Broken Access Control — Exposing Applications to Unauthorized Access

In this tutorial, we’ll delve into the realm of broken access control, a prevalent security vulnerability that compromises the integrity of applications. Broken access control occurs when inadequate restrictions on authenticated users allow unauthorized access to resources or functionalities within an application, posing a grave threat to its security.

Understanding Broken Access Control:

Broken access control refers to a scenario where users can access resources or perform actions they’re not supposed to, due to flaws in the application’s access control mechanisms. This vulnerability can manifest in various forms, such as insufficient authentication checks, overly permissive access controls, or improper session management.

Exploiting Broken Access Control:

Exploiting broken access control typically involves bypassing or circumventing the application’s intended access restrictions to gain unauthorized access to sensitive functionalities or data. Attackers leverage weaknesses in access control mechanisms to escalate privileges, view confidential information, or perform unauthorized actions within the application.

Let’s Proceed with the Demonstration:

Prerequisites:

Before exploiting broken access control, it’s essential to understand common access control mechanisms and their vulnerabilities.

Enumeration Tools: Enumeration tools are used to identify and map application functionalities and resources. Example: Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP

Now, let’s proceed with the exploitation:

Step 1:

Identify potential access control vulnerabilities within the application, such as insufficient authorization checks or predictable resource identifiers.

Example: Using Burp Suite to intercept and analyze requests to identify parameters controlling access to sensitive functionalities.

Explanation: By examining the application’s behavior and request parameters, we can identify potential weaknesses in its access control mechanisms.

Step 2:

Attempt to bypass or manipulate access controls to gain unauthorized access to restricted functionalities or resources.

Example: Modifying the value of a parameter to escalate privileges or access confidential data.

Explanation: By manipulating request parameters or exploiting vulnerabilities in access control logic, attempt to circumvent the application’s intended restrictions.

Step 3:

If successful, demonstrate unauthorized access to sensitive functionalities or data within the application, highlighting the severity of the broken access control vulnerability.

Real-Time Application Exploitation:

Step 1:

Identify a web application or service that exhibits symptoms of broken access control, such as inconsistent authorization checks or predictable resource identifiers.

Step 2:

Utilize enumeration tools to map out the application’s functionalities and identify potential access control vulnerabilities.

Step 3:

Attempt to exploit identified vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to restricted functionalities or sensitive data within the application.

Step 4:

Demonstrate the impact of the broken access control vulnerability by showcasing unauthorized access to critical functionalities or confidential information.

Conclusion:

Broken access control poses a significant threat to the security of applications, allowing attackers to bypass intended access restrictions and gain unauthorized access to sensitive resources. By understanding common access control vulnerabilities and techniques for exploitation, security professionals can identify and remediate these issues to safeguard the integrity of their applications.