From the authors of the best-selling HACK PROOFING ™ YOUR NETWORK Your Web Applications ™ 1 YEAR UPGRADE BUYER PROTECTION PLAN Your Web Applications From the authors of the best-selling HACK PROOFING ™ YOUR NETWORK Jeff Forristal Julie Traxler Technical Editor The Only Way to Stop a Hacker Is to Think Like One • Step-by-Step Instructions for Developing Secure Web Applications • Hundreds of Tools & Traps and Damage & Defense Sidebars and Security Alerts! • Complete Coverage of How to Hack Your Own Site 137_hackapps_FC 6/19/01 3:48 PM Page 1 solutions@syngress.com With more than 1,500,000 copies of our MCSE, MCSD, CompTIA, and Cisco study guides in print, we continue to look for ways we can better serve the information needs of our readers. One way we do that is by listening. Readers like yourself have been telling us they want an Internet-based ser- vice that would extend and enhance the value of our books. 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KEY SERIAL NUMBER 001 BN837R45G 002 AP9EEF4574 003 ZPHGJ264G8 004 BNJ3RG22TS 005 356YH8LLQ2 006 CF4H6J8MMX 007 22D56G7KM6 008 6B8MDD4G6Z 009 L9MNG542FR 010 BY45MQ98WA PUBLISHED BY Syngress Publishing, Inc. 800 Hingham Street Rockland, MA 02370 Hack Proofing Your Web Applications Copyright © 2001 by Syngress Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or dis- tributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher, with the exception that the program listings may be entered, stored, and executed in a computer system, but they may not be reproduced for publication. Printed in the United States of America 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ISBN: 1-928994-31-8 Technical edit by: Julie Traxler Freelance Editorial Manager: Maribeth Corona-Evans Technical review by: Robert Hansen and Kevin Ziese Copy edit by: Darren Meiss and Beth A. Roberts Co-Publisher: Richard Kristof Index by: Jennifer Coker Developmental Editor: Kate Glennon Page Layout and Art by: Shannon Tozier Acquisitions Editor: Catherine B. Nolan Cover Design by: Michael Kavish Distributed by Publishers Group West in the United States. 137_hackapps_FM 6/19/01 3:28 PM Page iv v Acknowledgments v We would like to acknowledge the following people for their kindness and support in making this book possible. Richard Kristof and Duncan Anderson of Global Knowledge, for their generous access to the IT industry’s best courses, instructors and training facilities. Ralph Troupe, Rhonda St. John, and the team at Callisma for their invaluable insight into the challenges of designing, deploying and supporting world-class enterprise networks. Karen Cross, Lance Tilford, Meaghan Cunningham, Kim Wylie, Harry Kirchner, Bill Richter, Kevin Votel, and Brittin Clark of Publishers Group West for sharing their incredible marketing experience and expertise. Mary Ging, Caroline Hird, Simon Beale, Caroline Wheeler,Victoria Fuller, Jonathan Bunkell, and Klaus Beran of Harcourt International for making certain that our vision remains worldwide in scope. Anneke Baeten, Annabel Dent, and Laurie Giles of Harcourt Australia for all their help. David Buckland,Wendi Wong, Daniel Loh, Marie Chieng, Lucy Chong, Leslie Lim, Audrey Gan, and Joseph Chan of Transquest Publishers for the enthusiasm with which they receive our books. Kwon Sung June at Acorn Publishing for his support. Ethan Atkin at Cranbury International for his help in expanding the Syngress program. Joe Pisco, Helen Moyer, and the great folks at InterCity Press for all their help. 137_hackapps_FM 6/19/01 3:28 PM Page v 137_hackapps_FM 6/19/01 3:28 PM Page vi vii Contributors Chris Broomes (MCSE, MCT, MCP+I, CCNA) is a Senior Network Analyst at DevonIT (www.devonitnet.com), a leading net- working services provider specializing in network security and VPN solutions. Chris has worked in the IT industry for over eight years and has a wide range of technical experience. Chris is Founder and President of Infinite Solutions Group Inc. (www.infinitesols.com), a network consulting firm located in Lansdowne, PA that specializes in network design, integration, security services, technical writing, and training. Chris is currently pursuing the CCDA and CCNP certifica- tions while mastering the workings of Cisco and Netscreen VPN and security devices. Jeff Forristal is the Lead Security Developer for Neohapsis, a Chicago-based security solution/consulting firm. Apart from assisting in network security assessments and application security reviews (including source code review), Jeff is the driving force behind Security Alert Consensus, a joint security alert newsletter published on a weekly basis by Neohapsis, Network Computing, and the SANS Institute. Drew Simonis (CCNA) is a Security Consultant for Fiderus Strategic Security and Privacy Services. He is an information-security specialist with experience in security guidelines, incident response, intrusion detection and prevention, and network and system adminis- tration. He has extensive knowledge of TCP/IP data networking and Unix (specifically AIX and Solaris), as well as sound knowledge of routing, switching, and bridging. Drew has been involved in several large-scale Web development efforts for companies such as AT&T, IBM, and several of their customers.This has included both planning and deployment of such efforts as online banking, automated customer care, and an online adaptive insurability assessment used by a major 137_hackapps_FM 6/19/01 3:28 PM Page vii viii national insurance company. Drew helps customers of his current employer with network and application security assessments as well as assisting in ongoing development efforts. Drew is a member of MENSA and holds several industry certifications, including IBM Certified Specialist, AIX 4.3 System Administration, AIX 4.3 Communications, Sun Microsystems Certified Solaris System Administrator, Sun Microsystems Certified Solaris Network Administrator, Checkpoint Certified Security Administrator, and Checkpoint Certified Security Engineer. He resides in Tampa, FL. Brian Bagnall (Sun Certified Java Programmer and Developer) is co- author of the Sun Certified Programmer for Java 2 Study Guide. He is cur- rently the lead programmer at IdleWorks, a company located in Western Canada. IdleWorks develops distributed processing solutions for large and medium-sized businesses with supercomputing needs. His background includes working for IBM developing client-side applica- tions. Brian is also a key programmer of Lejos, a Java software develop- ment kit for Lego Mindstorms. Brian would like to thank his family for their support, and especially his father Herb. Michael Dinowitz hosts CF-Talk, the high-volume ColdFusion mailing list, out of House of Fusion.Com. He publishes and writes articles for the Fusion Authority Weekly News Alert (www.fusionau- thority.com/alert). Michael is the author of Fusebox: Methodology and Techniques (ColdFusion Edition) and is the co-author of the best- selling ColdFusion Web Application Construction Kit.Whether it’s researching the lowest levels of ColdFusion functionality or presenting to an audience, Michael’s passion for the language is clear. Outside of Allaire, there are few evangelists as dedicated to the spread of the lan- guage and the strengthening of the community. Jay D. Dyson is a Senior Security Consultant for OneSecure Inc., a trusted provider of managed digital security services. Jay also serves as part-time Security Advisor to the National Aeronautics and Space 137_hackapps_FM 6/19/01 3:28 PM Page viii ix Administration (NASA). His extracurricular activities include main- taining Treachery.Net and serving as one of the founding staff mem- bers of Attrition.Org. Joe Dulay (MCSD) is the Vice-President of Technology for the IT Age Corporation. IT Age Corporation is a project management and soft- ware development firm specializing in customer-oriented business enterprise and e-commerce solutions located in Atlanta, GA. His cur- rent responsibilities include managing the IT department, heading the technology steering committee, software architecture, e-commerce product management, and refining development processes and method- ologies.Though most of his responsibilities lay in the role of manager and architect, he is still an active participant of the research and devel- opment team. Joe holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin in computer science. His background includes positions as a Senior Developer at Siemens Energy and Automation, and as an inde- pendent contractor specializing in e-commerce development. Joe would like to thank his family for always being there to help him. Michael Cross (MCSE, MCPS, MCP+I, CNA) is a Microsoft Certified System Engineer, Microsoft Certified Product Specialist, Microsoft Certified Professional + Internet, and a Certified Novell Administrator. Michael is the Network Administrator, Internet Specialist, and a Programmer for the Niagara Regional Police Service. He is responsible for network security and administration, program- ming applications, and Webmaster of their Web site at www.nrps.com. He has consulted and assisted in computer-related/Internet criminal cases and is part of an Information Technology team that provides sup- port to a user base of over 800 civilian and uniform users. Michael owns KnightWare, a company that provides consulting, programming, networking,Web page design, computer training, and other services. He has served as an instructor for private colleges and technical schools in London, Ontario Canada. He has been a freelance writer for several years and has been published over two dozen times 137_hackapps_FM 6/19/01 3:28 PM Page ix [...]... 523 137_hackapps_TOC 6/19/01 3:25 PM Page xxiii Contents Security Planning at the Desktop Level Web Application Security Process Summary Solutions Fast Track Frequently Asked Questions 523 524 527 528 530 Appendix Hack Proofing Your Web Applications Fast Track 533 Index 561 xxiii 137_hackapps_TOC 6/19/01 3:25 PM Page xxiv 137_hackapps_FRWD 6/19/01 3:26 PM Page xxv Foreword Hack Proofing Your Web Applications. .. steal data or disable systems Chapter 1 Hacking Methodology Introduction Understanding the Terms A Brief History of Hacking Phone System Hacking Computer Hacking What Motivates a Hacker? Ethical Hacking versus Malicious Hacking Working with Security Professionals Associated Risks with Hiring a Security Professional Understanding Current Attack Types DoS/DDoS Virus Hacking Trojan Horses Worms Rogue Applets... 137_hackapps_01 6/19/01 3:31 PM Page 1 Chapter 1 Hacking Methodology Solutions in this chapter: s A Brief History of Hacking s What Motivates a Hacker? s Understanding Current Attack Types s Recognizing Web Application Security Threats s Preventing Break-Ins by Thinking Like a Hacker Summary Solutions Fast Track Frequently Asked Questions 1 137_hackapps_01 2 6/19/01 3:31 PM Page 2 Chapter 1 • Hacking... a hacker can be someone who is enthusiastic about an activity Similarly, in the IT world, not every “hacker” is malicious, and hacking isn’t always done to harm someone Within the IT community, hackers can be classified by ethics and intent One important defining issue is that of public full disclosure by a hacker once he or she discovers a vulnerability Hackers may refer to themselves as white hat hackers,... served years in prison for hacking crimes and became the media’s poster child for hackers everywhere, while being viewed in the hacker community as the sacrificial lamb Mitnick may have helped to bring hacking to the limelight recently, but he certainly was far from the first to partake in hacking Due largely in part to the recent increase in the notoriety and popularity of hacking, a misconception persists... precursors Throughout this book, you will be given development tools to assist you in hack proofing your Web applications. This book will give you a basic outline for approaches to secure site management, writing more secure code, implementing security plans, and helping you learn to think “like a hacker” to better protect your assets, which may include site availability, data privacy, data integrity, and... or chosen randomly, so your defense strategy must be as comprehensive as possible and under constant evaluation If you can test and evaluate your programs by emulating attacks, you will be more capable of finding vulnerabilities before an uninvited guest does so Hackers range from inexperienced vandals—just showing off by defacing your site—to master hackers who will compromise your databases for possible... challenge People who engage in hacking by using www.syngress.com 3 137_hackapps_01 4 6/19/01 3:31 PM Page 4 Chapter 1 • Hacking Methodology code that they clearly do not understand (script kiddies) or who hack solely for the purpose of breaking into other people’s systems (crackers) are considered by skilled hackers to be no more than vandals In this book, when we refer to “hackers,” we are using it in... ARPANET gave hackers their first opportunity to discuss common www.syngress.com 137_hackapps_01 6/19/01 3:31 PM Page 5 Hacking Methodology • Chapter 1 goals and common myths and even publish the work of hacker culture and communication standards (The Jargon File, mentioned earlier), which was developed as a collaboration across the net Phone System Hacking A name that is synonymous with phone hacking is... just hack for monetary gain, though; he was also involved in hacking into FBI systems and is accused of hacking into other governmental agency computer systems as well Poulsen hacked into the FBI systems to learn about their surveillance methods in an attempt to stay in front of the people who were trying to capture him Poulsen was the first hacker to be indicted under U.S espionage law Computer Hacking . best-selling HACK PROOFING ™ YOUR NETWORK Your Web Applications ™ 1 YEAR UPGRADE BUYER PROTECTION PLAN Your Web Applications From the authors of the best-selling HACK. www.syngress.com/solutions 137_hackapps_FM 6/19/01 3:28 PM Page i 137_hackapps_FM 6/19/01 3:28 PM Page ii The Only Way to Stop a Hacker Is to Think Like One Your Web Applications