Web Security Interview Questions and Answers for experienced

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100 Web Security Interview Questions and Answers

  1. What are the OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities? Explain three in detail.

    • Answer: The OWASP Top 10 represents the most critical web application security risks. Three examples are:
      • Injection: This occurs when untrusted data is sent to an interpreter as part of a command or query. SQL injection, command injection, and cross-site scripting (XSS) are common forms. Preventing injection requires parameterized queries (for SQL), input validation, and output encoding (for XSS and others). Improperly handled user input can allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or access sensitive data.
      • Broken Authentication and Session Management: Weak or predictable passwords, insecure session handling, lack of multi-factor authentication, and insufficient session timeouts allow attackers to compromise user accounts and gain unauthorized access. Solutions include strong password policies, robust session management (using HTTPS and secure cookies), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and regular session timeouts.
      • Sensitive Data Exposure: Failure to protect sensitive data like passwords, credit card numbers, and personal information exposes users to identity theft and other risks. Solutions include encryption both in transit (HTTPS) and at rest (database encryption), tokenization, and secure data disposal practices. Minimizing the collection and retention of sensitive data is also crucial.

  2. Explain Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) and its prevention methods.

    • Answer: XSS is a vulnerability where malicious scripts are injected into otherwise benign and trusted websites. Attackers embed malicious JavaScript code into a website, which then executes in the victim's browser. This can steal cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or deface the website. Prevention methods include: Input validation and sanitization to remove or escape malicious characters, Output encoding to properly encode data before it's rendered in the browser, using a Content Security Policy (CSP) to control the resources the browser is allowed to load, and using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to detect and block malicious requests.

  3. What is SQL Injection and how can it be prevented?

    • Answer: SQL Injection is an attack where malicious SQL code is inserted into an application's input fields, allowing attackers to manipulate the database queries. This can lead to data breaches, data modification, or even complete database takeover. Prevention includes: using parameterized queries or prepared statements (which separate data from SQL code), input validation to ensure data is in the expected format and data type, escaping special characters in user input, least privilege principle for database users, and using a Web Application Firewall (WAF).

  4. Describe the difference between HTTP and HTTPS.

    • Answer: HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is an unencrypted protocol used to transmit data between a client (like a web browser) and a server. HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is HTTP over SSL/TLS, providing encryption and secure communication. HTTPS ensures data confidentiality, integrity, and authentication, protecting sensitive information like passwords and credit card details from eavesdropping and tampering.

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