Speaker 1: Welcome to another deep dive with us. This time we're
Speaker 1: cracking open the VET Attack Proxy Cookbook, a cookbook for cybersecurity.
Speaker 1: I know, right, it's a unique approach, but that's what
Speaker 1: makes this so cool. Yeah.
Speaker 2: It really is like having a master chef guiding you
Speaker 2: through the process.
Speaker 1: Except instead of delicious dishes, we're cooking up some seriously
Speaker 1: secure websites.
Speaker 2: Say exactly.
Speaker 1: I gotta admit, you know, I'm always a little nervous
Speaker 1: when I hear about online vulnerabilities. Oh yeah, especially after
Speaker 1: that whole Equifax breach a few years back. It turns
Speaker 1: out they had a known weakness in their system. Wow,
Speaker 1: and then boom, millions of people's data got exposed. It's
Speaker 1: scary stuff. Yeah, that's the kind of thing this book
Speaker 1: helps you avoid.
Speaker 2: Right, absolutely. It's like having a security checklist.
Speaker 1: But one actually shows you how to use the tools
Speaker 1: to find and fix the problems.
Speaker 2: Exactly.
Speaker 1: That's ZAP wells SPZIP. So could you give us like
Speaker 1: the ZAP for Dummies version? Sure? What does the software
Speaker 1: actually do?
Speaker 2: Think of it like a digital detective, but specifically for websites.
Speaker 2: It helps you test different scenarios to see if your
Speaker 2: website is vulnerable to attacks.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Speaker 2: Imagine trying every door and window in your house to
Speaker 2: make sure it's secure. Oh okay, that's kind of what
Speaker 2: ZAP does in the digital world.
Speaker 1: So like, if I were building a website to sell
Speaker 1: you know, handcrafted pottery online. Okay, yeah, ZAP would help
Speaker 1: me make sure no one could break in and steal
Speaker 1: my customer's credit card info.
Speaker 2: Exactly, you got it.
Speaker 1: And this cookbook breaks it all down, like into easy
Speaker 1: to follow recipes.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you don't have to be a cybersecurity expert to
Speaker 2: understand it.
Speaker 1: Speaking of experts, who are the master chefs behind this
Speaker 1: z attack proxy cookbook.
Speaker 2: Well, the book is written by Ryan Soaper and Nestor
Speaker 2: and Torres Okay, and they both have tons of experience
Speaker 2: in cybersecurity.
Speaker 1: You know, that's fantastic. I was really struck by their
Speaker 1: dedications in the book. Oh yeah, yeah. Ryan dedicated the
Speaker 1: book to his family. He talked about the sacrifices they
Speaker 1: made while he was busy writing.
Speaker 2: It's lovely.
Speaker 1: Yeah, family support is crucial when you're tackling a big
Speaker 1: project like this.
Speaker 2: Definitely. What about Nestor, He dedicated the book to all
Speaker 2: the people who helped him get his start in cybersecurity.
Speaker 1: That's awesome.
Speaker 2: It's a beautiful tribute to mentors and you know the
Speaker 2: power of community.
Speaker 1: I love that And get this. Both authors volunteer with
Speaker 1: the Innocent Lives Foundations. Oh wow, it's a group of
Speaker 1: like hackers. Okay, but they use their skills to track
Speaker 1: down online child predators.
Speaker 2: That's fantastic.
Speaker 1: It's incredible work. Talk about using your powers for good.
Speaker 2: Ah, for sure, they're really making the Internet a safer place.
Speaker 1: Okay. So we've got these two passionate authors, a cookbook
Speaker 1: style approach to ethical hacking, and this super powerful tool
Speaker 1: in oas Zobie. What are some of the specific security
Speaker 1: risks that this book helps us tackle.
Speaker 2: It covers a really wide range from you know, the basics,
Speaker 2: like testing if someone can bypass your login screen, do
Speaker 2: more advanced stuff like cross site scripting, which you might
Speaker 2: have heard of.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I've heard that term thrown around. What exactly is that?
Speaker 2: Think of it like this, You wouldn't want someone sneaking
Speaker 2: into your house through an unlocked window, right, definitely not well.
Speaker 2: Cross site scripting or XSS as it's often called, it's
Speaker 2: kind of like that, but in the digital world.
Speaker 1: So someone leaving a back door open for hackers to
Speaker 1: sneak in and steal sensitive data.
Speaker 2: Not good, exactly, not good at all. And ZP can
Speaker 2: help you fine and fix these kinds of vulnerabilities before
Speaker 2: the bad guys can exploit them.
Speaker 1: So it's like having a security consultant built right into
Speaker 1: the software. Pretty much does the book dive into like
Speaker 1: how ZP actually works.
Speaker 2: It does.
Speaker 1: I'm picturing lots of complicated code, technical jargon. Is it
Speaker 1: hard to understand?
Speaker 2: No? No, no, It's not as intimidating as you might think.
Speaker 1: Okay, good.
Speaker 2: It starts by introducing you to the ZAP interface, like
Speaker 2: the layout of the program.
Speaker 1: Okay, I can handle that.
Speaker 2: Think of it like familiarizing yourself with the layout of
Speaker 2: a kitchen before you start cooking. You want to know
Speaker 2: where everything is.
Speaker 1: I like that. So what are some of the key
Speaker 1: elements we should be aware of?
Speaker 2: Well, first, there's the menu bar, which is your control panel.
Speaker 2: This is where you'll find all the key actions and
Speaker 2: configurations for ZAP. Need to adjust settings or choose a
Speaker 2: specific type of scan, The menu bar is your go
Speaker 2: to spot. Got Then there's the toolbar. This is like
Speaker 2: having your most used tools within easy reach. It gives
Speaker 2: you quick access to features you'll use frequently, kind of like.
Speaker 1: My coffee maker, essential and always ready to go.
Speaker 2: Absolutely. Then we have the tree window, which helps you
Speaker 2: stay organized.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Speaker 2: It displays the websites and scripts that you're testing, making
Speaker 2: it easy to navigate through different parts of the application.
Speaker 1: So it's like a map of the website showing all
Speaker 1: the different areas that we need to secure.
Speaker 2: That's a great way to think about it. Next up
Speaker 2: is the workspace window, which is your main workspace. This
Speaker 2: is where you can see the back and forth communication
Speaker 2: happening between your browser and the website. It's where you
Speaker 2: really get into the nitty gritty analyzing the data flowing
Speaker 2: back and forth.
Speaker 1: Okay, sounds like the heart of the operation pretty much. Yeah,
Speaker 1: what about the last key element.
Speaker 2: Finally, there's the Information window, which is your digital sidekick.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Speaker 2: It provides you with details about the application you're testing,
Speaker 2: including any vulnerabilities ZAP has uncovered.
Speaker 1: Like a detective's notebook.
Speaker 2: Yeah, like a detective's notebook, taking track of all the clues.
Speaker 1: This is all fascinating stuff. Yeah, but I'm eager to
Speaker 1: see how ZAP actually helps us uncover these vulnerabilities. Yeah,
Speaker 1: can we dive into some practical examples.
Speaker 2: Next, Sure, let's do it. Let's jump into authentication and
Speaker 2: authorization testing. Okay, so think about a website's login screen.
Speaker 2: It's like the front door to your account right now.
Speaker 2: Imagine someone trying to pick the lock or slip in
Speaker 2: through a window. That's what ZAP helps you prevent.
Speaker 1: So it's like a digital security system for our online
Speaker 1: accounts exactly.
Speaker 2: One of the attacks that ZP can simulate is SEQL.
Speaker 1: Injections sequel injection.
Speaker 2: You might be thinking SQL. What's that?
Speaker 1: Yeah, a little bit.
Speaker 2: Well. SQL is a language used to manage databases, and
Speaker 2: it's a prime target for hackers. Okay, imagine a hacker
Speaker 2: slipping a malicious code snippet into a website's login form.
Speaker 2: If the site isn't properly protected, this code can trick
Speaker 2: the database into granting access even with the wrong password.
Speaker 1: That's kind of terrifying. It's like giving a stranger the
Speaker 1: key to your house just because they whispered the right words.
Speaker 2: It is a bit like that.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: The book even shows how a simple string of characters
Speaker 2: like apostrophe or our one equals one dash dash can
Speaker 2: be used to bypass authentication. Wow, it's a classic sequel
Speaker 2: injection technique, and ZAP lets you test if your website
Speaker 2: is vulnerable to it.
Speaker 1: So we're not just talking theory here. The book gives
Speaker 1: you hands on techniques to try this stuff out.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, and it stresses the importance of using HTTPS. You
Speaker 2: know that little padlock icon in your browser's address bar, Yeah,
Speaker 2: that means the website is using HTTPS, which encrypts the
Speaker 2: data being transmitted. Think of it like sending your credit
Speaker 2: card information and a sealed envelope instead of writing it
Speaker 2: on a postcard.
Speaker 1: So scrambling the information so snoopers can't read it.
Speaker 2: Exactly. Now, let's say you're logged into a website but
Speaker 2: you want to access information that you're not authorized to see.
Speaker 2: That's where privileged escalation comes in. It's like sneaking backstage
Speaker 2: at a concert even though you only have a general
Speaker 2: admission ticket.
Speaker 1: I'd love to try that sometime, but in the digital world,
Speaker 1: I'm guessing it's a bit more serious.
Speaker 2: Definitely. The book shows how ZAP can be used to
Speaker 2: test for this by modifying user IDs in requests. Imagine
Speaker 2: someone changing their user ID from like a regular customer
Speaker 2: to an administrator giving them access to all sorts of
Speaker 2: sensitive data, so they.
Speaker 1: Basically impersonating someone with higher privileges. Sneaky, very sneaky. And
Speaker 1: then there's another vulnerability called insecure direct object preferences or
Speaker 1: IE doors idors. It's a bit of a mouthful, but
Speaker 1: think of it this way. Each piece of information on
Speaker 1: a website has a unique identifier like a street address. Ok.
Speaker 1: An eye door vulnerability means that an attacker could manipulate
Speaker 1: these identifiers to access data they shouldn't be able to see.
Speaker 2: So it's like figuring out the combination to someone safe
Speaker 2: just by rearranging a few numbers.
Speaker 1: That's a great way to put it. ZAP can help
Speaker 1: you test for these vulnerabilities by manipulating numerical values and requests.
Speaker 1: It's all about finding those weak points before the bad
Speaker 1: guys do. This is giving me a whole new appreciation
Speaker 1: for website security. Okay, so we've talked about protecting sensitive
Speaker 1: information and making sure only authorized users can access certain areas.
Speaker 1: What about actual hacking techniques? Does the book cover those two?
Speaker 2: It certainly does. The z Attack Proxy Cookbook doesn't shy
Speaker 2: away from the more offensive side of cybersecurity. Okay, but
Speaker 2: remember it's all about learning these techniques so we can
Speaker 2: better defend against them. Think of it like studying martial arts, right,
Speaker 2: You learn how to attack so you can better defend yourself.
Speaker 1: I like that analogy. So what kind of martial arts
Speaker 1: moves are we talking about here?
Speaker 2: Let's start with cross site scripting or excess. Remember how
Speaker 2: we talked about SQL injection manipulating a website's database, while
Speaker 2: XSS is about injecting malicious code into a website itself.
Speaker 2: This code then runs in a visitor's browser, potentially stealing
Speaker 2: their information or even taking control of their account.
Speaker 1: So it's like planning a virus on a website that
Speaker 1: then infects anyone who visits it.
Speaker 2: That's a good way to think about it. The book
Speaker 2: provides examples of how XSS can be used to steal
Speaker 2: cook both. For example, wait cookies like the ones I eat.
Speaker 1: Quite in the web world. Cookies are small files that
Speaker 1: websites store on your computer to remember things about you,
Speaker 1: like your login details. Right by stealing these cookies, an
Speaker 1: attacker could potentially impersonate you and access your account.
Speaker 2: Ok Now, I'm definitely thinking twice about accepting cookies from
Speaker 2: every website I visit.
Speaker 1: It's always a good idea to be cautious. The book
Speaker 1: also covers HTTP verb campering okay, which is about exploiting
Speaker 1: the different ways that websites communicate with each other. Think
Speaker 1: of it like this. You're sending a letter with specific instructions,
Speaker 1: but someone intercepts it and changes those instructions. In the
Speaker 1: web world, these instructions are called HTTP verbs, and manipulating
Speaker 1: them can have serious consequences.
Speaker 2: You know, like changing the delivery address on a package
Speaker 2: so it ends up in the wrong hands exactly.
Speaker 1: The book uses the example of the trace method, which
Speaker 1: can be used to potentially bypass authentication or gather sensitive
Speaker 1: information about the server.
Speaker 2: So it's like listening in on a private conversation to
Speaker 2: gain access to secrets.
Speaker 1: This is all starting to sound like a spy movie.
Speaker 2: It can be a bit like that.
Speaker 1: What other techniques does a book cover, Well.
Speaker 2: There's also HTTP parameter pollution or HPP. Think of it
Speaker 2: this way. You're ordering a pizza online and you specify
Speaker 2: pepperoni as your topping, but an attacker can manipulate the
Speaker 2: data being sent to the pizzeria, adding extra toppings that
Speaker 2: you didn't ask for. In the digital world. These toppings
Speaker 2: could be malicious code or commands that compromise the website.
Speaker 1: Instead of a simple pepperoni pizza, I end up with
Speaker 1: pineapple and anchovies. That's not what I ordered.
Speaker 2: Exactly, and those unexpected toppings could be a lot more
Speaker 2: harmful than pineapple on pizza, definitely. The book then revisits
Speaker 2: SQL injection, giving more in depth examples of how this
Speaker 2: technique can be used to exploit vulnerabilities. It's like a
Speaker 2: masterclass in database manipulation.
Speaker 1: Okay, I'm starting to understand why SQL injection is such
Speaker 1: a big deal. What other hacking techniques are there.
Speaker 2: It also dives into command injection, which is about executing
Speaker 2: commands on the server itself. The server, Okay, imagine being
Speaker 2: able to control the entire computer system behind a website
Speaker 2: instead of just messing with the website itself. That's the
Speaker 2: power of command injection.
Speaker 1: That's terrifying. It's like hacking into the control room of
Speaker 1: a power plant. The potential for damage is huge.
Speaker 2: It is, and the book also covers server side template
Speaker 2: injection or SSTI. Websites often use templates to generate dynamic content.
Speaker 2: Think of it like a fill in the blank's form
Speaker 2: that creates personalized web pages. SSTI is about manipulating these
Speaker 2: templates to inject malicious code.
Speaker 1: So it's like hijacking a printing press to produce counterfeit money.
Speaker 2: That's a great analogy, okay. The book then moves on
Speaker 2: to server side request forgery or SSRF, which tricks a
Speaker 2: server into making requests to internal resources. Imagine sending a
Speaker 2: fake memo to the mailroom asking them to deliver confidential
Speaker 2: files to the wrong person. That's essentially what SSRF does
Speaker 2: in the digital world.
Speaker 1: So it's all about exploiting trust and manipulating systems to
Speaker 1: gain access to information that should be.
Speaker 2: Off limits precisely. The book wraps up this section with
Speaker 2: client side URL redirect, which involves manipulating redirect URLs to
Speaker 2: send users to malicious websites. Imagine clicking a link that
Speaker 2: you think will take you to your bank's website, but
Speaker 2: instead it redirects you to a fake site designed to
Speaker 2: steal your logging credentials. That's the danger of client side
Speaker 2: URL redirect.
Speaker 1: This is all incredibly insightful, but I have to admit
Speaker 1: my head is spinning a bit. All these different hacking
Speaker 1: techniques it's a take in.
Speaker 2: It is a lot, but the key takeaway is that
Speaker 2: awareness is the first step to prevention.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Speaker 2: By understanding these vulnerabilities, we can start to think like
Speaker 2: hackers and build more secure systems. The book emphasizes the
Speaker 2: importance of input validation and sanitization as crucial defenses against
Speaker 2: many of these attacks.
Speaker 1: Okay, remind me again what those are all about.
Speaker 2: Input validation is like having a bouncer at the door
Speaker 2: of your website, checking IDs and making sure only the
Speaker 2: right people get in. It's about making sure that any
Speaker 2: data entered into your website meets specific criteria. For example,
Speaker 2: an email address field should only accept valid email addresses.
Speaker 2: Sanitization goes a step further, cleaning up the data by
Speaker 2: removing any potentially harmful characters or code.
Speaker 1: So it's like washing your vegetables before you eat them,
Speaker 1: getting rid of any dirt or bacteria that could make
Speaker 1: you sick.
Speaker 2: Exactly, by validating and sanitizing input, you can prevent a
Speaker 2: lot of these attacks from happening in the first place.
Speaker 2: The book provides practical examples of how to implement these
Speaker 2: security measures using ZAP.
Speaker 1: This is all fantastic information, now I know the z
Speaker 1: Attack Proxy Cookbook doesn't stop there. It also ventures into
Speaker 1: some like advanced CAAP territory, right it does, Yeah, what
Speaker 1: awaits us in this next chapter of our deep dive?
Speaker 2: Well, the book delves into the zpapi okay, which opens
Speaker 2: up a whole new level of customization and automation. Remember
Speaker 2: how we talked about APIs being like universal translators for
Speaker 2: computer programs. Yeah, Well, the zpapi lets you control ZAP programmatically,
Speaker 2: giving you the power to automate tasks, integrate zp into
Speaker 2: other tools, and basically make it do your bidding. It's
Speaker 2: like having a remote control for your cybersecurity toolkit.
Speaker 1: Okay, I'm intrigued. What kind of things can we do
Speaker 1: with this zapapi remote control.
Speaker 2: Imagine you're a developer working on a large web application.
Speaker 2: Instead of manually scanning for vulnerabilities every time you make
Speaker 2: a change, you could write a script using the zkapi
Speaker 2: to automate this process. It's like having a robot security
Speaker 2: guard constantly patrolling your code for weaknesses.
Speaker 1: That sounds incredibly efficient. Does the book give any specific
Speaker 1: examples of how to use the zpapi.
Speaker 2: It certainly does. It walks you through a step by
Speaker 2: step example of using the ZPAPI to scan a target application.
Speaker 2: It even explains how to use Docker, which is a
Speaker 2: way to package and run software in a consistent environment.
Speaker 2: Think of Docker like a shipping container for your code.
Speaker 2: It ensures that your application runs smoothly no matter where
Speaker 2: it's deployed.
Speaker 1: So Docker helps us avoid those but it works on
Speaker 1: my machine moments exactly.
Speaker 2: The book even shows you how to run ZAP from
Speaker 2: the command line, which is a way to interact with
Speaker 2: your computer using text commands instead of a graphical interface. Right,
Speaker 2: it can seem a bit intimidating at first, but it
Speaker 2: gives you a lot more control and flexibility.
Speaker 1: I'm starting to see how the ZAPAPI can really take
Speaker 1: things to the next level. What other advanced techniques does
Speaker 1: the book explore.
Speaker 2: It dives into integrating ZAP into CICD pipelines using Jenkins.
Speaker 2: Remember our car some line analogy. Well, Jenkins is like
Speaker 2: the automation system that orchestrates the entire software development process,
Speaker 2: from building the code to testing and deploying it. By
Speaker 2: integrating ZAP into this pipeline, you can ensure that security
Speaker 2: testing is happening continuously at every stage of development.
Speaker 1: So it's like having a safety inspection at every station
Speaker 1: on the assembly line, catching potential issues before they become
Speaker 1: major problems.
Speaker 2: Precisely. The book even provides a Groovy script, which is
Speaker 2: a programming language specifically designed for Jenkins, to help you
Speaker 2: set up this integration. It's like having a set of
Speaker 2: instructions written in a language that Jenkins understands.
Speaker 1: Groovy unintended, maybe a little.
Speaker 2: Finally, the book covers setting up and utilizing the zip
Speaker 2: EMIOS server, which stands for out of ban application security testing.
Speaker 2: Remember how we talked about OS being like setting a
Speaker 2: trap for attackers, Well, this section explains how to create
Speaker 2: and configure those traps using ZOP.
Speaker 1: So it's like setting up a hidden camera to catch
Speaker 1: someone trying to break into your house.
Speaker 2: That's a great analogy. Always helps you uncover vulnerabilities that
Speaker 2: might not be immediately apparent during traditional scanning. It's like
Speaker 2: sending a secret agent into the deepest parts of your
Speaker 2: application looking for hidden weaknesses.
Speaker 1: This is all incredibly fascinating. I feel like we've only
Speaker 1: just scratched the surface of what ZP is capable of.
Speaker 1: Where do we go from here? What are your final
Speaker 1: thoughts on the z Attack Proxy Cookbook and its role
Speaker 1: in the world of cybersecurity.
Speaker 2: It really is like having those superpowers, you know, at
Speaker 2: your fingertips.
Speaker 1: I'm ready to suit up. So the book walks us
Speaker 1: through some examples of how to use this zapapi it does.
Speaker 2: Yeah, one really cool example uses Docker.
Speaker 1: Have you heard of Docker Docker? Doctor? Yeah, it's like
Speaker 1: I think I kept hearing that at a tech conference,
Speaker 1: but it was all going over my head.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a pretty Uh, it's a pretty common tool nowadays.
Speaker 2: It's basically a way to package and run software. Think
Speaker 2: of it like like those prefab like tiny houses. You know. Oh, okay,
Speaker 2: everything self contained and ready to go, doctor, make sure
Speaker 2: that your application runs smoothly no matter where it's set up.
Speaker 2: It makes it really handy for automating those ZOP scans.
Speaker 1: Oh so it's like a a portable security testing lab exactly.
Speaker 1: You got it in a box.
Speaker 2: Yeah, pretty much awesome.
Speaker 1: So what else can we do with this advanced ZAP wizardry.
Speaker 2: Well, the book also shows you how to integrate ZAP
Speaker 2: into those CICD pipelines that we talked about using Jenkins. Remember,
Speaker 2: it's like having a continuous security check happening like at
Speaker 2: every stage of your software development process.
Speaker 1: Right, No vulnerabilities are getting past that inspector exactly on
Speaker 1: the software assembly line.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and the book gives you like a Groovy script,
Speaker 2: which is a specific programming language that Jenkins UNDERSTANDSKA to
Speaker 2: help you set up this integration. It's like giving Jenkins
Speaker 2: the instructions like in a language that it gets groovy.
Speaker 1: See what I did there? Nice?
Speaker 2: And finally, the book covers setting up and utilizing the
Speaker 2: zap GIOST server, which stands for out of band Application
Speaker 2: Security Testing.
Speaker 1: I remember that.
Speaker 2: Remember how we talked about OS being like setting a
Speaker 2: trap for attackers?
Speaker 1: Oh?
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, this section explains how to create and configure
Speaker 2: those traps using ZAP.
Speaker 1: So I'm picturing like laser beams. Yeah, you know, in
Speaker 1: a bank heist movie, except instead of protecting money, they're
Speaker 1: protecting our data.
Speaker 2: That's a great way to visualize it. OS helps you
Speaker 2: uncover vulnerabilities that might not be immediately apparent during traditional scanning.
Speaker 2: It's like traditional scans are like checking the front door
Speaker 2: and windows for locks, but OS has like having motion
Speaker 2: sensors throughout your house, like alerting you to any sneaky intruders.
Speaker 1: Love that sounds like ost is a must have for
Speaker 1: any serious security setup. This has been an incredible journey
Speaker 1: through the world of ethical hacking and ZAP. Yeah. What's
Speaker 1: the one key takeaway that you want to leave with
Speaker 1: our listeners today?
Speaker 2: You know, I think the biggest takeaway is that knowledge
Speaker 2: is power, especially in cybersecurity.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: This book gives you the knowledge and tools you need
Speaker 2: to understand vulnerabilities and ultimately make the Internet a safer
Speaker 2: place for everyone.
Speaker 1: It's like having a I don't know, a secret decoder
Speaker 1: ring for the digital world. I like that helping you
Speaker 1: see those hidden threats and protect yourself exactly.
Speaker 2: And remember, this book is just the starting point. The
Speaker 2: world of cybersecurity is always evolving, so stay curious, keep learning,
Speaker 2: and never stop exploring those new ways to protect yourself
Speaker 2: and your data.
Speaker 1: What aspect of cybersecurity sparked your curiosity the most today?
Speaker 1: What rabbit hole are you going to fall down next?
Speaker 1: Let us know. In the meantime, Happy hacking,