Software Testing - Vulnerability Testing

---

---

Software testing ensures that there are zero defects, and it also checks whether the software is built as per the user requirements. While verifying the software, it is very important to confirm that there are no security flaws which can be used to hack, or to get unauthorized access to information, and other resources. The vulnerability testing is performed to detect all the security weaknesses.

What is Software Vulnerability Testing?

The vulnerability testing is the process of identifying security bottlenecks to minimize the threats or attacks in the software. It involves the detection, and reduction of the susceptible areas in the software which can be used by the hackers. It is a very important testing technique which commits a very high level of security to the users preventing probable attacks, and unauthorized access of information. It is also known as the vulnerability assessment.

Let us take an example of an e-commerce application which has a higher probability of hostile attacks as it deals with the monetary transactions. This type of software is subjected to vulnerability testing to confirm that it is safe for the users, and the customer information is not compromised. The vulnerability testing is mostly based on the data, network, and host.

It is seen that weaknesses appear in the software due to the flaws in the internal designs and architecture, if the development processes around the security features of the software are not adhered to, inefficiencies in the test cases, and missing test scenarios.

Why is Software Vulnerability Testing Performed?

The vulnerability testing is performed for the reasons listed below −

• The vulnerability testing exposes the security flaws in the software which the developers fix in order to add additional security features.
• The vulnerability testing ensures that the software is more secure, and reliable. It checks if there is any unauthorized access to information for the hackers.
• The vulnerability testing scans the platform, software, and the network to detect the unintentional disclosure of information due to the design flaws. It helps the developers to fix those issues by redesigning the complete software.
• The vulnerability testing identifies the design in competencies in the software, and helps the developers to prioritize them with respect to severity.
• The vulnerability testing ensures that the password option in the software is strong, and secure enough not to be exploited by the hackers.

Process of Software Vulnerability Testing

The process of the vulnerability testing are listed below −

Step 1 − The first step involves planning the vulnerability testing process. It includes everything right from the beginning to the end of the testing. It consists of the data based vulnerability testing where the verification is done to identify the bottlenecks in the data security. It also consists of the network based vulnerability testing where the network problems are identified, and the operating system based vulnerability testing which identifies the security bottlenecks in the operating systems.

In this step, the scope of the vulnerability testing which includes validation of both the internal, and external designs of the software are also identified. All these can be achieved using the black box, white box, and gray box testing techniques.

Step 2 − The second step involves gathering every piece of information which may help in detecting maximum weaknesses in the network, operating system, hacking procedures, unauthorized access etc. They also aid in cracking the security features of the software.

Step 3 − The third step involves the creation of test cases covering all the scenarios on the vulnerable areas by using both manual and automated techniques. Also, the low, medium and high priorities are assigned to the vulnerable areas to help the developers fix them by redesigning the software. In this way, every vulnerable area is taken care of to come up with a secured software.

Step 4 − The fourth step involves coming up with a detailed report covering all the susceptible areas in the software and shared with the development team for further analysis.

Step 5 − The fifth step involves the identification of the remedial measures, and then they are shared with the development team.

Types of Software Vulnerability Scanners

The different types of the software vulnerability scanners are listed below −

#1) Host-Based − A host is referred to as a web server used to get connected with other servers available through the internet, and interacts with them. The host based scanners detect vulnerabilities in the operating system, workstations etc. It also gauges the extent of damage incurred by the software due to unauthorized access to the data, and also resolves them.

#2) Network-Based − It detects vulnerabilities exposed on the network while the software communicates through the internet to serve the users. It identifies all types of security attacks on the wired and wireless networks by scanning the applications on network devices etc.

#3) Database-Based − It scans the database to identify susceptible areas which are more prone to attacks, then finds procedures to secure them.

#4) Application-Based − It scans the application to detect the new, and already existing vulnerabilities, and measures the extent of damage that they can cause. The cyberattacks are the most common security attacks on the application.

#5) Wireless-Based − It scans the ports and detects the security loopholes in the network. Once they are detected, they are shared with the development team for the fix with the help of encryption, or other techniques.

Different Tools of Software Vulnerability Testing

The different tools of the software vulnerability testing are listed below −

• Intruder
• Nexus
• Frontline
• Nessus
• Acunetix

Differences between Software Vulnerability and Penetration Testing

Advantages of Software Vulnerability Testing

The advantages of the software vulnerability testing are listed below −

• The vulnerability testing improves the security of the software by preventing hostile attacks, mishandling of information etc. It detects all the security loopholes.
• The vulnerability testing follows an automated approach, and hence it is quick, and takes less time.
• The vulnerability testing ensures that the software is completely secure, and works to satisfy the customer requirements.
• The vulnerability testing is easy to perform with the help of scanners, and automation tools.
• There are a large number of scanning tools which are applied on the applications, networks, databases etc. They are mostly paid and readily available.

Disadvantages of Software Vulnerability Testing

The disadvantages of the software vulnerability testing are listed below −

• The vulnerability testing is costly and adds to the project cost.
• If the vulnerability testing fails to detect new vulnerabilities, the software fails to achieve the desired security.
• The success rate of vulnerability testing is very low since new kinds of security threats are evolving every day.

Conclusion

This concludes our comprehensive take on the tutorial on Software Vulnerability Testing. Weve started with describing what is software vulnerability testing, why is the software vulnerability testing performed, what is the process of the software vulnerability testing, what are the different types of the software vulnerability scanners, what are the different tools of the software vulnerability testing, what are the differences between the software vulnerability and penetration testing, what are the advantages of software vulnerability testing, and what are the disadvantages of software vulnerability testing. This equips you with in-depth knowledge of Software Vulnerability Testing. It is wise to keep practicing what youve learned and exploring others relevant to Software Testing to deepen your understanding and expand your horizons.