Equifax security issues uncovered in 2016
Security issues identified in 2016 on the Equifax website are still not fixed. It is one step to identify the problem but it's an even bigger challenge to fix it. It requires time and skill to go back into the code, understand the context and fix the issues.
It is clear developers at Equifax were under a lot of stress and many known vulnerabilities didn't get fixed. Unfortunately that lack of action has now had the worst possible response.
Security needs to be baked in from the start and developers needs the skills, training and in-IDE tools to minimize writing known vulnerabilities. It requires specific language and framework knowledge to fix the problems identified. The general principle on fixing a XSS issue stays the same, however the actual implementation is dependent on the frameworks in place.
If you want to do some interactive training on how to fix XSS issues in Struts, check out: https://portal.securecodewarrior.com/#/simple-flow/web/xss/reflected/java/struts
Skip forward to 2016 and a security researcher found a common vulnerability known as cross-site scripting (XSS) on the main Equifax website, according to a tweet from a researcher who goes by the name x0rz. Such XSS bugs allow attackers to send specially-crafted links to Equifax customers and, if the target clicks through and is logged into the site, their username and password can be revealed to the hacker.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2017/09/08/equifax-data-breach-history/#552ab1c9677c
Skip forward to 2016 and a security researcher found a common vulnerability known as cross-site scripting (XSS) on the main Equifax website, according to a tweet from a researcher who goes by the name x0rz.
Matias Madou, Ph.D. is a security expert, researcher, and CTO and co-founder of Secure Code Warrior. Matias obtained his Ph.D. in Application Security from Ghent University, focusing on static analysis solutions. He later joined Fortify in the US, where he realized that it was insufficient to solely detect code problems without aiding developers in writing secure code. This inspired him to develop products that assist developers, alleviate the burden of security, and exceed customers' expectations. When he is not at his desk as part of Team Awesome, he enjoys being on stage presenting at conferences including RSA Conference, BlackHat and DefCon.
Secure Code Warrior is here for your organization to help you secure code across the entire software development lifecycle and create a culture in which cybersecurity is top of mind. Whether you’re an AppSec Manager, Developer, CISO, or anyone involved in security, we can help your organization reduce risks associated with insecure code.
Book a demo
Matias Madou, Ph.D. is a security expert, researcher, and CTO and co-founder of Secure Code Warrior. Matias obtained his Ph.D. in Application Security from Ghent University, focusing on static analysis solutions. He later joined Fortify in the US, where he realized that it was insufficient to solely detect code problems without aiding developers in writing secure code. This inspired him to develop products that assist developers, alleviate the burden of security, and exceed customers' expectations. When he is not at his desk as part of Team Awesome, he enjoys being on stage presenting at conferences including RSA Conference, BlackHat and DefCon.
Matias is a researcher and developer with more than 15 years of hands-on software security experience. He has developed solutions for companies such as Fortify Software and his own company Sensei Security. Over his career, Matias has led multiple application security research projects which have led to commercial products and boasts over 10 patents under his belt. When he is away from his desk, Matias has served as an instructor for advanced application security training courses and regularly speaks at global conferences including RSA Conference, Black Hat, DefCon, BSIMM, OWASP AppSec and BruCon.
Matias holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Ghent University, where he studied application security through program obfuscation to hide the inner workings of an application.
Security issues identified in 2016 on the Equifax website are still not fixed. It is one step to identify the problem but it's an even bigger challenge to fix it. It requires time and skill to go back into the code, understand the context and fix the issues.
It is clear developers at Equifax were under a lot of stress and many known vulnerabilities didn't get fixed. Unfortunately that lack of action has now had the worst possible response.
Security needs to be baked in from the start and developers needs the skills, training and in-IDE tools to minimize writing known vulnerabilities. It requires specific language and framework knowledge to fix the problems identified. The general principle on fixing a XSS issue stays the same, however the actual implementation is dependent on the frameworks in place.
If you want to do some interactive training on how to fix XSS issues in Struts, check out: https://portal.securecodewarrior.com/#/simple-flow/web/xss/reflected/java/struts
Skip forward to 2016 and a security researcher found a common vulnerability known as cross-site scripting (XSS) on the main Equifax website, according to a tweet from a researcher who goes by the name x0rz. Such XSS bugs allow attackers to send specially-crafted links to Equifax customers and, if the target clicks through and is logged into the site, their username and password can be revealed to the hacker.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2017/09/08/equifax-data-breach-history/#552ab1c9677c
Security issues identified in 2016 on the Equifax website are still not fixed. It is one step to identify the problem but it's an even bigger challenge to fix it. It requires time and skill to go back into the code, understand the context and fix the issues.
It is clear developers at Equifax were under a lot of stress and many known vulnerabilities didn't get fixed. Unfortunately that lack of action has now had the worst possible response.
Security needs to be baked in from the start and developers needs the skills, training and in-IDE tools to minimize writing known vulnerabilities. It requires specific language and framework knowledge to fix the problems identified. The general principle on fixing a XSS issue stays the same, however the actual implementation is dependent on the frameworks in place.
If you want to do some interactive training on how to fix XSS issues in Struts, check out: https://portal.securecodewarrior.com/#/simple-flow/web/xss/reflected/java/struts
Skip forward to 2016 and a security researcher found a common vulnerability known as cross-site scripting (XSS) on the main Equifax website, according to a tweet from a researcher who goes by the name x0rz. Such XSS bugs allow attackers to send specially-crafted links to Equifax customers and, if the target clicks through and is logged into the site, their username and password can be revealed to the hacker.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2017/09/08/equifax-data-breach-history/#552ab1c9677c
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Secure Code Warrior is here for your organization to help you secure code across the entire software development lifecycle and create a culture in which cybersecurity is top of mind. Whether you’re an AppSec Manager, Developer, CISO, or anyone involved in security, we can help your organization reduce risks associated with insecure code.
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Matias Madou, Ph.D. is a security expert, researcher, and CTO and co-founder of Secure Code Warrior. Matias obtained his Ph.D. in Application Security from Ghent University, focusing on static analysis solutions. He later joined Fortify in the US, where he realized that it was insufficient to solely detect code problems without aiding developers in writing secure code. This inspired him to develop products that assist developers, alleviate the burden of security, and exceed customers' expectations. When he is not at his desk as part of Team Awesome, he enjoys being on stage presenting at conferences including RSA Conference, BlackHat and DefCon.
Matias is a researcher and developer with more than 15 years of hands-on software security experience. He has developed solutions for companies such as Fortify Software and his own company Sensei Security. Over his career, Matias has led multiple application security research projects which have led to commercial products and boasts over 10 patents under his belt. When he is away from his desk, Matias has served as an instructor for advanced application security training courses and regularly speaks at global conferences including RSA Conference, Black Hat, DefCon, BSIMM, OWASP AppSec and BruCon.
Matias holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Ghent University, where he studied application security through program obfuscation to hide the inner workings of an application.
Security issues identified in 2016 on the Equifax website are still not fixed. It is one step to identify the problem but it's an even bigger challenge to fix it. It requires time and skill to go back into the code, understand the context and fix the issues.
It is clear developers at Equifax were under a lot of stress and many known vulnerabilities didn't get fixed. Unfortunately that lack of action has now had the worst possible response.
Security needs to be baked in from the start and developers needs the skills, training and in-IDE tools to minimize writing known vulnerabilities. It requires specific language and framework knowledge to fix the problems identified. The general principle on fixing a XSS issue stays the same, however the actual implementation is dependent on the frameworks in place.
If you want to do some interactive training on how to fix XSS issues in Struts, check out: https://portal.securecodewarrior.com/#/simple-flow/web/xss/reflected/java/struts
Skip forward to 2016 and a security researcher found a common vulnerability known as cross-site scripting (XSS) on the main Equifax website, according to a tweet from a researcher who goes by the name x0rz. Such XSS bugs allow attackers to send specially-crafted links to Equifax customers and, if the target clicks through and is logged into the site, their username and password can be revealed to the hacker.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2017/09/08/equifax-data-breach-history/#552ab1c9677c
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Matias Madou, Ph.D. is a security expert, researcher, and CTO and co-founder of Secure Code Warrior. Matias obtained his Ph.D. in Application Security from Ghent University, focusing on static analysis solutions. He later joined Fortify in the US, where he realized that it was insufficient to solely detect code problems without aiding developers in writing secure code. This inspired him to develop products that assist developers, alleviate the burden of security, and exceed customers' expectations. When he is not at his desk as part of Team Awesome, he enjoys being on stage presenting at conferences including RSA Conference, BlackHat and DefCon.
Secure Code Warrior is here for your organization to help you secure code across the entire software development lifecycle and create a culture in which cybersecurity is top of mind. Whether you’re an AppSec Manager, Developer, CISO, or anyone involved in security, we can help your organization reduce risks associated with insecure code.
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Resources to get you started
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