One of the first steps to protecting your network is understanding how hackers might gain access. By inventorying your attack surface and potential points of entry, you can begin hardening those entry points. The attack surface of an application includes all pathways into and out of the system, the code for that protects these paths, all valuable data on the application, and the code that protects the data.
Consider both external and internal threats. Once you have assessed the attack surface, prioritize the points that pose the greatest risk. This typically includes external, internet-based entry points, web forms, and custom APIs.
In order to measure and assess the attack, you have to map and identify the high risk areas of an attack surface such as remote entry points first. Anything outside systems and to the internet especially where the system allows public access.
The article mentions often places where the most exposed to an attack are: network-facing, web forms, files from outside the network, backward compatible interfaces with other systems, custom APIs, and security codes.
Another way to identify the high risk areas are identifying controls that are implemented in place, network firewalls and application firewalls, and intrusion detection or prevention systems to help protect the application.
Another way I would agree to identify high risk areas is to identify the controls that have been implemented. On the other hand, adding admin users or admin functions with high privileges is something that needs to be considered and controlled.
Managing Application Attack Surface is intended for developers to understand and manage application security risks when designing and changing applications. Security risk assessment by application security experts. This avoids malware injection. The internal attack surface can be more dangerous and different from the external one because privileged users can have extensive access rights.
The striking face model may be incomplete at the beginning, before any security work has been done on the application. The more you use the application, the more you realize that as your understanding of the attack surface improves, holes need to be filled in time.
The attack surface is a concept that points out all the areas where an attacker could get into your system, and where they could pull data from. This concept/model contains four steps which are then overlayed with the different types of users, roles, and privileges. When going over the attack surface, remote areas are a key area to focus on as they can be open to the public and they interface with outside systems.
Attack Surface mapping and threat modeling go hand-in-hand. By defining the attack surface, developers are able to identify areas where an attacker may be able to exploit the application. The goal of defining an attack surface is to reduce blindspots and opportunities for successful exploitation by an attacker. Identifying the attack surface requires an understanding of the application’s data flow. For example what are the input areas/fields, where are the login entry points, how is storage processed? Attack Surface analysis should be considered a dynmanic process that will require constant reassessment as new features are added to application.
This document outlines how to analyze an application’s attack surface and how to manage it. In summary, the steps are to (1) Define the Application’s Attack Surface, (2) Identify and Map the Attack Surface, (3) Measure and Assess the Attack Surface, and (4) Manage the Attack Surface. This analysis helps identify where security vulnerabilities may exist, what high-risk areas need extra protection, and when changes are made and reassessment is needed.
I learned from the article that to attack your system, steal something or perform some other nasty action, the attacker needs to find a way or some channel. That’s the whole purpose of attack surface analysis: to map out the paths in and out of the system, see the design from the attacker’s point of view, and understand the most vulnerable parts of the system that need focused testing and review. It is part of design and part of risk management.
Mapping the attack surface can be a really important tool for the people responsible for vulnerability analysis and security of applications as it essentially is a similar process that an attacker is going to use to compromise an application. Being from OWASP, those securing web apps really need to ensure that injection points are not present in any forms. They also need to analyze the security where file uploads are present as an attacker can upload a reverse shell on a web server if left unprotected against this type of attack. Web shells can be hidden through double file extensions and altered file extensions, so any sort of file uploads require extra attention regarding security.
I think you make a great point when you say the attacker is going to use a similar process to compromise an application. Understanding the attack surface is an advantage because you can have an understanding of how someone might penetrate your application.
One of my takeaways from OWASP Attack Surface Cheat Sheet is that the attack surface is not composed of just the vulnerabilities in existence to get into the system. It also includes the ways intruders can get data out of the system, what data is in the system and why it is significant, and any blindspots in access logging and monitoring. I also like how this cheat sheet mentions that even though security architects and auditors might be using the OWASP attack surface cheat sheet as a guideline and remembrance point as they audit applications, programmers should also be aware of the components of the attack surface and keep this in mind when creating and changing programs.
The boom in internet-exposed assets from a decade of digital transformation and accelerated by a seismic shift to a remote workforce in response to COVID-19, can make protecting your enterprise’s digital attack surface feel overwhelming. Today, organizations are responsible for defending not only their internal network but also their digital presence across the internet and the cloud.
Bringing the massive scope of an organization’s attack surface into focus helps frame the challenges of extending cybersecurity outside the corporate firewall, especially as staff forced to work from home push that boundary farther and farther out
With regard to an attack surface analysis, it’s absolutely essential that the system is completely
run for vulnerabilities that could exist. I do hope and believe that the most essential step in this process is establishing the attack surface. When determining an attack surface, there are four important steps to take into consideration.
In the first place is to establish the sum of all paths going into and out of the application for data and commands.
Furthermore, it is to find the code that protects those paths.
Also, it is being required is to find all the valuable data examined in the application, which can include PII, secrets and keys, intellectual property, and critical business data.
Finally, it is meant to define the code that protects that data. Once it is being established, it makes more easier to determine roles and privilege levels for each level of the attack surface that has taken place.
Attack Surface Analysis cheat sheet is used to describe the attacks surfaces within applications. It is used by the developers to understand and manage the application security risks while developing and changing the application. The focus of this documents is to protect the applications from the attacks occurring from the outside of the organization. It helps developer and security specialist to identify they area of risk and mitigate it. In addition, the attack surface analysis helps identify which part of the system needs to be review/test for the security vulnerability.
Thanks for your post Vraj. This is so important since vulnerability exploitation is an attack vector we often see attackers utilizing (i.e. the Equifax breach). Application security should be a priority to security professionals.
One key point from this reading was the importance in regularly evaluating an application’s attack surface. This type of assessment should be done periodically (in accordance with development workflow models) in addition to whenever a scope-changing app alteration is made. Anything that impacts the confidential/secret data in an application, the sum of all data/command paths (outbound and inbound), in addition to the code protecting each of these areas can significantly impact the scope of an attack surface. Security professionals should be highly aware of this, since an adjusted attack surface can create unsecure attack vectors for hackers to infiltrate a system through.
I agree with you that keeping up with changes and modifications to applications is extremely important. One of the repeated points I have come across the most in our ITACS program thus far is that the threat environment is constantly evolving, so keeping an eye on the attack surface and perpetually updating it is key to properly maintaining security.
Attack Surface Analysis is about mapping out what parts of a system need to be reviewed and tested for security vulnerabilities
Attack Surface Analysis is to understand the risk areas in an application, to make developers and security specialists aware of what parts of the application are open to attack, to find ways of minimizing this.
identify what functions and what parts of the system you need to review/test for security vulnerabilities
identify high risk areas of code that require defense-in-depth protection – what parts of the system that you need to defend
identify when you have changed the attack surface and need to do some kind of threat assessment
Backups of code and data – online, and on offline media – are an important but often ignored part of a system’s Attack Surface. Protecting your data and IP by writing secure software and hardening the infrastructure will all be wasted if you hand everything over to bad actors by not protecting your backups. Threat modeling is a structured approach of identifying and prioritizing potential threats to a system, and determining the value that potential mitigations would have in reducing or neutralizing those threats. This cheat sheet aims to provide guidance on how to create threat models for both existing systems or applications as well as new systems.
One of the first steps to protecting your network is understanding how hackers might gain access. By inventorying your attack surface and potential points of entry, you can begin hardening those entry points. The attack surface of an application includes all pathways into and out of the system, the code for that protects these paths, all valuable data on the application, and the code that protects the data.
Consider both external and internal threats. Once you have assessed the attack surface, prioritize the points that pose the greatest risk. This typically includes external, internet-based entry points, web forms, and custom APIs.
In order to measure and assess the attack, you have to map and identify the high risk areas of an attack surface such as remote entry points first. Anything outside systems and to the internet especially where the system allows public access.
The article mentions often places where the most exposed to an attack are: network-facing, web forms, files from outside the network, backward compatible interfaces with other systems, custom APIs, and security codes.
Another way to identify the high risk areas are identifying controls that are implemented in place, network firewalls and application firewalls, and intrusion detection or prevention systems to help protect the application.
Hi Victoria,
Another way I would agree to identify high risk areas is to identify the controls that have been implemented. On the other hand, adding admin users or admin functions with high privileges is something that needs to be considered and controlled.
Managing Application Attack Surface is intended for developers to understand and manage application security risks when designing and changing applications. Security risk assessment by application security experts. This avoids malware injection. The internal attack surface can be more dangerous and different from the external one because privileged users can have extensive access rights.
The striking face model may be incomplete at the beginning, before any security work has been done on the application. The more you use the application, the more you realize that as your understanding of the attack surface improves, holes need to be filled in time.
The attack surface is a concept that points out all the areas where an attacker could get into your system, and where they could pull data from. This concept/model contains four steps which are then overlayed with the different types of users, roles, and privileges. When going over the attack surface, remote areas are a key area to focus on as they can be open to the public and they interface with outside systems.
Attack Surface mapping and threat modeling go hand-in-hand. By defining the attack surface, developers are able to identify areas where an attacker may be able to exploit the application. The goal of defining an attack surface is to reduce blindspots and opportunities for successful exploitation by an attacker. Identifying the attack surface requires an understanding of the application’s data flow. For example what are the input areas/fields, where are the login entry points, how is storage processed? Attack Surface analysis should be considered a dynmanic process that will require constant reassessment as new features are added to application.
This document outlines how to analyze an application’s attack surface and how to manage it. In summary, the steps are to (1) Define the Application’s Attack Surface, (2) Identify and Map the Attack Surface, (3) Measure and Assess the Attack Surface, and (4) Manage the Attack Surface. This analysis helps identify where security vulnerabilities may exist, what high-risk areas need extra protection, and when changes are made and reassessment is needed.
I learned from the article that to attack your system, steal something or perform some other nasty action, the attacker needs to find a way or some channel. That’s the whole purpose of attack surface analysis: to map out the paths in and out of the system, see the design from the attacker’s point of view, and understand the most vulnerable parts of the system that need focused testing and review. It is part of design and part of risk management.
Mapping the attack surface can be a really important tool for the people responsible for vulnerability analysis and security of applications as it essentially is a similar process that an attacker is going to use to compromise an application. Being from OWASP, those securing web apps really need to ensure that injection points are not present in any forms. They also need to analyze the security where file uploads are present as an attacker can upload a reverse shell on a web server if left unprotected against this type of attack. Web shells can be hidden through double file extensions and altered file extensions, so any sort of file uploads require extra attention regarding security.
Hi Antonio,
I think you make a great point when you say the attacker is going to use a similar process to compromise an application. Understanding the attack surface is an advantage because you can have an understanding of how someone might penetrate your application.
One of my takeaways from OWASP Attack Surface Cheat Sheet is that the attack surface is not composed of just the vulnerabilities in existence to get into the system. It also includes the ways intruders can get data out of the system, what data is in the system and why it is significant, and any blindspots in access logging and monitoring. I also like how this cheat sheet mentions that even though security architects and auditors might be using the OWASP attack surface cheat sheet as a guideline and remembrance point as they audit applications, programmers should also be aware of the components of the attack surface and keep this in mind when creating and changing programs.
The boom in internet-exposed assets from a decade of digital transformation and accelerated by a seismic shift to a remote workforce in response to COVID-19, can make protecting your enterprise’s digital attack surface feel overwhelming. Today, organizations are responsible for defending not only their internal network but also their digital presence across the internet and the cloud.
Bringing the massive scope of an organization’s attack surface into focus helps frame the challenges of extending cybersecurity outside the corporate firewall, especially as staff forced to work from home push that boundary farther and farther out
With regard to an attack surface analysis, it’s absolutely essential that the system is completely
run for vulnerabilities that could exist. I do hope and believe that the most essential step in this process is establishing the attack surface. When determining an attack surface, there are four important steps to take into consideration.
In the first place is to establish the sum of all paths going into and out of the application for data and commands.
Furthermore, it is to find the code that protects those paths.
Also, it is being required is to find all the valuable data examined in the application, which can include PII, secrets and keys, intellectual property, and critical business data.
Finally, it is meant to define the code that protects that data. Once it is being established, it makes more easier to determine roles and privilege levels for each level of the attack surface that has taken place.
Attack Surface Analysis cheat sheet is used to describe the attacks surfaces within applications. It is used by the developers to understand and manage the application security risks while developing and changing the application. The focus of this documents is to protect the applications from the attacks occurring from the outside of the organization. It helps developer and security specialist to identify they area of risk and mitigate it. In addition, the attack surface analysis helps identify which part of the system needs to be review/test for the security vulnerability.
Thanks for your post Vraj. This is so important since vulnerability exploitation is an attack vector we often see attackers utilizing (i.e. the Equifax breach). Application security should be a priority to security professionals.
One key point from this reading was the importance in regularly evaluating an application’s attack surface. This type of assessment should be done periodically (in accordance with development workflow models) in addition to whenever a scope-changing app alteration is made. Anything that impacts the confidential/secret data in an application, the sum of all data/command paths (outbound and inbound), in addition to the code protecting each of these areas can significantly impact the scope of an attack surface. Security professionals should be highly aware of this, since an adjusted attack surface can create unsecure attack vectors for hackers to infiltrate a system through.
Hi Lauren,
I agree with you that keeping up with changes and modifications to applications is extremely important. One of the repeated points I have come across the most in our ITACS program thus far is that the threat environment is constantly evolving, so keeping an eye on the attack surface and perpetually updating it is key to properly maintaining security.
-Mike
Attack Surface Analysis is about mapping out what parts of a system need to be reviewed and tested for security vulnerabilities
Attack Surface Analysis is to understand the risk areas in an application, to make developers and security specialists aware of what parts of the application are open to attack, to find ways of minimizing this.
identify what functions and what parts of the system you need to review/test for security vulnerabilities
identify high risk areas of code that require defense-in-depth protection – what parts of the system that you need to defend
identify when you have changed the attack surface and need to do some kind of threat assessment
Backups of code and data – online, and on offline media – are an important but often ignored part of a system’s Attack Surface. Protecting your data and IP by writing secure software and hardening the infrastructure will all be wasted if you hand everything over to bad actors by not protecting your backups. Threat modeling is a structured approach of identifying and prioritizing potential threats to a system, and determining the value that potential mitigations would have in reducing or neutralizing those threats. This cheat sheet aims to provide guidance on how to create threat models for both existing systems or applications as well as new systems.