1. Insecure Direct Object References (IDOR): Imagine you have a web application where each user has an account page with a unique number in the URL. IDOR occurs when an attacker manipulates this number to access another user's account without proper authorization.
Example: If your account URL is https://example.com/account/123, an attacker might change it to https://example.com/account/456 to access a different user's account.
2. Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA) / Insecure Direct Object References (IDOR): Similar to IDOR, BOLA happens when an application doesn't properly check if a user is authorized to access or modify a specific object. This can lead to unauthorized data access or manipulation.
Example: An attacker could manipulate parameters to change the account balance in a financial application without the proper authorization.
3. Business Logic and Flow Authorization (BLA/BAFLA): BLA/BAFLA involves manipulating the business logic or flow of an application to gain unauthorized access or perform unintended actions.
Example: Consider an e-commerce application. An attacker might manipulate the order flow to purchase items without going through the proper payment process.
4. File Inclusion: In this case, a web application is using parameters which either call for resources locally or remotely. Exploiting file inclusion vulnerabilities allows an attacker to include files containing sensitive information or execute malicious code on the server.
Example: If the web application is calling for local resources by using parameters like “https://example.com/index.php?file=test.php”, by manipulating a parameter, an attacker could include a file with critical data (e.g., /etc/passwd) or inject code to compromise the server.
5. Horizontal Privilege Escalation: In this scenario, an attacker attempts to access another user's account or data at the same privilege level.
Example: Exploiting a flaw to view or modify another user's data in a system shared by multiple users.
6. Vertical Privilege Escalation: Vertical privilege escalation involves attempting to gain higher privileges than originally assigned.
Example: Exploiting a vulnerability to escalate from a regular user to an administrator with broader access and control.
7. Forced Browsing: Forced browsing occurs when an attacker tries to access unauthorized parts of an application by manipulating URLs.
Example: Navigating to https://example.com/admin without proper authentication to see if there are hidden admin pages.
8. Session Management Issues: Testing for weaknesses in how sessions are managed, including session fixation, hijacking, and timeout issues.
Example: Stealing a user's session cookie to impersonate them and gain unauthorized access.
9. Parameter Tampering: Parameter tampering involves modifying parameters in requests to gain unauthorized access or perform unintended actions.
Example: Changing the 'role' parameter in a request to upgrade a user's privileges and gain access to restricted areas.
10. Mass Assignment: Mass Assignment occurs when an attacker manipulates input parameters to gain unintended access or modify sensitive data by taking advantage of the way an application assigns values to object properties.
Example: Consider a scenario where a user can update their profile information, and the application uses a straightforward mechanism to update user attributes. An attacker might manipulate the input parameters to assign themselves admin privileges or modify other users' data.
11. Improper Asset Management: Improper asset management refers to the inadequate control or oversight of digital assets, such as files, databases, or sensitive information, which can lead to unauthorized access or exposure.
Example: Consider a scenario where an application stores sensitive files without proper access controls. An attacker might discover and access these files directly through URL manipulation or other means, leading to unauthorized exposure of confidential information.
12. Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF): SSRF occurs when an attacker can make the server perform requests on behalf of them, potentially leading to unauthorized access to internal resources or services.
Example: Suppose an application allows a user to input a URL for image processing. If the server blindly fetches and processes the image from any URL provided, an attacker might exploit this to make the server access internal resources (e.g., http://internal-server/admin), leading to unauthorized data exposure or potential attacks on internal systems.
These examples help illustrate various ways attackers might exploit authorization vulnerabilities, emphasizing the importance of thorough testing to identify and address these issues in web applications and APIs.
1. Insecure Direct Object References (IDOR): Imagine you have a web application where each user has an account page with a unique number in the URL. IDOR occurs when an attacker manipulates this number to access another user's account without proper authorization.
Example: If your account URL is https://example.com/account/123, an attacker might change it to https://example.com/account/456 to access a different user's account.
2. Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA) / Insecure Direct Object References (IDOR): Similar to IDOR, BOLA happens when an application doesn't properly check if a user is authorized to access or modify a specific object. This can lead to unauthorized data access or manipulation.
Example: An attacker could manipulate parameters to change the account balance in a financial application without the proper authorization.
3. Business Logic and Flow Authorization (BLA/BAFLA): BLA/BAFLA involves manipulating the business logic or flow of an application to gain unauthorized access or perform unintended actions.
Example: Consider an e-commerce application. An attacker might manipulate the order flow to purchase items without going through the proper payment process.
4. File Inclusion: In this case, a web application is using parameters which either call for resources locally or remotely. Exploiting file inclusion vulnerabilities allows an attacker to include files containing sensitive information or execute malicious code on the server.
Example: If the web application is calling for local resources by using parameters like “https://example.com/index.php?file=test.php”, by manipulating a parameter, an attacker could include a file with critical data (e.g., /etc/passwd) or inject code to compromise the server.
5. Horizontal Privilege Escalation: In this scenario, an attacker attempts to access another user's account or data at the same privilege level.
Example: Exploiting a flaw to view or modify another user's data in a system shared by multiple users.
6. Vertical Privilege Escalation: Vertical privilege escalation involves attempting to gain higher privileges than originally assigned.
Example: Exploiting a vulnerability to escalate from a regular user to an administrator with broader access and control.
7. Forced Browsing: Forced browsing occurs when an attacker tries to access unauthorized parts of an application by manipulating URLs.
Example: Navigating to https://example.com/admin without proper authentication to see if there are hidden admin pages.
8. Session Management Issues: Testing for weaknesses in how sessions are managed, including session fixation, hijacking, and timeout issues.
Example: Stealing a user's session cookie to impersonate them and gain unauthorized access.
9. Parameter Tampering: Parameter tampering involves modifying parameters in requests to gain unauthorized access or perform unintended actions.
Example: Changing the 'role' parameter in a request to upgrade a user's privileges and gain access to restricted areas.
10. Mass Assignment: Mass Assignment occurs when an attacker manipulates input parameters to gain unintended access or modify sensitive data by taking advantage of the way an application assigns values to object properties.
Example: Consider a scenario where a user can update their profile information, and the application uses a straightforward mechanism to update user attributes. An attacker might manipulate the input parameters to assign themselves admin privileges or modify other users' data.
11. Improper Asset Management: Improper asset management refers to the inadequate control or oversight of digital assets, such as files, databases, or sensitive information, which can lead to unauthorized access or exposure.
Example: Consider a scenario where an application stores sensitive files without proper access controls. An attacker might discover and access these files directly through URL manipulation or other means, leading to unauthorized exposure of confidential information.
12. Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF): SSRF occurs when an attacker can make the server perform requests on behalf of them, potentially leading to unauthorized access to internal resources or services.
Example: Suppose an application allows a user to input a URL for image processing. If the server blindly fetches and processes the image from any URL provided, an attacker might exploit this to make the server access internal resources (e.g., http://internal-server/admin), leading to unauthorized data exposure or potential attacks on internal systems.
These examples help illustrate various ways attackers might exploit authorization vulnerabilities, emphasizing the importance of thorough testing to identify and address these issues in web applications and APIs.