What is HTTP Vulnerability & Its Types (2024)

HTTP is vulnerable and constantly at risk of a cyberattack. Its successor HTTPS is much reliable and secure.

What is HTTP Vulnerability?

The embellishment of the internet has taken over the world, unlocking unlimited possibilities that were unforeseen decades ago. Undoubtedly, when people are questioned about the internet, they instantly relate to their internet browser that constantly connects them to everything online.

Data centers experience vast volumes of HTTP data and many firms are seeing more, and more sales revenue with the increasing popularity of e-commerce websites, producing sales online. However, as its reputation grows, the risk rises with it, and just like any other traffic protocol, HTTP has its vulnerabilities.

Attackers use DDoS attacks to create denial-of-service on servers. Such attacks are made simply for fun, to make a profit, or to make a point. This blog will describe you some of the standard HTTP vulnerabilities and what could be done to mitigate it.

What are the main types of HTTP vulnerability?

• SQL Injection
  An SQL injection is a type of web application security vulnerability in which an attacker utilizes the application code base and executes malicious code to corrupt the database. If the attackers launched the attack successfully, he could alter the database, for instance, updating bogus details of some unknown person or deleting someone’s record and many other changes. SQL injections are one of the most prevailing types of web application security vulnerabilities.
• Cross-Site Scripting
  Cross-site scripting involves targeting a user’s application and injecting malicious code, usually a client-side script such as JavaScript, into the application’s output. The primary objective of this exploiting technique is to manipulate the client-side code into a web application and execute it in the manner intended by the attacker. XSS allows attackers to launch script onto the user’s web browsers and take over user’s sessions, manipulating websites, and redirect users to unintended websites.
• Broken Authentication and Session Management
  This vulnerability surrounds many security issues, all of them leading to managing the user’s identity. If validation credentials and session identifiers are not secured at all times, the attacker can take this gateway as an advantage to hijack an active session and assume the identity of the user.
• Insecure Direct Object References
  Insecure direct object reference deals with exposing a direct reference to the internal object implementation. This implementation would include files, database records, configuration files, database keys, and many other minute details constituting the creation of any object. When any application exposes the reference to objects, infiltrators can manipulate it to gain access to the user’s details.
• Security Misconfiguration
  Security misconfiguration surrounds several bug weakness due to lack of maintenance or lack of attention to web application configuration. A secure configuration must be made for web applications that ensure concrete measures are taken to secure the application server, frameworks, database server, and platform. Weak security configurations can allow hijackers from accessing the web applications and compromising the system as a whole.
• Cross-Site Request Forgery
  Cross-Site Request Forgery(CSRF) is an attack where the user is manipulated into executing an attack that he didn’t intend to do. An external website will send a request to the original website that the user has already been authenticated and logged in, for instance, signed into their bank account. The attacker can then access the account via the victim’s previously validated browser.

What is the difference between HTTP and HTTPS?

The primary difference between HTTP and HTTPS is security. HTTP is not secure that makes it weak for attackers to launch exploits over websites whereas HTTPS establishes a secure connection by encrypting data. However, there are many more differences between the two connections that are specified as follows:

• The HTTP URL in the address bar will contain the HTTP link, and the HTTPS URL is https://
• As aforementioned above, HTTP is not secure while HTTPS is
• HTTP sends data over port 80 while HTTPS transmits data over port 443
• HTTP works at the application layer, while HTTPS operates at the transport layer
• No secure sockets layer (SSL) certificates are required for HTTP, with HTTPS it is required that you have an SSL certificate and is validated by the CA
• HTTP connection doesn’t require any domain validation while HTTPS needs to have at least one domain validation and some specific certificates require legal documentation validation
• No encryption In HTTP, with HTTPS the data is encrypted before transmitting

Why HTTP is not secure?

The primary reason that you see the “not secure” warning logo is due to the webpage or website not receiving a secure connection. When your web browser, such as Google Chrome, connects to any website, it can either use a secure connection (HTTPS) or HTTP. Any page providing a secure connection will never allow you to see a warning sign.

No, HTTP is not safer than HTTPS. HTTP is considered less secure than HTTPS.

HTTP transfers data in plain text, making it easy for attackers to intercept and read the data. This can include sensitive information such as passwords and credit card numbers. On the other hand, HTTPS encrypts the data being transmitted, making it more difficult for attackers to intercept and read the data. To maximize security, it’s recommended to use HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) instead of HTTP.