As the digital landscape evolves, so do the methods cybercriminals use to exploit vulnerabilities in web applications. The year 2024 has seen some alarming trends in web application security, with certain vulnerabilities dominating the scene due to their impact and ease of exploitation. Below are the top five web application vulnerabilities that emerged in 2024 and an analysis of why they are so dangerous.

1. Broken Access Control

Access control vulnerabilities occur when applications fail to enforce restrictions on what authenticated users are allowed to do. In 2024, broken access control topped the list of vulnerabilities due to its widespread occurrence and the potential for devastating consequences. 

It is serious because attackers usually gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or functionality. Exploiting broken access control can lead to privilege escalation, allowing attackers to assume administrative roles, and act on behalf of the company they breached into. Result are often devastating and data breaches, regulatory non-compliance, and loss of user trust, can have numerous consequences.

In 2024, one of the most significant incidents involving broken access control was the data breach at Change Healthcare, a major U.S. healthcare technology provider. In February 2024, attackers exploited compromised credentials to gain unauthorized access to Change Healthcare’s systems, which lacked multi-factor authentication (MFA). This breach resulted in the theft of sensitive data belonging to over 100 million individuals, including personal identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI), and financial data. The attack caused widespread disruptions in healthcare operations nationwide and highlighted systemic failures in implementing basic access controls and network segmentation.

2. Insecure Deserialization

Insecure deserialization vulnerabilities involve the manipulation of serialized objects to execute malicious code, escalate privileges, or tamper with data. In 2024, these vulnerabilities became more prevalent due to the increasing reliance on serialized objects for data exchange in modern web applications.

When this hack is conducted, it can lead to remote code execution, enabling attackers to take full control of the server. This is very difficult to detect because the exploitation often occurs deep within the application’s logic. Many applications fail to validate or sanitize serialized data adequately.

In 2024, a significant deserialization vulnerability was identified in Microsoft SharePoint, designated as CVE-2024-38094. This flaw allowed attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected SharePoint servers by exploiting improper handling of serialized data. The vulnerability was actively exploited in the wild, prompting the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to add it to their Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog in October 2024.

Microsoft addressed this issue by releasing security updates in July 2024. Organizations using SharePoint were strongly advised to apply these patches promptly to mitigate potential risks associated with this vulnerability.

3. Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)

SSRF vulnerabilities occur when an application can be tricked into sending requests to unintended destinations, including internal systems or third-party services. In 2024, the rise of microservices and cloud-based architectures made SSRF a common and potent attack vector.

These are serious because attackers can bypass firewalls and access internal systems. With that, they can get to sensitive information, including cloud metadata and credentials. SSRF is frequently used as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks, such as lateral movement within a network.

4. Vulnerable Third-Party Dependencies

The use of third-party libraries and frameworks is ubiquitous in modern web development. In 2024, vulnerabilities in widely used dependencies have caused massive ripple effects across industries. 

A single vulnerability in a popular library can impact thousands of applications. However, developers often neglect to update dependencies, leaving applications exposed to known exploits. The interconnected nature of dependencies means that fixing one issue can sometimes introduce others, complicating mitigation efforts.

In 2024, a significant security incident involving vulnerable third-party dependencies occurred when a backdoor was discovered in XZ Utils, a widely used data compression software. This backdoor, present in versions 5.6.0 and 5.6.1, allowed unauthorized remote access under specific conditions, particularly when used with a patched SSH server. The malicious code impacted multiple Linux distributions, including Debian unstable, Fedora Rawhide, Kali Linux, and openSUSE Tumbleweed, while stable release distributions remained largely unaffected due to their use of older versions. Prompt updates and advisories from affected distributions like Arch Linux helped mitigate the issue, emphasizing the critical importance of rigorous security assessments and timely updates to manage the risks posed by supply chain attacks.

5. API Security Issues

With the exponential growth of APIs powering modern web applications, API-specific vulnerabilities—such as lack of authentication, excessive data exposure, and rate-limiting failures—have surged in 2024.

APIs often expose critical backend systems, making them attractive targets for attackers. Exploiting API vulnerabilities can result in massive data breaches due to the volume of sensitive information APIs handle. Poorly secured APIs are frequently targeted in automated attacks, compounding the risk.

Conclusion

The top vulnerabilities of 2024 underscore the importance of proactive and continuous security practices in web application development. Implementing secure coding practices, conducting regular penetration testing, and staying updated on the latest threats are essential steps to mitigate these risks. As cybercriminals grow more sophisticated, organizations must prioritize security to protect their applications, users, and reputations.

Sources:

https://www.theverge.com

https://www.wired.com

https://www.cisa.gov

https://www.broadcom.com