Test security | 21
any malicious embedded code. This is and trying to modify the data.
not straightforward, as some RSS feeds The process of understanding the
embed tags to make their content data is time-consuming as java
more interesting. libraries have to be inspected, with
any security implications for the
Paying up implementation understood and
Service providers like Paypal, Ebay attacks created and simulated to
and Amazon, remove the need to carrying out an in-depth penetration
process card payments and run test. Various frameworks exist like
complex e-commerce environments Google Web Toolkit, SAJAX, XAJAX or
from their users. The interlinking of Microsoft.NET AJAX. Various formats
these different services ensures that are used to send data from custom
vulnerabilities in providers will affect streams, XML and JSON.
their users; it is becoming common
when performing a penetration test Facing the challenge
that the found flaw is ‘downstream’ I hope this article has given an
from the site under test. There are also insight into some of the current
issues with data integrity, as the data challenges facing penetration
is now distributed and shared to and testers. More time needs to be
from the different service providers allocated to perform Web 2.0
(data might be lost, intercepted etc). penetration testing, particularly
The website under test might submit with penetration testing companies
customer data to a service provider, by operating in an increasingly
More time needs to be
using a published API provided by the competitive environment, with market
allocated to perform
service provider. This historic/current demand that web application tests to
Web 2.0 penetration
API code might contain programming be performed to a budget with a year-
flaws, which allow other registered on-year reduction of costs despite
testing, particularly
parties to retrieve customer details the inherent need to spend more
with penetration testing
or to interfere with the processing of time. This regrettably all too brief companies operating in an
orders by exploiting the flaws within overview of how penetration testers
increasingly competitive
the API. can find vulnerabilities, has hopefully
AJAX and asynchronous JavaScript aided administrators and information
environment, with
have been adopted to speed up data security managers in making their
market demand that web
transfer to the client by just sending infrastructure more secure. Another application tests to be
and displaying the information which concern for administrators and ISMs
performed to a budget
has changed (instead of resending is the effectiveness of traditional IDS/
with a year-on-year
a page). The increasing widespread IPS, and application level firewalls
adoption of AJAX increases the time in detecting Web 2.0 attacks as
reduction of costs despite
needed for penetration tests, as the such devices have been used as
Richard Brain
Director
the inherent need to spend
sent information has an innumerable the traditional sticking plaster for
ProCheckUp
www.procheckup.com
more time.
number of variations when inspecting insecure applications in the past.
T.E.S.T | June 09 June 09 | T.E.S.T
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