Web 2.0 applications are using dynamic DOM manipulations extensively for presenting JSON or XML streams in the browser. These DOM calls mixed with XMLHttpRequest (XHR) object are part of client side logic written in JavaScript or part of any other client side technology be it Flash or Silverlight. DOM driven XSS is a sleeping giant in the application code and it can be exploited by an attacker to gain access to the end user’s browser/desktop. This can become a root cause of following set of interesting vulnerabilities – Cross Widget Sniffing, RSS feed reader exploitation, XHR response stealing, Mashup hacking, Malicious code injection, Spreading Worm etc. This set of vulnerability needs innovative way of scanning the application and corresponding methodology needs to be tweaked. We have seen DOM driven XSS exploited in various different popular portals to spread worm or virus. This is a significant threat on the rise and should be mitigated by validating un-trusted content poisoning Ajax or Flash routines. DOM driven XSS, Cross Domain Bypass and CSRF can cause a deadly cocktail to exploit Web 2.0 applications across Internet. This presentation will be covering following important issues and concepts.
Shreeraj Shah: (Founder and Director) Shreeraj Shah, B.E., MSCS, MBA, CSSLP is the founder of Blueinfy, a company that provides application security services. Prior to founding Blueinfy, he was founder and board member at Net Square. He also worked with Foundstone (McAfee), Chase Manhattan Bank and IBM in security space. He is also the author of popular books Web 2.0 Security, like Hacking Web Services (Thomson 06) and Web Hacking:Attacks and Defense (Addison-Wesley 03). In addition, he has published several advisories, tools, and whitepapers, and has presented at numerous conferences including RSA, AusCERT, InfosecWorld (Misti), OWASP, HackInTheBox, Blackhat, OSCON, Bellua, Syscan, ISACA etc. His articles are regularly published on Securityfocus, InformIT, DevX, O'reilly, HNS. His work has been quoted on BBC, Dark Reading, Bank Technology, SC Magazine etc. as an expert. Shreeraj was instrumental in product development, researching new methodologies and training designs. He has performed several security consulting assignments in the area of penetration testing, code reviews, web application assessments, security architecture reviews and managing projects.