OWASP Top 10 awareness in Testing Fundamentals - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the OWASP Top 10?

The OWASP Top 10 is a list of the ten most critical web application security risks, created to raise awareness and help developers and testers protect applications.

beginner

Name one common risk listed in the OWASP Top 10.

Injection flaws, such as SQL injection, are a common risk where attackers send malicious data to trick the application into executing unintended commands.

intermediate

Why is 'Broken Authentication' a serious risk in OWASP Top 10?

Broken Authentication means attackers can take over user accounts or sessions because the application does not properly protect login or session management.

beginner

How can testers help reduce risks from the OWASP Top 10?

Testers can check for vulnerabilities by trying to exploit common risks like injection or broken authentication and report issues so developers can fix them.

beginner

What does 'Sensitive Data Exposure' mean in the OWASP Top 10?

It means that important data like passwords or credit card numbers are not properly protected and can be stolen or seen by attackers.

Which of the following is NOT part of the OWASP Top 10 risks?

A Slow Internet Connection

B Broken Authentication

C Injection

D Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

Slow Internet Connection is not a security risk listed in the OWASP Top 10. The others are common security risks.

What does 'Injection' risk mean in OWASP Top 10?

A Injecting viruses into the computer hardware

B Injecting ads into the website

C Sending malicious data to trick the application into running harmful commands

D Injecting code into the browser's memory

Injection means attackers send harmful data to the application to make it run commands it should not.

Why is 'Broken Authentication' dangerous?

A It causes the website to load slowly

B It allows attackers to take over user accounts

C It breaks the website layout

D It disables the login button

Broken Authentication lets attackers access user accounts by bypassing login protections.

Which OWASP Top 10 risk involves attackers stealing sensitive information like passwords?

A Sensitive Data Exposure

B Security Misconfiguration

C Cross-Site Request Forgery

D Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities

Sensitive Data Exposure means important data is not properly protected and can be stolen.

How can testers help improve security based on OWASP Top 10?

A By ignoring security and focusing only on UI

B By deleting user accounts

C By making the website faster

D By trying to find and report security weaknesses

Testers help by finding security problems and telling developers to fix them.

Explain the importance of the OWASP Top 10 for software testers.

Think about how knowing common risks helps testers find problems.

Describe how 'Injection' and 'Broken Authentication' risks can affect a web application.

Focus on what attackers can do with these vulnerabilities.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of the OWASP Top 10 list in software testing?

easy

A. To rank the fastest web browsers

B. To highlight the most common security risks in web applications

C. To provide a checklist for UI design improvements

D. To list all programming languages used in web development

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand OWASP Top 10's focus

   OWASP Top 10 is a list of the most common security risks in web apps.

2. Step 2: Match purpose with options

   Only To highlight the most common security risks in web applications correctly states it highlights common security risks.

3. Final Answer:

   To highlight the most common security risks in web applications -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   OWASP Top 10 = Common security risks [OK]

Hint: OWASP = security risks list for web apps [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing OWASP with UI or browser topics
• Thinking it lists programming languages
• Assuming it ranks performance

2. Which of the following is a correct example of an OWASP Top 10 risk?

easy

A. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

B. Slow page loading

C. Incorrect font size

D. Missing alt text on images

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify OWASP Top 10 risks

   OWASP Top 10 includes risks like Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), SQL Injection, etc.

2. Step 2: Compare options to known risks

   Only Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) is a recognized OWASP Top 10 risk; others are unrelated to security risks.

3. Final Answer:

   Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   XSS is a common OWASP risk [OK]

Hint: Pick known security risks like XSS, SQLi, not UI issues [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing UI or performance issues as security risks
• Confusing accessibility issues with security risks
• Not recognizing common OWASP terms

3. Consider this code snippet for input validation in a web app:

if (userInput.includes('<script>')) {
  rejectInput();
} else {
  acceptInput();
}

Which OWASP risk is this code trying to prevent?

medium

A. Broken Authentication

B. Security Misconfiguration

C. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

D. Sensitive Data Exposure

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze code purpose

   The code checks if user input contains '<script>' tags and rejects it.

2. Step 2: Link to OWASP risks

   Rejecting script tags prevents Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), where attackers inject scripts.

3. Final Answer:

   Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Blocking scripts = Prevent XSS [OK]

Hint: Script tags in input? Think XSS risk [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing input validation with authentication issues
• Ignoring script injection as a security risk
• Choosing unrelated OWASP risks

4. A tester finds that a web app allows users to upload files without checking file type. Which OWASP risk does this represent, and what is the best fix?

medium

A. Cross-Site Request Forgery; use CSRF tokens

B. Insecure Deserialization; encrypt files

C. Broken Access Control; add user login

D. Unrestricted File Upload; validate file types before upload

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the risk from file upload issue

   Allowing uploads without validation is Unrestricted File Upload risk.

2. Step 2: Determine best fix

   Validating file types before upload prevents malicious files from being accepted.

3. Final Answer:

   Unrestricted File Upload; validate file types before upload -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   File upload risk = Validate file types [OK]

Hint: File upload without checks? Think Unrestricted File Upload [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing file upload with access control
• Suggesting encryption instead of validation
• Mixing unrelated OWASP risks

5. A web app stores passwords in plain text and does not limit login attempts. Which two OWASP Top 10 risks does this violate, and what combined testing approach should be used?

hard

A. Sensitive Data Exposure and Broken Authentication; test password storage and brute force protection

B. Security Misconfiguration and Cross-Site Scripting; test server setup and input fields

C. Insecure Deserialization and XML External Entities; test data parsing

D. Cross-Site Request Forgery and Broken Access Control; test session tokens and permissions

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify risks from password storage and login attempts

   Storing passwords in plain text is Sensitive Data Exposure; no login limits is Broken Authentication.

2. Step 2: Determine testing approach

   Test password storage security and brute force attack protections to cover both risks.

3. Final Answer:

   Sensitive Data Exposure and Broken Authentication; test password storage and brute force protection -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Plain text + no limits = Sensitive Data + Broken Auth [OK]

Hint: Plain passwords + no limits = Sensitive Data + Broken Auth [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Mixing unrelated OWASP risks
• Ignoring combined risks in one scenario
• Confusing testing focus areas