Hidden in Plain Sight – How an Incident Response Plan Can Aid Recovery from Web Application Attacks

A web application is a software application that operates on a web server and is accessed via a web browser over the internet or an intranet. Unlike traditional desktop applications, web apps do not require installation on a local computer; users interact with them directly through a browser. Web apps can range from simple interactive websites to complex systems like online banking platforms or social media networks, relying on both client-side and server-side processing to deliver dynamic and interactive user experiences.

Web applications are not only a platform for generating business but also serve as tools for advertising and promoting products. They often include functionalities such as payment processing and handling personally identifiable information (PII) and other sensitive data. Given their role in handling critical information and transactions, a breach or compromise of a web application can lead to significant consequences, including reputational damage, regulatory fines, and more severe impacts.

Typically, these attacks target vulnerabilities in the design or implementation of web-based applications, allowing attackers to exploit these flaws and gain unauthorised access or control. The consequences can be severe: attackers may slow down services, shut them down entirely, or access sensitive information. For instance, in the context of a bank, attackers could gain access to customers' bank details and initiate unauthorised transactions, rather than simply extorting money from users or owners.

Common Types of Web Application Attacks to Watch Out For

SQL Injection: SQL Injection is a vulnerability where attackers manipulate an application's SQL queries through malicious input, potentially accessing, modifying, or deleting database data. This occurs due to improper sanitisation. For example, crafted input can alter the SQL queries to bypass authentication or execute commands.

Cross Site Scripting: Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) is a vulnerability where attackers inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by users, allowing script execution scripts in the user's browser. This can lead to data theft or site defacement. XSS types include stored XSS (script stored on the server),  Reflected XSS (script reflected off a server) and DOM-Based XSS (client-side code vulnerability).

Brute Force Attacks: Brute force attacks involve systematically trying all possible passwords or encryption keys to gain unauthorised access. Automated tools expedite this process. Protection includes using complex passwords, account lockout mechanisms, and rate limiting.

XML External Entity Injection: XML External Entity (XXE) Injection occurs when XML input includes references to external entities, potentially exposing sensitive data, enabling server-side request forgery (SSRF), or causing denial-of-service (DoS). Mitigation involves disabling external entity processing and properly configuring XML parsers.

Denial Of Service (DoS) Attack: DoS attacks aim to disrupt a server or network by flooding it with traffic, causing slowdowns or outages. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks use multiple systems to amplify the impact. Mitigation includes firewalls, rate limiting, and DDoS protection services.

Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR): IDOR occurs when applications expose internal object references without proper access controls, allowing unauthorised data access. For example, altering a user ID in a URL might expose another user's information. Mitigation involves implementing strict access controls, validating user permissions, and using indirect references.

The Impact of Web App Attacks

Web application attacks can be detrimental for several reasons. When a company experiences an attack, it risks losing customer confidence, facing monetary losses, and suffering long-term reputational damage. The exposure of customer data can have severe consequences, and news of the breach can affect the company's reputation for years.

To mitigate these risks, companies need to stay vigilant by keeping up with the evolving threat landscape and understanding the vulnerabilities that threat actors are currently exploiting. Effective web application management and timely patching are crucial to preventing attacks. Incorporating penetration testing into your security strategy can aid your organisation to proactively address potential vulnerabilities, strengthen its defences, and enhance its overall security posture before a web application attack occurs.

Failing to manage web applications properly—such as neglecting patch management or not monitoring emerging threats—can make a company particularly vulnerable. After a breach, the consequences can be severe: customer trust is eroded, financial losses occur, and the market remembers the incident for a long time. Moreover, the loss of customer data can be devastating, both for the affected individuals and for the company's reputation.

Why is an Incident Response (IR) Plan Essential?

Having an Incident response plan is an essential component of a comprehensive cyber security strategy which enables organisations to handle web application attacks in a structured and effective manner. An Incident response plan can help to:

Minimise damage: Having an incident response plan can help to reduce the damage of an attack by quickly identifying, containing, and mitigating the attack which minimises the damage to systems, data and reputation.

Reduce downtime: A structured IR plan leads to a quicker recovery, which is vital for maintaining business operations and reducing financial losses.

Preserve Evidence: Incident response includes steps for preserving evidence of the attack. This is crucial for forensic analysis to understand the attack vector, how the attack was executed and how to prevent similar attacks in the future.

Compliance: Many industries have regulatory requirements for IR and reporting. Having a plan ensures that your company complies with legal and regulatory obligations, avoiding potential fines or legal issues.

Reputation management: A timely and effective response helps to manage the public perception of your company. It shows that you recognise the seriousness of security and are capable of handling breaches, which helps to maintain customer trust and confidence.

Improve security posture: After an incident, the response process often includes a review and update of security measures which helps in identifying and addressing vulnerabilities and improving the overall security posture of your organisation/company to prevent future incidents.

Coordination and Communications: An IR plan outlines the roles, responsibilities, and communication protocols, ensuring that everyone in the organisation knows their role during an incident. This helps in coordinating efforts and managing internal and external communications effectively._‍

_{The Incident Response Process:}

Preparation

In the preparation stage of incident response for web application attacks, it is crucial to set up policies and procedures to follow in the event of an attack. This includes building an incident response (IR) team or outsourcing this function. Having a dedicated team in place helps ensure security against emerging threats and keeps your organisation up to date on best practices.

Implementing Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Web Application Firewalls (WAF) significantly enhances security. These tools provide early warning signs of intrusions or attempted denial of service attacks.

Identification

Using the tools mentioned above, organisations can monitor web traffic and detect unusual connections to the infrastructure. Having a security team constantly monitoring activities is essential for identifying breaches as they occur. From a web application standpoint, this involves looking out for brute force password attempts or actively threat hunting known malicious Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) in commonly used web applications like Apache, Nginx, and Tomcat.

Containment

In the containment phase, both short-term and long-term actions are necessary.

Short-Term: Immediately block the IP addresses causing damage, such as those involved in a denial of service (DoS) attack. Throttling traffic can also significantly reduce the impact of a DDoS attack.

Long-Term: Implement security patches to prevent further exploitation and strengthen overall security. Penetration testing helps identify vulnerabilities before they are exploited, reducing the need for extensive containment measures. By incorporating penetration testing into your security strategy, your organisation can proactively address potential weaknesses, strengthen its defences, and enhance its overall security posture before a web application attack occurs.

Eradication

During eradication, the root cause of the web application attack must be found and removed. This could involve updating or removing faulty software. If all necessary artifacts for the investigation have been collected, it is advisable to turn off the web application while the threat is fully eradicated.

Recovery

After eradication, the focus shifts to restoring the web application to a working state with minimal downtime. Initially, restore the application in a testing environment to ensure everything is functioning correctly and that no traces of the breach or exploit remain. Only after thorough verification should the application be brought back online.

Lessons Learned

A robust incident response plan is vital for effectively handling web application attacks. It helps minimise damage, reduce downtime, and ensure compliance while preserving customer trust and improving security. By preparing for, identifying, and managing attacks quickly, organisations can recover more effectively and enhance their defences against future threats.

To Sum Up

This blog highlights the role of an incident response plan in helping manage web application attacks. Having a plan in place helps minimise damage, reduce downtime, and ensure compliance, all while preserving customer trust and enhancing security.

To further strengthen your defences and reduce the likelihood of needing a full-scale incident response, we recommend clients consider regular penetration testing. Penetration testing can identify vulnerabilities in web applications before attackers do, enabling you to address weaknesses proactively and maintain a robust security posture. By utilising proactive measures like penetration testing with a solid incident response plan, organisations can better safeguard their assets and enhance their protection against future threats. For organisations considering the implementation of an incident response plan or penetration testing, why not explore our range of services to see how we can assist you?