The most common website security vulnerabilities and how to fix them

In the digital age, website security is an important factor in protecting user data and maintaining brand reputation. Every day, thousands of cyber attacks take place globally, targeting unpatched security vulnerabilities. Without proper protection, your website can become an easy target for hackers.

So, what are the most common website security vulnerabilities, and how can you prevent them? Let’s explore the answers with Douwyn in this article.

Top common website security errors

Injection errors (SQL Injection, Command Injection, etc.)

Injection (inserting malicious code) is one of the most dangerous security errors, appearing when a web application does not control input data well, allowing hackers to insert malicious code into SQL queries, system commands or application scripts.

Hackers can exploit this error to gain unauthorized access to the database, steal sensitive information or even take control of the entire system. Injection has many forms such as SQL Injection, Command Injection, XML Injection, each with different risks and levels of impact.

Injection Error (SQL Injection, Command Injection, etc.)

Harmful effects of Injection error

• Allows hackers to access and steal important data, including customer information, login accounts and payment data.

• The system is controlled remotely, hackers can change, delete or insert incorrect data into the database.

• Websites can be attacked in bulk, when hackers use Injection to insert malicious code, turning the website into a tool to spread viruses or online fraud.

• Affects SEO, when encountering this website security error, the website is infected with malicious code, Google can mark the website as “unsafe”, reducing traffic and brand reputation.

How to prevent

• Use Prepared Statements and Parameterized Queries instead of pure SQL queries.

• Check and filter user input to prevent the insertion of special characters or malicious code of this website security error.

• Limit access to the database, only granting the minimum necessary permissions to each user role.

• Use Web Application Firewall (WAF) to detect and prevent Injection attacks.

Broken Authentication & Session Management

• Broken Authentication & Session Management occurs when the system fails to ensure security during login, session storage, or user authentication.

• This can lead to login information leakage, login session theft, or authentication vulnerabilities being exploited to take over accounts. Systems with weak password policies, unencrypted data, or poorly secured login session storage are vulnerable to this attack method.

Impact of this error

• This website security error makes user and administrator accounts vulnerable to hackers, leading to data changes or fraudulent activities.

• Login information can be stolen and sold on the black market, putting users at risk.

• High-privilege accounts can be abused to carry out large-scale attacks, affecting many other users.

• Hackers can take advantage of old login sessions to access accounts even after users have logged out, if the system does not have a good session management mechanism.

Prevention

• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) to increase account security.

• Do not store passwords in plain text, but use bcrypt or Argon2 to hash.

• Use security tokens and set reasonable session expiration times to reduce the risk of login hijacking.

• Regularly check and update authentication mechanisms, ensuring compliance with modern security standards.

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities are one of the most common website security flaws on websites, allowing hackers to insert malicious JavaScript code into the website.

When a user visits a page infected with XSS code, their browser executes the code without their knowledge. Hackers can use XSS to steal personal information, take control of accounts, or perform more complex attacks. There are three main types of XSS attacks:

• Stored XSS: Malicious code is stored permanently on the server and will execute every time the user loads the page.

• Reflected XSS: Malicious code is inserted into a URL or form and immediately responded to the user.

• DOM-based XSS: Website security flaws are caused by hackers exploiting the way the browser processes input data, changing the structure of the website to insert malicious code.

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerability

Consequences of XSS

• Stealing cookies, login session tokens, helping hackers take over user accounts.

• Website security errors will transferredirect users to fake websites, collect sensitive information.

• Insert malicious content into the website, affecting the brand’s reputation.

• Create chain attacks, spread malware to many other users.

How to prevent

• Encrypt input and output data before displaying on the website to prevent malware execution.

• Use Content Security Policy (CSP) to limit the execution of unwanted code.

• Do not trust user input, check and filter all input to remove malware.

• Limit the use of inline JavaScript to reduce the risk of XSS.

Insecure Direct Object References (IDOR) vulnerability

Insecure Direct Object References (IDOR) is a security flaw that occurs when hackers can access, edit or delete data without proper authentication. This happens because the web application allows direct access to internal resources (files, databases) simply by changing the parameters on the URL or request.

Hackers can change the value id of the link to access other account information without logging in. If the system does not have a valid permission checking mechanism, hackers can easily view or change other people’s data.

Risks from IDOR

• Personal information disclosure: Hackers can access other users’ information without logging in.

• Edit or delete important data, affecting the operation of the website.

• Take advantage of this error to escalate privileges, possibly controlling accounts with higher privileges.

• Create vulnerabilities to perform other attacks, such as SQL Injection or XSS.

Prevention

• Check access rights before displaying data, do not rely on simple parameters such as IDs in the URL.

• Encrypt or use tokens to hide important IDs instead of exposing them as easy-to-guess integers.

• Apply strict authentication and authorization, only allowing users to view or edit their own data.

• Use UUIDs (Universally Unique Identifiers) instead of numeric IDs to enhance security.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks

DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) is a form of cyber attack in which hackers use a large number of devices or botnets to send a series of requests to a website or server, overloading it and causing it to stop working. This website security flaw makes the website unable to serve legitimate users, causing serious damage to the business. There are many forms of DDoS attacks, including:

• Volume-based DDoS: Sending huge traffic to overload the server bandwidth.

• Protocol-based DDoS: Attacking network protocols such as TCP, UDP to overload the system.

• Application-layer DDoS: Targeting specific services such as HTTP, DNS, API to crash web applications.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attack

Impact of DDoS

• Website is interrupted or stopped working, causing loss of revenue and reputation.

• Website security errors affect customer experience, reducing trust in the service.

• Causes huge financial losses, as businesses have to spend a lot of money to fix and upgrade infrastructure.

• Creates conditions for other attacks, such as data theft or business blackmail.

Prevention solutions

• Use Web Application Firewall (WAF) to detect and block malicious requests.

• Limit access speed (Rate Limiting) to prevent bots from automatically sending mass requests.

• Redirect traffic through anti-DDoS services, such as Cloudflare, AWS Shield, Akamai.

• Use CAPTCHA to prevent bots from attacking websites.

• Distribute the system across multiple servers, use CDN to reduce the load on the main server.

Website security error due to poor security configuration (Security Misconfiguration)

Poor security configuration errors occur when the system is not properly set up, creating vulnerabilities for hackers to exploit. This is one of the most common website errors, occurring when the server, database, or web application is not properly secured.

Common causes include using default passwords, not disabling unnecessary features, exposing sensitive information, or not updating software in a timely manner.

For example: A web application has an administration page but does not limit access, allowing anyone who knows the URL to enter and make changes to the system.

Impact of this error

• Creates many weak points for hackers to exploit, making it vulnerable to many different attacks.

• Hackers can take control of the entire system, change data, install malware, or delete all important data.

• Leaks sensitive information, including user personal information, admin accounts, or system configurations.

• Websites are vulnerable to exploitation by automated tools, as hackers often scan the web for weak security configurations.

Prevention

• Perform regular security checks to ensure there are no dangerous configurationsor easily exploited.

• Turn off unnecessary features and services to avoid hackers from taking advantage.

• Do not use default passwords, change login information immediately after installing a new system.

• Hide sensitive information such as software versions, system error information to avoid being exploited by hackers.

• Update the system, plugins, and software regularly to patch security holes.

Website security errors Clickjacking attacks

Clickjacking (UI Redressing) is an attack technique that hackers use to trick users into clicking on a link or button on a website without their knowledge. This is done by embedding a legitimate website into a fake page using a hidden iframe or transparent interface layer.

Users think they are operating on a normal website, but in fact they are performing actions that benefit the hacker, such as turning on the webcam, granting account access, or sending money to the hacker.

For example, a hacker can insert a “Logout” or “Transfer Funds” button into a legitimate website, but it is hidden from the user because it is hidden by another layer of content. When they click on a seemingly harmless button, the real action is executed without their knowledge.

Impact of Clickjacking

• This website security flaw allows users to accidentally share personal information or make unauthorized financial transactions.

• Hackers can gain access to accounts by tricking users into performing actions they do not realize.

• Can be used to turn on cameras and microphones, allowing hackers to track users without their permission.

• Take advantage of Clickjacking to attack social networking platforms, causing users to share malicious content without knowing.

How to prevent

• Use X-Frame-Options in the HTTP Header, which helps prevent websites from being embedded in iframes on other pages.

• Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) to limit unwanted actions.

• Add a layer of confirmation before performing important actions, for example: confirm CAPTCHA or require re-entering passwords when making transactions.

• Do not click on suspicious links and limit interaction with content from untrusted sources.

How to effectively secure a website

In addition to preventing common website security errors, businesses and website administrators should proactively implement the following security measures to minimize risks:

• Install SSL/TLS certificates to encrypt data transmitted between the server and users, avoiding eavesdropping.

• Regularly update the system, plugins, CMS to patch newly discovered security vulnerabilities.

• Maintain regular security checks by scanning for vulnerabilities, checking system logs and performing security testing (penetration testing).

• Limit access rights of each account according to the “least privilege” principle to minimize the impact when a security incident occurs.

• Use professional security services such as Cloudflare, AWS Shield, Akamai to protect the website from DDoS attacks, malicious bots and other threats.

Conclusion

Website security not only helps protect user data, but also ensures the stability and development of businesses in the digital environment. Website security vulnerabilities can have serious consequences if left unchecked.

Have you checked your website security? If not, do it today to avoid unnecessary risks!

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