Report Penetration Test: Example of Improvement Recommendations (en)
Vulnerability: SQL Injection in Login Form
Description: SQL Injection vulnerability found in the login form input parameters. Attackers can inject harmful SQL commands to access sensitive data such as usernames and passwords without authentication.
Remediation Recommendations:
- Implementation of Prepared Statements (Parameterized Queries): Use prepared statements for all database queries involving user input. This will ensure the provided input is not interpreted as executable SQL code.
- Example Implementation (PHP - PDO):
$stmt = $pdo->prepare('SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = :username AND password = :password');
$stmt->execute(['username' => $username, 'password' => $password]);
- Input Validation and Sanitization: Ensure all user inputs are validated and sanitized before being processed by the server. Limit the characters that can be entered into the input form to prevent exploitation.
- Example Validation (PHP):
$username = filter_input(INPUT_POST, 'username', FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING);
- Use of WAF (Web Application Firewall): Use WAF to detect and block SQL Injection attack patterns before they reach the web application.
Vulnerability: Password Cracking (Weak Password Policy)
Description: It has been found that some users are using weak passwords, making the system vulnerable to brute force and dictionary attacks.
Remediation Recommendations:
- Implement Strong Password Policy: Require users to use passwords with a minimum of 12 characters, including a combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Example Password Policy:
Minimum of 12 characters. At least 1 uppercase letter. At least 1 number and 1 symbol.
- Implement Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Add a layer of security by requiring 2FA for user authentication, so that weak passwords are not sufficient to gain access.
- Hash Passwords with Secure Algorithms: Ensure all passwords are stored in hashed format using modern algorithms like bcrypt or Argon2 to prevent cracking.
- Example Implementation (PHP - Bcrypt):
$hashedPassword = password_hash($password, PASSWORD_BCRYPT);
Vulnerability: Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) in Comment Page
Description: XSS vulnerability found in comment input. Attackers can inject malicious scripts that execute in the browsers of other users.
Remediation Recommendations:
- Output Sanitization: Implement output sanitization to ensure that any user input displayed back on the web page is not executed as HTML or JavaScript code.
- Example Implementation (PHP - htmlspecialchars):
echo htmlspecialchars($comment, ENT_QUOTES, 'UTF-8');
- Content Security Policy (CSP): Implement CSP to restrict what scripts are allowed to run on the page, minimizing the exploitation of XSS.
- Input Validation: Implement strict input validation, especially on data entered into forms. Limit allowed characters, such as quotes and HTML tags.
Vulnerability: Weak Encryption on Sensitive Data
Description: Sensitive data (e.g., credit card information) is encrypted using outdated algorithms (e.g., MD5 or SHA-1) that can be easily cracked.
Remediation Recommendations:
- Replace Encryption Algorithms with More Secure Ones: Use stronger encryption algorithms like AES-256 to encrypt sensitive data.
- Example Implementation (PHP - OpenSSL):
$encryptedData = openssl_encrypt($data, 'aes-256-cbc', $encryption_key, 0, $iv);
- Implement Secure Key Management: Ensure encryption keys are managed securely, such as by using hardware security modules (HSM) or cloud key management services.
- Use TLS for Data Encryption in Transit: Always use HTTPS to ensure that all data transmitted between the client and server is encrypted with TLS.
Vulnerability: Outdated Services
Description: It has been found that some software components used on the server are outdated and vulnerable to known exploits.
Remediation Recommendations:
- Update All Software to Latest Versions: Immediately update all software, including frameworks, operating systems, and other dependencies to versions with the latest security patches.
- Implement Strict Patching Policy: Implement a regular patching policy, such as monthly, to ensure all components are always up to date.
- Use Automated Patch Management System: Use tools like Ansible or Puppet to automatically manage and distribute security updates across servers.
This format provides specific and directly implementable remediation recommendations for each identified vulnerability. This approach ensures that the system becomes more secure and less exploitable in the future.