Scanning for File Inclusion Vulnerabilities

File inclusion vulnerabilities are very common in PHP web applications. They occur when malicious hackers trick the vulnerable web application into including a malicious file from a remote server when serving a page. File inclusions are very dangerous because they can also lead to Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerabilities, which allow attackers to execute malicious code and possible access sensitive information on the web server on which the vulnerable web application is hosted.

File inclusion vulnerabilities are technical vulnerabilities – in other words, the result of poor code. The good news is that they are very easy to fix; the bad news is that they are not so easy to detect. Modern web applications are so complex that it is simply impossible to manually uncover file inclusion vulnerabilities. However, Netsparker's DAST solution can automatically detect file inclusion vulnerabilities in web applications within minutes.

Identifying the Most Complex Vulnerabilities

The Netsparker web application security scanner can automatically identify both Local File Inclusions (LFI vulnerability) and Remote File Inclusions (RFI vulnerability). Though a hacker needs only one vulnerability to hack your website, you need to identify and fix all of them. This is why it is important to use a web vulnerability scanner that detects more than the most obvious and easy to detect types.

Netsparker employs an advanced scanning technology that has the capability to identify thousands of different vulnerability variants, from a simple Cross-site Scripting (XSS) type to some of the most advanced types, such as Server Side Request Forgery (SSRF) and second order vulnerabilities.

Scan Any Type of Web Application & Web API

The Netsparker web application security solution uses a Chrome based crawler and does not need access to the source code to scan a website. Netsparker is able to scan and identify attack surfaces on any type of web application, web service and web API, regardless of the technology it is built with, and as long as it is accessible over HTTP and HTTPS.

Netsparker can scan legacy web applications and the most complex and custom HTML5, Web 2.0 applications and Single Page Applications automatically. The web vulnerability scanner has a built-in client-side script analyzer that emulates the actions of an attacker and scans all of the target’s attack surfaces within minutes. It can also identify web server misconfigurations on Apache, which typically runs on Linux, IIS and other popular web server services.

Understanding File Inclusion Vulnerabilities

Netsparker is the pioneer of Proof-Based Scanning™, a new technology that automatically verifies identified vulnerabilities. This means that when the scanner identifies a Local File Inclusion or Remote File inclusion vulnerability, it exploits it in a safe and read-only way. Netsparker also produces a proof of exploit, demonstrating the details of what could happen during a successful exploitation.

The proof of exploit helps developers understand the impact the exploited vulnerability has on the target. It also helps them understand how the vulnerability works and where it is in the web application, because the scanner reports all the technical details developers need to understand and fix it. Thanks to Proof-Based Scanning™, your team does not have to invest days manually verifying results. An added benefit is that developers can also increase their learning about reported security flaws, so that they can write more secure code.

Avoid LFI, RFI & Other Vulnerabilities

Netsparker is more than just another DAST tool. It is a comprehensive web application security solution that provides out of the box support for continuous integration servers and issue tracking systems. It also has a REST API so it can be easily integrated in your SDLC and DevOps environments.

Integrating Netsparker with your development environments gives you the tools to:

• Identify Remote File Inclusion and Local File Inclusion vulnerabilities during the early stages of development, so it is easier and costs less to fix them
• Identify thousands of other possible security vulnerabilities such as SQL Injection, Cross-site Scripting (XSS) and Directory Traversal
• Automatically trigger vulnerability assessments following code commits
• Report identified vulnerabilities automatically and directly into your issue tracking system, assigned to the correct developer
• Automatically retest developers' vulnerability fixes
• Ensure your web applications, web services and web APIs are vulnerability free, before they are deployed into live environments

Do not leave vulnerabilities undetected for hackers to exploit! Apply for a trial of the Netsparker security solution to automatically identify every file inclusion vulnerability, and thousands of other vulnerabilities in your web applications, web services and web APIs. Netsparker is available as an on-premises, hosted and self hosted solution.