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Web and mobile applications have become the backbone of business operations in nearly every industry. They process personal data, handle payments, support logistics processes, and facilitate communication with clients. However, they are also attractive targets for cybercriminals. Even a small vulnerability can lead to significant losses. An application security audit helps identify these weaknesses before they can be exploited by attackers.<\/p>\n
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An application security audit is a detailed analysis aimed at identifying vulnerabilities, configuration errors, and issues in the application’s logic. It includes both technical aspects (e.g., code, infrastructure, protocols) and procedural elements (e.g., authentication methods, session management).<\/p>\n
It\u2019s advisable to conduct an audit when:<\/p>\n
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A professional application security audit is carried out in several stages:<\/p>\n
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At this stage, auditors gather information about the application, its business purpose, technology stack, external integrations, and user model. The analysis covers:<\/p>\n
The goal is to tailor the scope of testing to the application\u2019s specifics.<\/p>\n
Next, an active vulnerability analysis is conducted. Depending on the access model, the following tests<\/strong> are used:<\/p>\n Tools<\/strong> such as:<\/p>\n Auditors manually verify the vulnerabilities and assess their impact on the application’s security.<\/p>\n If the company provides source code, a detailed review is conducted. Auditors check for:<\/p>\n Secure code reviews help identify errors not detected by interface-level tests.<\/p>\n This stage involves testing for security misconfigurations, such as errors in environmental settings, permissions, roles, and resources. Areas under analysis include:<\/p>\n Finally, a technical and managerial report is prepared, including:<\/p>\n The report may also serve as evidence of preventive actions during audits for compliance with ISO 27001, GDPR, NIS2, or DORA.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n During audits, vulnerabilities from the OWASP Top 10 are frequently found, such as:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Although these terms are often used interchangeably, audits and penetration tests differ in scope and purpose:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In practice, both approaches complement each other and should be used alternately.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n An application security audit is a critical element of proving compliance with regulations:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A good audit report goes beyond just listing vulnerabilities. It should contain:<\/p>\n\n
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3. Source Code Review (Secure Code Review)<\/h3>\n
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4. Access and Configuration Verification<\/h3>\n
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5. Final Report and Recommendations<\/h3>\n
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The Most Common Vulnerabilities Found During an Audit<\/h2>\n
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Application Security Audit vs Penetration Testing – Similarities and Differences<\/h2>\n
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\n Criterion<\/strong><\/td>\n Application Security Audit<\/strong><\/td>\n Penetration Testing<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n\n \n Scope<\/strong><\/td>\n Detailed analysis of logic, code, configuration<\/td>\n Simulated attack from the perspective of an external attacker<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Method<\/strong><\/td>\n Manual, semi-automatic, documentation-based<\/td>\n Exploiting vulnerabilities<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Goal<\/strong><\/td>\n Identify design errors and compliance with standards<\/td>\n Test what can be gained through an attack<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Security audits and Compliance with GDPR, ISO 27001, NIS2<\/h2>\n
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What Does an Application Audit Report Include?<\/h2>\n