Chapter 6 - Web User Hacking

Abstract

This chapter covers the newest type of attacks that target other users of the web application instead of the web application itself or the web server. Some of these attacks, namely, cross-site scripting (XSS) and cross-site request forgery (CSRF), rely on vulnerabilities in the web application that can be used to exploit users. XSS vulnerabilities allow malicious script to be executed in the victim’s browser, while CSRF vulnerabilities allow malicious commands to be unknowingly executed by the victim. Even in situations where there is no standing XSS or CSRF vulnerability, the user can still be attacked by technical social engineering attacks. This type of attack, perfected by the Social-Engineer Toolkit, allows hackers to exploit fully patched computers with just one click by an unsuspecting user!