

WAFs can be used to lock down parts of the website, only granting access to trusted parties. Access control and sensitive data exposure: attackers may try to steal sensitive data by scanning a website structure and exploiting unsecured resources.WAFs detect such attempts and block them. SQL injection : websites with inadequate input validation are open to code injection vulnerabilities whereby attackers try to sneak in SQL statements to gain unauthorized access to databases.WAFs can act as a stop-gap solution, blocking known exploits until patching can take place. Known vulnerabilities: out-of-date software and libraries are vulnerable.WAFs can mitigate the impact of poorly configured systems by forcing security directives and rejecting insecure protocols. These vulnerabilities are created when administrators fail to follow security best practices.

Misconfigured servers: unsafe settings such as default passwords and guest accounts are the first targets for attackers.To prevent XSS attacks, WAFs can be configured to enforce Content Security Policy. Cross-site scripting (XSS) : one of the most prevalent attack vectors where attackers inject malicious code into the client’s browser to access session cookies, steal sensitive data, or even rewrite content to show false information.WAFs provide mechanisms to block or mitigate the threats described in the document: It is regularly updated by the OWASP Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on security. The Top Ten Most Critical Web Application Security Risks is the primary threat list in web security. Client connections are routed to the WAF where checks take place. WAFs sit between the clients and the web services they wish to connect to. They can analyze HTTP traffic coming to and from a web application. Specifically, WAFs are capable of understanding web application protocols. WAFs are specialized firewalls that can operate at Level 7 of the OSI Layer. Websites and web applications need more security than what a standard firewall can provide. They are limited to using IP addresses, protocol types, connection states, and port numbers as filtering criteria. Consequently, they can only inspect packets over the IP and TCP/UDP protocol stacks. Standard network firewalls operate between levels 3 and 4 in the OSI Model. Traditionally, firewalls are the first level of security around networks and Internet services. Firewalls intercept network connections and either permit or block them based on a set of rules. OverviewĪ firewall is a security device or software that protects systems from unauthorized access. A Web Application Firewall (WAF) is a security component that protects web applications from attackers by analyzing and filtering HTTP traffic.
