Broken Access Control is a vulnerability in which the application fails to enforce access control restrictions and security measures such as authentication and authorization. Unauthorized users may be able to access sensitive information or perform unauthorized actions as a result of this.
Example
Consider an e-commerce website where users can view order details for their orders. An attacker could manipulate the order details URL to access the order details of other users if the application does not properly enforce access control. This may expose sensitive information like shipping addresses and credit card numbers.
To avoid Broken Access Control, the application must properly enforce access control restrictions, validate user inputs, and implement authentication and authorization mechanisms. Furthermore, regular security testing should be carried out to identify and address potential access control vulnerabilities.
Impact
If Access Control is breached, unauthorized users may gain access to sensitive information such as personal data, financial information, and confidential business information.
Unauthorized users may also be able to tamper with or manipulate data, potentially resulting in data corruption or loss of accuracy.
Here are some common types of Broken Access Control
Incomplete Authentication: When an application fails to properly authenticate users before granting access to sensitive information or resources, this is known as incomplete authentication.
Incorrect Access Control Implementation: This happens when the application’s access control mechanisms are not properly implemented, allowing unauthorized users to access resources or perform actions they should not be able to perform.
Direct Object Reference: This occurs when an application uses user-supplied input to reference an object, such as a file or database record, without performing proper validation or authorization checks. By manipulating the input, an attacker can gain access to sensitive information or resources.
Missing Authorization Check: This occurs when the application fails to enforce authorization checks properly, allowing unauthorized users to access resources or perform actions they should not be able to.
Broken Access Control can result in serious security vulnerabilities such as the exposure of sensitive information, unauthorized access to resources, data tampering, and loss of confidentiality and privacy.
preventing and mitigating Broken Access Control in web applications
Implementation of authentication and authorization mechanisms that are robust and secure, such as multi-factor authentication, to ensure that only authorized users can access resources and perform actions.
Validation and sanitization of user inputs: Validate and sanitize all user inputs to prevent input manipulation that could result in Broken Access Control.
Conclusion
Finally, Broken Access Control is a critical security vulnerability that can have serious consequences for web applications, such as exposing sensitive information, unauthorized access to resources, data tampering, and loss of confidentiality and privacy.
Thank you for Reading This content. I hope you got some Knowledge from this post. Grow your Knowledge with the medium.
