The team reported the XSS to Xplider before its launch. Unfortunately, as the application was still in development, the resolution was to make the application completely inaccessible via its own domain name, as a temporary workaround. While this was likely an annoying situation for the customers of Xplider, it turned out to be a crucial security lesson. In this case, because of the unfinished nature of the application, it was not possible to simply update the code to fix the vulnerability. However, there are certain ways to resolve XSS vulnerabilities before they are even built into applications.
Code review and architecture review
One of the most basic and important steps in the development process is code review. Code reviews are a way to ensure that developers and other members of the team are on the same page. Code reviews can be conducted by anyone who is part of the development process and they help catch common mistakes or vulnerabilities before they are built into an application.
When looking at an application, it's also important to think about its architecture. Architecture review helps show how different components interact with each other as well as how these interactions will change as new features or changes are added to an application. The idea behind this practice is to identify potential points of failure and prevent them from occurring. You can also use architecture review to identify potential security vulnerabilities in applications. For example, if you notice that there are many permissions assigned to certain parts of the application, you might want to reassign those permissions so that malicious actors cannot exploit your app with those permissions for their own benefit.
Although it may seem like a tedious exercise, no matter what stage your company is in, it’s worth it!
What is XSS?
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when a website, or web application, is written in such a way that malicious users can exploit it to send malicious code to other people who visit the site. These types of vulnerabilities can be seen in both public and private websites, but XSS vulnerabilities are particularly prevalent in web applications like eCommerce sites and social media platforms.
The vulnerability allows an attacker to inject code into an unsuspecting user’s browser. The injected script can steal information from the user, redirect them to another website, or change their session settings on the affected website. The most dangerous scenarios are those where the vulnerable website is owned by a legitimate business with significant financial resources that can easily pull down compromised data and protect their customers from harm
Understand the risk of an untested website
Although the final version of an application might not be released, it may still be possible to find and fix any vulnerabilities in a website before launching it to the public.
One quick way to identify potential vulnerabilities is by looking for common mistakes like XSS. In this case, the team was able to report the vulnerability before it was even built into the software. This helped steer clear of a potentially costly security situation.
Another important way to prevent problems from happening is by making sure that software has been well tested before releasing it on the public domain. For example, using an external testing company like Xplider’s own 404 Team can help identify any issues with the development process or code in advance of its launch (which would prevent any significant issues from occurring).
Build Bouncers Before Startups
It’s a common practice for startups to develop applications before they are fully ready to go. Often, this means that vulnerabilities arise during the development process of the application. In order to prevent these vulnerabilities from turning into critical security problems after launch, it is important that startups build an application within their application framework and then use tools like Bouncers. Bouncers are tools that can quickly check for vulnerabilities as soon as an application is developed, allowing them to find and fix them before they have a chance to cause any damage. This allows startups to get up and running fast without worrying about losing their first customers due to insecure applications.
What is an XSS (Cross-site Scripting) vulnerability?
An XSS vulnerability is a client-side exploit that allows an attacker to execute JavaScript code on a web page in order to steal or alter information on the page. Cross-site scripting attacks can be used in many ways, such as stealing cookie values, extracting passwords, and redirecting users to malicious websites.
Timeline
Published on: 10/31/2022 21:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/03/2022 15:14:00 UTC