Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I had really no idea what to expect when I started reading Web Application Obfuscation (WAO). I hoped it would address attacks on Web technologies, perhaps including evasion methods, but beyond that I didn't even really know how to think about whatever problem this book might address. After finishing WAO, it's only appropriate to say "wow." In short, I had no idea that Web browsers (often called "user agents" in WAO) are so universally broken. Web browser developers would probably reply that they're just trying to handle as much broken HTML as possible, but the WAO authors show this approach makes Web "security" basically impossible. I recommend reading WAO to learn just how crazy one can be when interacting with Web apps.
Speaking of crazy: ch 4 was off the hook. For example, p 121 speaks of the "great Javascript Charwall" by saying: "6 is the fewest number of characters possible which allow arbitrary Javascript to be executed." What!? I had no idea anyone spent time on these sorts of issues, and worse, that intruders could use these techniques to evade a slew of security mechanisms. This was a primary strength of WAO: bringing the reader into a world where obfuscation is an obsession.
I liked many other aspects of WAO. The book was very thorough. For one example, check the table on p 27. For another, see the regex explanation with examples in ch 1. The book has many such sections where the authors offer great detail on the subject at hand. I also enjoyed the many references to outside work. Authors of all technical books should follow WAO's lead, because 1) it gives credit where due and 2) it shows the authors are aware of outside influences and up-to-date.
WAO also does a nice job explaining how we arrived at the current state of broken Web technologies. Their history lesson of the browser wars in ch 2 set the stage for the chaos that follows. I'll finish my praises by mentioning the Web site the authors created as a companion to the book, complete with errata and code listings; it's a nice addition to the book.
If you're wondering why I rated WAO four instead of five stars, the reason involves the audience. I think too often the authors advance pretty far beyond the uninitiated reader. You have to admit that if obfuscation is your world, you're probably not going to read this book. However, if you're a newbie like me, you need the authors to spend more time explaining what they're doing and more importantly, WHY. Just what is the purpose of this technique or that attack? I think if the authors recruited some outside help to walk through the book, slow them down, and answer some basic questions, a second edition would be an easy five star work.
On the production side, a new edition should redraw figures 5.2 - 5.14. They look like they came straight from a PowerPoint pitch.
Overall, WAO is a great book to shatter any assumptions you may have about how Web clients and servers render content. Maybe the authors would care to describe how best one can operate in such a dangerous environment, i.e., is their an OpenBSD for Web technologies? All of the engines seem bad -- what's a user to do?
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Web applications are used every day by millions of users, which is why they are one of the most popular vectors for attackers. Obfuscation of code has allowed hackers to take one attack and create hundreds-if not millions-of variants that can evade your security measures. Web Application Obfuscation takes a look at common Web infrastructure and security controls from an attacker's perspective, allowing the reader to understand the shortcomings of their security systems. Find out how an attacker would bypass different types of security controls, how these very security controls introduce new types of vulnerabilities, and how to avoid common pitfalls in order to strengthen your defenses.
Looks at security tools like IDS/IPS that are often the only defense in protecting sensitive data and assets
Evaluates Web application vulnerabilties from the attacker's perspective and explains how these very systems introduce new types of vulnerabilities
Teaches how to secure your data, including info on browser quirks, new attacks and syntax tricks to add to your defenses against XSS, SQL injection, and more
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