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Chapter 18 n Attacking <strong>the</strong> Application Server 699<br />

Summary<br />

As with <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r components on which a <strong>web</strong> <strong>application</strong> runs, <strong>the</strong> <strong>web</strong> server<br />

represents a significant area of attack surface via which an <strong>application</strong> may be<br />

compromised. Defects in an <strong>application</strong> server can often directly undermine<br />

an <strong>application</strong>’s security by giving access to directory listings, source code for<br />

executable pages, sensitive configuration and runtime data, and <strong>the</strong> ability to<br />

bypass input filters.<br />

Because of <strong>the</strong> wide variety of <strong>application</strong> server products and versions,<br />

locating <strong>web</strong> server vulnerabilities usually involves some reconnaissance and<br />

research. However, this is one area in which automated scanning tools can be<br />

highly effective at quickly locating known vulnerabilities within <strong>the</strong> configuration<br />

and software of <strong>the</strong> server you are attacking.<br />

Questions<br />

Answers can be found at http://mdsec.net/wahh.<br />

1. Under what circumstances does a <strong>web</strong> server display a directory listing?<br />

2. What are WebDAV methods used for, and why might <strong>the</strong>y be dangerous?<br />

3. How can you exploit a <strong>web</strong> server that is configured to act as a <strong>web</strong> proxy?<br />

4. What is <strong>the</strong> Oracle PL/SQL Exclusion List, and how can it be bypassed?<br />

5. If a <strong>web</strong> server allows access to its functionality over both HTTP and<br />

HTTPS, are <strong>the</strong>re any advantages to using one protocol over <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

when you are probing for vulnerabilities?

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