OWASP Top 10
An interactive checklist for tracking OWASP Top 10 (2021) coverage, with examples.
Broken Access Control
Cryptographic Failures
Injection
Insecure Design
Security Misconfiguration
Vulnerable Components
Auth Failures
Data Integrity Failures
Logging Failures
SSRF
Features
- Interactive OWASP Top 10 (2021) checklist with descriptions and examples
- Track remediation progress per risk category
- Expandable detail panels with attack scenarios, impact, and prevention measures
- Real-world examples of each vulnerability
- Links to OWASP official documentation and cheat sheets
- Export progress report as PDF or JSON
Common Use Cases
- Conduct a structured security review against the OWASP Top 10
- Onboard developers to common web security vulnerabilities
- Prepare for a penetration test or security audit
- Track security remediation progress across a sprint
- Create a security checklist for a new application or feature
OWASP Top 10
The OWASP Top 10 is the definitive list of the ten most critical web application security risks, published by the Open Web Application Security Project. Updated in 2021, it is the most widely used framework for evaluating web security and is referenced by compliance standards (PCI DSS, SOC 2, ISO 27001).
The 2021 Top 10 (A01–A10): A01 Broken Access Control, A02 Cryptographic Failures, A03 Injection, A04 Insecure Design, A05 Security Misconfiguration, A06 Vulnerable & Outdated Components, A07 Authentication Failures, A08 Software & Data Integrity Failures, A09 Security Logging Failures, A10 SSRF.
Examples
GET /api/users/123 # What about /api/users/124? (IDOR)SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = '' OR 1=1; --MD5(password) # Never use MD5 for passwordsFrequently Asked Questions
The OWASP Top 10 is updated approximately every 3–4 years, most recently in 2021 (previous: 2017). The list reflects emerging threats, industry survey data, and vulnerability database analysis. The 2021 version moved Broken Access Control to #1 (from #5 in 2017), reflecting how common access control failures have become.
It is an excellent baseline but not comprehensive. The Top 10 focuses on the most common and impactful risks, not all possible vulnerabilities. For mature security programs, also address: business logic flaws, supply chain risks, API security (OWASP API Security Top 10), and infrastructure security.
Broken Access Control (the #1 risk) occurs when users can act outside their intended permissions — accessing other users' data, performing admin functions, or bypassing authorization checks. Common examples: Insecure Direct Object References (IDORs), accessing endpoints without authentication, and privilege escalation. Prevention: enforce access control server-side, deny by default, and test all access control paths.
💡 Tips
- Address A01 (Broken Access Control) first — it's the most common and consistently exploitable vulnerability category.
- Use the OWASP Cheat Sheet Series (cheatsheetseries.owasp.org) for implementation details for each Top 10 category.
- Include OWASP Top 10 review as part of your code review checklist — developers catching issues during review is far cheaper than post-deployment fixes.
- Use automated SAST/DAST tools to continuously scan for Top 10 vulnerabilities rather than relying on point-in-time audits.