Validating and sanitizing user input
At this stage, I’m sure you are more than aware that the core success of injection attacks lies in the reduced (or lack of) sanitizing of what a user provides to an API endpoint or web application. When building secure APIs, validating and sanitizing user input is paramount for thwarting attacks. As a penetration tester, understanding these techniques is crucial for identifying vulnerabilities.
When users sign up, input validation acts as a vigilant gatekeeper, guaranteeing the information they provide adheres to specific guidelines and is suitable for processing. It meticulously examines the format, length, and content of crucial fields such as usernames, email addresses, and passwords. Open source powerhouses such as OWASP Enterprise Security API (ESAPI) offer dependable validation tools for diverse user input types. Imagine wielding ESAPI’s validation functions to ensure usernames are composed solely of letters and numbers, adhering...
