An application vulnerability assessment must be conducted.

Description

<VulnDiscussion>An application vulnerability assessment is a test conducted in order to identify weaknesses and security vulnerabilities that may exist within an application. The testing must cover all aspects and components of the application architecture. If an application consists of a web server and a database, then both components must be tested for vulnerabilities to the fullest extent possible. Vulnerability assessment tests normally utilize a combination of specialized software called application vulnerability scanners as well as custom scripts and manual tests. In some instances, multiple tools are required in order to test all aspects of application features, functions and architecture. The vulnerability scanner is typically configured to communicate with the application through the user interface or via an applications communication port. In addition to using automated tools, manual tests conducted from the OS console such as executing custom scripts or reviewing configuration settings for known vulnerabilities may also be included as part of the test. Testers will typically utilize application user test accounts in order to test application features and functionality such as adding content, executing queries and completing transactions. The vulnerability testing software utilizes user actions and access as well as a list of known security vulnerabilities in order to detect and identify weak security controls or misconfigurations that could potentially be manipulated by the user or create a security vulnerability. The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) top 10 for 2013 includes the following top issues that should be tested. The site is available by pointing your browser to https://www.owasp.org. A1 Injection A2 Weak authentication and session management A3 XSS A4 Insecure Direct Object References A5 Security Misconfiguration A6 Sensitive Data Exposure A7 Missing Function Level Access Control A8 Cross Site Request Forgery A9 Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities A10 Unvalidated Redirects and Forwards The OWASP top 10 are categories of tests that can be applied to most but not necessarily all applications and are provided as an example of what to test for. Scanning tools include a multitude of tests that fall under these categories but may refer to these tests by a different name. Testing must be conducted on a periodic basis while the application is in production and subsequent to system changes to ensure any changes made to the system do not introduce new security vulnerabilities.</VulnDiscussion><FalsePositives></FalsePositives><FalseNegatives></FalseNegatives><Documentable>false</Documentable><Mitigations></Mitigations><SeverityOverrideGuidance></SeverityOverrideGuidance><PotentialImpacts></PotentialImpacts><ThirdPartyTools></ThirdPartyTools><MitigationControl></MitigationControl><Responsibility></Responsibility><IAControls></IAControls>