Web-Application have been widely accepted by the organization be it in private, public or government sector and form the main part of any e-commerce business on the internet.
However with the widespread of web-application, the threats related to the web-application have also emerged. Web-application transmit substantial amount of critical data such as password or credit card information etc and this data should be protected from an attacker.
There has been huge number of attacks on the web-application such as ‘SQL Injection’, ‘Cross-Site Scripting’, ‘Http Response Splitting’ in recent years and it is one of the main concerns in both the software developer and security professional community.
This projects aims to explore how security can be incorporated by using security pattern in web-application and how effective it is in addressing the security problems of web-application.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Problems
1.2 Aim and Objectives
1.3 Structure:
Chapter 2: Background on Web Application & Web Application Security
2.1 Background of Web- Application
2.2 Background on Web Application Security
Chapter 3: Attacks and Countermeasures of Web - Application
3.1 Eavesdropping
3.1.1 What is Eavesdropping?
3.1.2 How Eavesdropping happen?
3.1.3 Countermeasures for Eavesdropping
3.2 Exploiting Poor Authentication
3.2.1 What is Poor Authentication?
3.2.2 How the poor authentication can be exploited?
3.2.3 Countermeasures of poor authentication
3.3 Log Tampering
3.3.1 Overview of Log
3.3.2 What is log tampering?
3.3.3 Countermeasures for Log Tampering
3.4 SQL Injection
3.4.1 Overview of SQL injection
3.4.2 Countermeasures for SQL Injection
3.5 Cross-Site Scripting
3.5.1 What is Cross-Site Scripting?
3.5.2 Countermeasure of Cross-Site Scripting
3.6 HTTP Response Splitting
3.6.1 What is HTTP Response Splitting?
3.6.2 Countermeasure for HTTP Response Splitting
3.7 Reason of Attack on Web Application
Chapter 4: Introduction to Patterns
4.1. An introduction to pattern language
4.2. What is Design Pattern?
4.3 History of Design Pattern
4.4 Design Pattern Template
Chapter 5: An Introduction to Security Patterns
5.1 What is Security Pattern?
5.2 History of Security Pattern
5.3 Why Security Pattern?
5.4 Types of Security Pattern
5.5 Use and Misuse Case in Security Pattern.
5.6 Security Pattern Template
Chapter 6: Overview and Implementation of Security Patterns
6.1 Overview of Security Pattern used to address attack
6.1.1 Secure Pipe Pattern
6.1.2 Secure Proxy Pattern
6.1.3 Secure Logger Pattern
6.1.4 Intercepting Validator Pattern
6.2 Implementation of Security Pattern in Context to Attack
6.2.1 Mitigating Eavesdropping with Secure Pipe and its Related Pattern
6.2.2 Mitigating poor authentication exploit with Secure Proxy & its Related Pattern
6.2.3 Mitigating Log Tampering with Secure Logger & its Related Pattern
6.2.4 Mitigating SQL Injection, Cross- Site Scripting and HTTP Response Splitting with Intercepting Validator and its Related Pattern
Chapter 7: Analysis of Security Patterns
7.1 Analysis between main security pattern and related pattern
7.1.1 Secure Pipe Pattern versus Message Intercepting Gateway
7.1.2 Secure service proxy versus message interceptor gateway
7.1.3 Secure logger pattern versus secure pipe pattern
7.1.4 Intercepting Validator versus Intercepting Filters
7.2 Views
Conclusion
References
Research Objectives and Themes
This project aims to bridge the gap between software development and security by exploring how security can be systematically incorporated into web applications using security patterns to address common vulnerabilities and threats.
- Analysis of fundamental web application attacks (e.g., SQL Injection, XSS, Eavesdropping).
- Introduction to design patterns and their evolution into security-specific patterns.
- Detailed implementation strategies for various security patterns in web environments.
- Comparative analysis of security patterns to evaluate their benefits, liabilities, and effectiveness.
- Evaluation of security pattern integration through case study analysis.
Excerpt from the Book
6.2.1 Mitigating Eavesdropping with Secure Pipe and its Related Pattern
As stated above that eavesdropping happen because of the insecure communication channel and a mechanism should be put into place to prevent the privacy of the communication which can be tampered by eavesdropping and man-in-the middle attack.
From the perspective of an web-application ,all client transaction should be protected because this transaction are often exposed to different kind of attack such as eavesdropping, spoofing and replay attacks. Whenever a request transmits through an insecure network, this request are intercepted and exposed by an attacker. To avoid this organization started using VPN but even in VPN, data are exposed to endpoints such as inside an organization or more precisely inside intranets. Once the data are exposed it can be modified, disclosed or duplicated.
Also the use of network sniffer to capture the data leads to the problem where even a very new attacker can get hold of the unencrypted credentials and credit card information.
This entire problem occurs because of the fact that the business application does business over an insecure and untrusted network known as internet. The content-based website are not the primary target of the attacker but the web-application which transmit sensitive information such as credit card information is usually the main target of an attacker as he can used that information in future for financial benefits.
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 1: Introduction: Discusses the rise of web applications, the resulting security challenges, and the research goal of using security patterns to improve application safety.
Chapter 2: Background on Web Application & Web Application Security: Provides an overview of web application architecture and the increasing importance of securing the application layer.
Chapter 3: Attacks and Countermeasures of Web - Application: Examines fundamental attacks like eavesdropping, SQL injection, and XSS, and outlines standard countermeasures for each.
Chapter 4: Introduction to Patterns: Explores the origins of pattern languages in architecture and their subsequent adoption and adaptation within the software engineering community.
Chapter 5: An Introduction to Security Patterns: Defines security patterns, their history, and their role as a "foundation for developing secure software" to bridge the gap between developers and security professionals.
Chapter 6: Overview and Implementation of Security Patterns: Details practical implementations of specific patterns, including Secure Pipe, Secure Proxy, Secure Logger, and Intercepting Validator, to mitigate identified attacks.
Chapter 7: Analysis of Security Patterns: Compares main security patterns with related patterns, discussing their respective benefits, liabilities, and effectiveness in real-world scenarios.
Keywords
Web Application Security, Security Patterns, Eavesdropping, SQL Injection, Cross-Site Scripting, Secure Pipe Pattern, Secure Proxy Pattern, Secure Logger Pattern, Intercepting Validator, Authentication, Authorization, Input Validation, Threat Mitigation, Software Design, Cryptography
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this project?
The project focuses on exploring how security can be effectively incorporated into web application development by utilizing specialized security patterns to address common vulnerabilities.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The work covers the transition from traditional software design to security-pattern-oriented development, the analysis of critical web vulnerabilities, and the practical implementation of specific patterns to counteract these threats.
What is the main objective of this dissertation?
The objective is to identify security patterns capable of addressing web application issues, evaluate their effectiveness, and justify their use in building secure software systems.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The author uses a research-based analysis of industry-recognized security threats combined with a study of design and security patterns, supported by architectural diagrams and references to existing research and white papers.
What is covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section details the implementation of specific patterns, such as Secure Pipe for eavesdropping and Intercepting Validator for injection attacks, and compares their performance and security benefits.
Which key terms best describe this work?
Key terms include Web Application Security, Security Patterns, SQL Injection, Cross-Site Scripting, Secure Pipe, and Input Validation.
How does the Secure Pipe pattern address network threats?
The Secure Pipe pattern establishes a secure, encrypted communication channel between client and server, which ensures data integrity and privacy, thereby preventing eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks.
Why are Intercepting Filters and Intercepting Validators considered effective?
They are effective because they centralize data validation, ensuring that all client input is scrubbed and verified against malicious content before the application processes it, which is crucial for preventing injection attacks.
- Quote paper
- Shahnawaz Alam (Author), 2011, Using Security Patterns in Web-Application, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/214144
