilities, taking into account technical constraints and the criticality of the application.
Residual risk assessment: Assess the level of risk remaining after the correction of the identified vulnerabilities.

6. Patch Control and Closure

After implementing corrective actions, it is important to verify their effectiveness and ensure that vulnerabilities have been corrected. The pentesters carry out:

New Targeted Pentest: Perform additional testing to confirm that previously identified vulnerabilities have been fixed and that no new vulnerabilities have been introduced.
Review of fixed code: Examine changes made to the source code to ensure that they effectively fix vulnerabilities without introducing regressions.
Audit Closure: Document the completion of the audit and record actions taken to correct vulnerabilities.

Benefits of carrying out a security audit by Ziwit

Real expertise

Ziwit auditors, with their in-depth expertise in web application security, are on the lookout for the latest vulnerabilities and threats. They can identify a wide range of security issues, from code injection vulnerabilities to cross-site scripting (XSS), data security vulnerabilities and configurations issues.

Ziwit has specialized in offensive cybersecurity and pentesting for over 10 years. In addition, the Ziwit group is PASSI certified by ANSSI and is recognized as an expert by the largest organizations.

In-depth & personalized tests

A manual web application security audit carried out by Ziwit involves rigorous and comprehensive testing of your application. This includes penetration testing, vulnerability testing, and static code analysis.

These in-depth tests scrutinize every component of your application, leaving no potential security vulnerabilities unnoticed.

A manual audit can be adapted to the specific needs of a web application and its organization. Auditors can focus on the most sensitive areas of the application and consider the most relevant threats and attack vectors.

Detailed report and concrete recommendations

At the end of the audit, Ziwit provides you with a detailed and complete report. This report lists all security issues identified, along with clear and specific recommendations to correct them.

This valuable document serves as your guide to improving the security of your application and significantly reducing the risk of attacks.

Significant improvement in security

A manual web application security audit carried out by Ziwit can significantly strengthen the security of your application.

By proactively identifying and remediating security vulnerabilities, you significantly reduce the risk of data leaks, intrusions and other cyberattacks.

Competetive price

Ziwit offers web application security audits at competitive prices, tailored to your needs, situation and budget.

Strengthens stakeholder trust

An independent security audit can reassure users, customers and business partners of the organization's commitment to data security.

At the end of each security audit, and once the potential vulnerabilities detected have been corrected, Ziwit provides its customers with a certification, valid for one year, attesting to the correct application of the patches.

Regulatory conformity

A manual web application security audit can also help you comply with data protection regulations, such as GDPR.

By ensuring your app meets strict security requirements, you avoid fines and other costly penalties.

Web application security audit