The internet has been around for a long time, and some common vulnerabilities have been found through the years. These vulnerabilities can vary from simple coding problems to more complicated issues with how data is handled. Security vulnerabilities are often caused by developers who write code without correctly understanding how it will be used or checked for potential problems. Still, they can also be caused by users who make mistakes when entering data into websites or applications online. When these bugs aren’t fixed quickly, they can lead to security breaches that put user information at risk. So it’s essential to know the most common vulnerabilities to protect yourself against them!
#1 SQL Injections
SQL injection is a code injection technique used to attack data-driven applications. SQL injection attacks are injection attacks in which malicious SQL code is inserted into an entry field for execution.
The objective of SQL injection is to either retrieve data from the database or modify/delete data in the database. The vulnerability arises when user input (not properly validated) is incorporated into a dynamically constructed SQL query.
#2 Cross-Site Scripting
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) is one of those security vulnerabilities typically found in web applications. XSS allows an attacker to inject client-side script into web pages viewed by other users.
Scripts of this nature are usually malicious and are often used to perform some form of cyber attack. Still, they can also be used for legitimate purposes such as providing rich content or improving the user experience.
#3 Broken Authentication and Session Management
Session hijacking is one of the common security vulnerabilities. It is when a hacker can steal your session ID and use it to assume your identity. Session IDs are often stored in cookies and easily intercepted by malicious software. A successful attack on this front involves stealing a cookie and then using it to impersonate the victim.
Some of the most common vulnerabilities related to authentication and session management include insecure direct object references, insecure cryptographic storage, and insecure password storage. An attacker may gain access by exploiting these specific issues to obtain sensitive information such as username/password combinations or credit card numbers to compromise accounts further down the line.
#4 XML External Entities
XML External Entities (XXE) are used to include XML files in web pages. For example, let’s say you want to include an RSS feed on your website. You can use the following code:
An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by performing a Denial of Service or DoS attack against your server. They would create an XML file containing malicious code using XXE and then send it as part of the request for an RSS feed from your website. This could allow them to perform actions such as deleting files from your server or running programs on it without permission (known as remote code execution).
#5 File Inclusion Vulnerabilities
It’s important to know that File Inclusion Vulnerabilities are one of the most common vulnerabilities, especially in Web applications. This occurs when a website allows users to upload files, and the application processes them as if they were code. These vulnerabilities could allow an attacker to inject malicious code into your website and steal information from your database.
XML External Entities (XXE) vulnerability is another common vulnerability that affects XML parsing on web servers. XXE attacks can be used by attackers to access local files or system resources on the server where it resides to steal sensitive data or probe for further vulnerabilities.
The other primary security concern is the Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability. It allows an attacker to execute arbitrary commands on a remote machine without authorization by injecting them directly into targeted systems through various vectors such as email attachments, web requests, etc. This may lead to turning off firewall protection or compromising other systems within the same network by taking advantage of weakly protected services like Telnet/SSH, etc.
#6 Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
The most common of all security vulnerabilities found in websites is a Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability. The RCE vulnerability occurs when an attacker gains access to the server and can then execute arbitrary code on it.
This attack usually happens due to the poor configuration of web servers or other applications that run on them. That includes PHP scripts or CGI programs. Suppose your PHP script contains a user input sanitization function that only filters out some characters but not all of them. In that case, an attacker could insert commands into the fields and get the server to execute them independently. This would allow them to gain control over your site without authentication being required at all!
To prevent this kind of attack from happening on your website, there are several things you can do:
Use strong passwords for users and admin accounts, making it harder for attackers to try brute-force attacks.
Make sure everything is up-to-date with the latest patches from upstream developers.
#7 Security Misconfiguration – Do Not Leave the Defaults!
Default passwords: It’s a common mistake for users to leave default passwords unchanged on networking devices, routers, and other components of their networks. This can allow hackers to hijack the device or gain access to the network.
Default ports: The same goes for ports; if you’re using an unsecured port (port 80), anyone can view your website without needing any kind of authentication.
Default configurations: If you don’t change default configurations on your server (such as allowing remote connections by default), anyone with an internet connection could access it without authorization or authentication. This could give them access to files stored on your website and expose sensitive information. That includes information about its owner and any customers who use it regularly.
#8 Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attack
A denial-of-service (DoS) attack is any technique that attempts to flood a network or host with excessive requests to overload resources. The goal of these types of attacks is to cripple the server and prevent legitimate users from accessing their services.
It’s important to note that DoS attacks are not always intentional: they can also be accidental. If you have a high-volume website and your page loads slowly, it could be because someone has been flooding your site with needless requests.
There are several steps you can take both before an attack occurs and after one has happened to mitigate or alleviate its effects on your site:
Ensure that you have proper hosting for your business website so the server doesn’t become overloaded during peak hours when there may be more traffic than usual. This will help keep things running smoothly even if someone does try something malicious like this against your site(s). Use Cloudflare as an additional layer of defense against DDoS attacks. You can do that by adding another layer between attackers and servers—allowing them access only after passing through other security measures (such as blocking IP addresses).
Monitor bandwidth usage closely so if something like this happens unexpectedly, then there won’t be much damage done due to being prepared beforehand for such eventualities!
Conclusion
As you can see, the list of security vulnerabilities is pretty long. In fact, there are many more than we’ve covered here. However, these are some of the most common security issues that websites face today. Suppose you want to keep your website safe from hackers and avoid getting hacked. In that case, you must identify which vulnerabilities apply to your website. And fix them as soon as possible before someone else does it unauthorizedly!