What Is OWASP Top 10?
A regularly updated list of the ten most critical security risks to web applications, published by the OWASP Foundation. The current version (2021) includes: A01 Broken Access Control, A02 Cryptographic Failures, A03 Injection, A04 Insecure Design, A05 Security Misconfiguration, A06 Vulnerable and Outdated Components, A07 Identification and Authentication Failures, A08 Software and Data Integrity Failures, A09 Security Logging and Monitoring Failures, A10 Server-Side Request Forgery.
In Laravel Applications
Every item in the OWASP Top 10 has specific implications for Laravel applications. Security Misconfiguration (A05) alone covers debug mode, exposed .env files, default credentials, and missing security headers, which are among the most common Laravel security issues.
Example
A05 Security Misconfiguration is the most common OWASP Top 10 issue in Laravel apps. Leaving APP_DEBUG=true in production exposes stack traces, environment variables, and database credentials.
Related Terms
OWASP (Open Worldwide Application Security Project)
A nonprofit foundation that produces freely available tools, documentation, and standards for web application security. OWASP is best known for the OWASP Top 10, a list of the ten most critical web application security risks, updated every few years based on real-world data.
Vulnerability
A weakness in a system that can be exploited by an attacker to perform unauthorized actions. Vulnerabilities can exist in code, configuration, infrastructure, or processes. They range in severity from informational to critical.
SQL Injection
A vulnerability where an attacker inserts malicious SQL code into a query through user input. If the application passes user input directly into SQL queries without sanitization, the attacker can read, modify, or delete data, and in some cases execute commands on the database server.
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
A vulnerability where an attacker injects malicious JavaScript into web pages viewed by other users. The injected script runs in the victim's browser with the same privileges as legitimate scripts, allowing the attacker to steal session tokens, redirect users, or modify page content.
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