Sherlocked Security – Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST)

Interactive Security Testing for Real-Time Vulnerability Detection in Running Web Applications

1. Statement of Work (SOW)

Service Name: Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST)
Client Type: Enterprises, SaaS Providers, FinTechs, E-Commerce, Healthcare, Government Agencies
Service Model: Hybrid Testing (Manual + Automated)
Compliance Coverage: OWASP Top 10, CWE/SANS Top 25, PCI-DSS, SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO 27001

Assessment Types:

Interactive Real-Time Vulnerability Testing
Both Client-Side & Server-Side Analysis
API Security Assessment (REST, SOAP, GraphQL)
Business Logic Testing
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) & SQL Injection Identification
Authentication & Session Management Validation
Misconfiguration and Exposure Vulnerabilities

2. Our Approach

[Real-Time Application Instrumentation] → [Simulated Interaction with Application] → [Interactive Vulnerability Identification] → [Detailed Risk Assessment] → [Actionable Remediation Reports] → [Continuous Feedback Loop]

3. Methodology

[Instrument Application for Real-Time Analysis] → [Identify Vulnerabilities Through Application Runtime] → [Real-Time Monitoring of Application Behavior] → [Dynamic and Static Vulnerability Detection] → [Detailed Exploit Path Generation & Risk Mapping] → [Comprehensive Reporting & Remediation]

4. Deliverables to the Client

IAST Vulnerability Report
Detailed Security Assessment Report
Vulnerability Insights with Exploit Path Analysis
Risk Severity Mapping and Impact Assessment
Code-Level Remediation Suggestions
Security Dashboard (if applicable)
CI/CD Integration Guidelines for Continuous Testing
Retesting and Validation Reports Post-Remediation

5. What We Need from You (Client Requirements)

Access to the application(s) under test (dev, staging, or production)
Credentials for authenticated workflows (if applicable)
Access to source code (optional for deeper analysis)
Information on application architecture (optional for advanced testing)
Whitelisting of scanning IPs or user agents (if required)
NDA and scope sign-off prior to engagement

6. Tools & Technology Stack

IAST Tools: Contrast Security, Hdiv, Seeker by Synopsys, Checkmarx
Manual Testing Tools: Burp Suite Pro, OWASP ZAP, Postman
Security Tools: Nikto, Nuclei, dirsearch
Dynamic Analysis Tools: Selenium, Puppeteer (for browser automation)
APIs: Insomnia, Postman (for manual fuzzing)
Custom Scripts: For tailored attacks and vulnerability testing
Source Code Analysis: For deeper review of codebase security

7. Engagement Lifecycle

1. Kickoff & Scope Definition → 2. Application Access Setup → 3. Instrumentation & Real-Time Vulnerability Detection (2–4 weeks typical) → 4. Report Draft → 5. Remediation Advisory & Developer Consultation → 6. Revalidation Scan → 7. Final Report + Remediation Closure

8. Why Sherlocked Security?

Feature	Sherlocked Advantage
Real-Time Vulnerability Detection	Instant identification of vulnerabilities in running apps
Deep Client & Server-Side Coverage	Thorough security assessment for both frontend & backend
Exploit Path Analysis	Understand how vulnerabilities can be exploited in real-world attacks
Actionable Insights	Detailed remediation guidelines and code-level suggestions
Continuous Feedback Loop	Immediate vulnerability feedback integrated into dev cycle
Compliance-Aligned Reporting	Detailed reports mapped to OWASP, PCI-DSS, SOC 2, and other frameworks
CI/CD Integration	Seamless integration with automated build and test pipelines

9. Real-World Case Studies

E-Commerce Platform: Business Logic Flaw in Checkout Flow

Issue: A vulnerability in the checkout process allowed users to manipulate cart totals via HTTP requests.
Impact: Unauthorized discounts and price manipulation led to revenue loss.
Our Role: Identified flawed logic in the cart-to-checkout transition. Advised on parameter validation and integrity checks.
Outcome: Issue patched with input validation and tighter control on cart modifications.

Financial SaaS: Unsecured Payment API

Client: Digital Payments Platform
Findings: Payment API exposed sensitive transaction data via an unauthenticated endpoint.
Outcome: Secured API endpoints with proper authentication and implemented rate-limiting for brute-force protection.

10. SOP – Standard Operating Procedure

Scope Definition & Application Access Setup
Instrumentation of Application for Runtime Analysis
Initial Automated Vulnerability Detection & Recon
Deep Dive into Client-Side and Server-Side Vulnerabilities
Exploit Path Analysis and Risk Mapping
Vulnerability Validation & Prioritization
Reporting with Detailed Findings, Risk Assessment, and Remediation
Developer Walkthrough or Advisory Session (Optional)
Revalidation Scan & Final Closure

11. IAST Testing Checklist

1. Reconnaissance & Initial Setup

Integrate IAST tool with target application in both development and production environments
Identify all entry points to the application (HTTP methods, endpoints, forms, parameters, headers, cookies)
Map application routes through the IAST agent (SPA routes, GraphQL endpoints, RESTful services)
Ensure proper IAST tool configuration to capture runtime data (memory, code paths, network traffic, DB queries)
Enable extensive logging and real-time data capture for dynamic scanning

2. Application Flow Testing

Identify critical business flows and test coverage (e.g., login, registration, financial transactions)
Track data input, processing, and output throughout the application’s lifecycle
Confirm flow integrity between client-side requests and server-side processing
Monitor internal API calls and service-to-service communications
Verify that input validation is applied to all sensitive data and user inputs in real time

3. Client-Side Vulnerabilities

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): Monitor DOM mutations, inspect reflected and stored XSS, and analyze script execution flow
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF): Check for CSRF token validation mechanisms in forms and state-changing requests
DOM-Based XSS: Monitor client-side scripts for unsanitized data insertion into the DOM or eval() function calls
Insecure LocalStorage/SessionStorage: Detect sensitive data stored in localStorage/sessionStorage or in plain text (e.g., tokens, passwords)
Cookie Manipulation: Ensure cookies containing session IDs and sensitive data are properly flagged (Secure, HttpOnly, SameSite)
JavaScript Errors: Track errors like stack traces or debug messages outputted in the client-side JavaScript code

4. Server-Side Vulnerabilities

SQL Injection: Capture SQL queries executed by the backend and monitor for unsanitized inputs leading to injections
Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF): Trace internal service requests and detect unfiltered user input allowing SSRF attacks
Path Traversal: Monitor backend file handling and path concatenation to identify unrestricted file access
Insecure Deserialization: Identify suspicious deserialization events in objects (JSON, XML, Java, .NET)
Injection Flaws: Track any dangerous user input directly affecting backend systems (OS Command Injection, LDAP injection, etc.)
API Abuse: Capture any direct interaction with backend APIs (e.g., hidden endpoints, rate-limiting failures, authorization flaws)

5. Session Management & Authentication

Session Token Leakage: Identify insecure token storage on both client-side (cookies, localStorage) and server-side (insecure headers)
Broken Authentication: Capture login and authentication flows, monitoring for weaknesses like predictable session tokens or brute force protection failures
Account Enumeration: Analyze responses to incorrect login attempts (timing attacks, specific error messages)
Authentication Bypass: Monitor improper access control handling, ensuring users can’t bypass login (e.g., via direct URL access)
Password Management: Ensure password reset mechanisms include strong entropy, use of email verification, and token expiration

6. Input Validation & Output Encoding

Input Validation Flaws: Track all incoming user data and verify real-time validation and sanitization (e.g., regex-based filtering, boundary checks)
Output Encoding: Verify that user-generated content is encoded properly before rendering to avoid XSS and other injection attacks
Invalid Data Handling: Observe application’s behavior when malformed or unexpected input is provided, ensuring graceful error handling (avoid stack traces)

7. Business Logic Flaws

Parameter Tampering: Track changes in HTTP parameters and input values that could bypass access controls or manipulate logic (e.g., price modifications in e-commerce)
Privilege Escalation: Test for escalation vulnerabilities where users can access unauthorized functionality or data by manipulating input values
Insecure State Transitions: Ensure that the state machine used for application workflows (e.g., order status) is properly validated to prevent tampering
Race Conditions: Identify potential race conditions through concurrent access and manipulation of application resources (e.g., stock quantity)

8. Error Handling & Logging

Verbose Error Messages: Capture and analyze error responses for sensitive information such as stack traces, database details, or internal paths
Logging of Sensitive Data: Ensure that logs do not contain sensitive data such as passwords, tokens, or PII
Error Handling Flaws: Ensure that error conditions do not lead to information leakage, particularly when interacting with the backend API or database

9. API Security

Authentication & Authorization: Monitor APIs to verify that they correctly enforce authentication and authorization for each request
Rate Limiting & Throttling: Ensure that APIs implement rate-limiting mechanisms and are not vulnerable to brute-force or DoS attacks
Data Exposure: Test for unnecessary data exposure via APIs (e.g., returning sensitive data when not required)
GraphQL Security: Monitor GraphQL endpoints for potential over-exposure of data or misuse of complex queries
API Token Integrity: Ensure that API tokens are validated and do not expose sensitive information like scopes, roles, or user identities

10. Code and Configuration Review (via IAST Runtime Data)

Code Path Analysis: Examine execution paths taken by input requests and correlate with detected vulnerabilities in the backend or client-side code
Code Injection: Track if malicious code is executed in any code path (e.g., shell commands or injections)
Configuration Weaknesses: Use runtime data to detect misconfigurations, such as unnecessary permissions, missing security headers, or improper server settings
Framework and Library Vulnerabilities: Use IAST to detect outdated libraries or vulnerable dependencies in runtime, such as known CVEs

11. Real-Time Detection of Vulnerabilities

On-the-Fly Vulnerability Detection: Track how the IAST tool dynamically detects vulnerabilities during interactions with the application
Contextual Exploit Path Analysis: Allow the IAST tool to visualize an exploit path, showing how a vulnerability in one part of the application leads to a potential compromise in another
Customizable Rulesets: Implement additional rulesets for specific logic tests or application behavior to ensure fine-grained detection of vulnerabilities
Collaborative Debugging: Leverage real-time interaction with the development team during vulnerability discovery, allowing immediate patch suggestions and validation

12. Reporting & Remediation

Comprehensive Reports: Generate full application security reports that include:
- List of vulnerabilities detected (client-side, server-side, API)
- Severity classification (Critical, High, Medium, Low)
- Remediation steps with code-level recommendations
- Visual representations of affected code paths
- Exploitability assessment based on risk levels
Integration with CI/CD: Ensure continuous integration of IAST tool into the development pipeline for automated vulnerability scanning and reporting during each commit/build process
Code and Patch Walkthrough: Provide actionable code examples and debugging assistance to developers for patching vulnerabilities in real-time

Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST)