RE: Application & Iplanet/Apache web server vulnerability and pen etration testing

From: Dave Piscitello (dave@corecom.com)
Date: 09/19/02


Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 09:50:23 -0400
From: Dave Piscitello <dave@corecom.com>
To: Cox Michael <mscox@ti.com>, swalker7799@yahoo.com, Pen-Test Security Focus <pen-test@securityfocus.com>

I've read Web Hacking.

(Disclosure: I know the authors and do advisory work for the their company
but I don't get
compensated for helping them sell books)

It's a very good book for learning the methodology of and tools for web
hacking and thus a way to learn self-assessment and pen-testing/auditing,
and of course, indirectly you will learn how to protect web servers, but
from the "what not to do" perspective. I wouldn't buy the book if you are
looking for a neat and tidy list of guidelines; frankly, I don't think such
a list will ever give you a convenient checklist of how to redress *all*
the issues/threats you must consider, anyway.

At 08:33 AM 9/17/2002 -0500, Cox Michael wrote:
>2) The NIST has a doc here http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/drafts.html
>called "Special Publication 800-44, Guidelines on Securing Public Web
>Servers." The NSA has guides on iPlanet and Apache here
>http://nsa1.www.conxion.com/support/download.htm.
>
>3) There's a guide due out in October from these good people
>http://www.owasp.org/. There are a couple of recent books that look good,
>but I've just received them so I can't comment in detail - _Hacking Web
>Applications Exposed_ and _Web Hacking: Attacks and Defense_.
>
>Regards,
>Michael
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Steven Walker [mailto:swalker7799@yahoo.com]
> > Sent: Monday, September 16, 2002 12:05 PM
> > To: Pen-Test Security Focus
> > Subject: Application & Iplanet/Apache web server vulnerability and
> > penetration testing
> > Importance: High
> >
> >
> > Dear Group,
> >
> > I have been given a project to perform web application
> > vulnerability testing
> > on iPlanet and Apache web servers. The servers run on
> > NT/2000, Solaris
> > 2.7-8, (iPlanet) and Linux, Solaris (Apache).
> >
> > In house tools are Wisker, WHArenal, NMAP, NESSUS. I have
> > only used NMAP
> > and NESSUS so far for firewall and internal network testing.
> >
> > I am at a loss at where to start the process and am trying to
> > determine if
> > additional tools are needed.
> >
> > 1. I would obviously harden the web server OS's by closing unnecessary
> > ports, ensuring proper patch levels, getting rid of rhost and
> > equiv files,
> > enforcing password policies, limiting accounts, use ssh for
> > administration,
> > etc.
> >
> > 2. I don't know what to do on the web servers other than
> > delete example
> > scripts and ensure default passwords are changed to stronger
> > ones. Are
> > there any links that you know of that would provide a
> > checklist of iPlanet
> > and Apache vulnerability checks. Are there any recommended
> > tools that can
> > automate this process? Any suggestions on iPlanet and Apache
> > security?
> >
> > 3. Regarding web applications, I will be expected to test applications
> > before they go into production. I know to test for buffer
> > overflows buy
> > inputting non expected characters into fields. Beyond that
> > what advice
> > could you give or methodology could you direct me too. Jobs
> > are tough to
> > find out there, I could use your help in keeping this one.
> > Thanks for all
> > of you who will help me.
> >
> > Sincerely
> >
> > Steven M. Walker CISSP, GSEC, ABCP
> > Security Specialist
> > 44 W. Douglas Dr.
> > Saint Peters, MO 63376
> > Office: 636.279.2206
> > Home: 636.278.8004
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------
> > --------------
> > This list is provided by the SecurityFocus Security
> > Intelligence Alert (SIA)
> > Service. For more information on SecurityFocus' SIA service which
> > automatically alerts you to the latest security
> > vulnerabilities please see:
> > https://alerts.securityfocus.com/
> >
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>This list is provided by the SecurityFocus Security Intelligence Alert (SIA)
>Service. For more information on SecurityFocus' SIA service which
>automatically alerts you to the latest security vulnerabilities please see:
>https://alerts.securityfocus.com/

David M. Piscitello
Core Competence, Inc. &
3 Myrtle Bank Lane
Hilton Head, SC 29926
dave@corecom.com
843.689.5595
www.corecom.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This list is provided by the SecurityFocus Security Intelligence Alert (SIA)
Service. For more information on SecurityFocus' SIA service which
automatically alerts you to the latest security vulnerabilities please see:
https://alerts.securityfocus.com/



Relevant Pages

  • Risks Digest 25.74
    ... ACM FORUM ON RISKS TO THE PUBLIC IN COMPUTERS AND RELATED SYSTEMS ... U.S. Passport RFID security ... Taiwan president in ruckus over prerecorded web messages ... What could be one of the most important books for developers of low-risk ...
    (comp.risks)
  • RE: book for a newbie...?
    ... do you have url to download that security books for free? ... It's dificult for me in here to buy that books online. ... > Linux Security Toolkit ...
    (Security-Basics)
  • Re: DHS Open Source Hardening Project
    ... Vulnerability Discovery and Remediation, Open Source Hardening ... tighten up code in regards to security? ... co-authored three books. ... seems to be well upstream from the Fedora Project. ...
    (Fedora)
  • Re: learning ethical hacking
    ... and get access to several books. ... As for which books are good it all depends on what kind of security ... Web Security -- Hack Notes ... Network Security Monitoring ...
    (Security-Basics)
  • Re: New to INformation Security World Please give your expert advicein this matter
    ... I know of a home lab that has some on-line photos this dude has a nice ... If you want to get started in Linux and have an extra PC download a copy ... Oreilly has a nice suite of books, ... that find their home on security focus pay attention to the information ...
    (Pen-Test)

Quantcast