- What Changed in OWASP Top 10 2025
- A01: Broken Access Control (4th consecutive year at #1)
- A02: Security Misconfiguration
- A03: Supply Chain Failures (major riser)
- A04: Injection (SQL, NoSQL, OS Command)
- A05: Insecure Design
- A06: Vulnerable and Outdated Components
- A07: Identification and Authentication Failures
- A08: Software and Data Integrity Failures
- A09: Security Logging and Monitoring Failures
- A10: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)
- FAQs
- Key Takeaways
- Conclusion
- Sources
Web application vulnerabilities remain the leading breach category worldwide. The OWASP Top 10 2025 introduces significant changes reflecting AI-assisted attacks, supply chain compromises, and the explosion of API usage. Data from over 500 organizations and 30,000+ real-world applications informed this edition.
What Changed in OWASP Top 10 2025
Key changes from 2021: Supply Chain Failures rose to #3, API security issues merged into the main list, and Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) became a standalone category. Security Misconfiguration moved to #2 reflecting cloud infrastructure exposure growth.
A01: Broken Access Control (4th consecutive year at #1)
Users acting outside intended permissions. Examples: accessing another user account by changing a URL parameter, escalating from regular user to admin. Mitigation: enforce access control server-side, deny by default, log failures, alert on repeated violations, automate permission testing.
A02: Security Misconfiguration
Major riser in 2025. Cloud infrastructure, Kubernetes, and microservices dramatically expanded the misconfigured-system attack surface. Common issues: default credentials, unnecessary features enabled, verbose error messages, missing security headers, public cloud storage buckets. Mitigation: infrastructure-as-code with security scanning, automated configuration auditing.
A03: Supply Chain Failures (major riser)
Modern applications use hundreds of third-party libraries. SolarWinds, Log4Shell, and XZ Utils demonstrated devastating supply chain reach. Mitigation: Software Bill of Materials (SBOM), dependency scanning (Snyk, OWASP Dependency-Check, Dependabot), pin dependency versions, verify package integrity with checksums.
A04: Injection (SQL, NoSQL, OS Command)
A single unsanitized input can expose an entire database. Mitigation: parameterized queries for all database interactions, input validation, least-privilege database accounts, WAF rules for injection patterns.
A05: Insecure Design
Systemic design failures rather than implementation bugs. Threat modeling during design is the primary control. Use STRIDE or PASTA to identify threats before writing code. Establish secure design patterns development teams can follow.
A06: Vulnerable and Outdated Components
Using libraries with known vulnerabilities. Implement SCA in CI/CD: OWASP Dependency-Check, Snyk, Mend. Subscribe to CVE notifications for critical dependencies.
A07: Identification and Authentication Failures
Weak passwords, no MFA, insecure session tokens, credential stuffing not mitigated. Mitigation: enforce MFA, rate-limit authentication endpoints, use HaveIBeenPwned API for breach detection.
A08: Software and Data Integrity Failures
Insecure deserialization (CWE-502, underlying SharePoint CVE-2026-58644) and CI/CD pipeline compromises. Mitigation: sign artifacts, verify signatures in pipelines, integrity checks on all external data before deserialization.
A09: Security Logging and Monitoring Failures
Average dwell time before detection still measured in days in 2025. Log all authentication events, access control failures, input validation failures. Alert on suspicious patterns. Forward logs to SIEM that cannot be wiped by application-level attackers.
A10: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)
Attacker induces server to make HTTP requests to arbitrary domains. In cloud environments, SSRF retrieves cloud metadata credentials (AWS: 169.254.169.254), leading to full account compromise. Mitigation: validate user-supplied URLs, use destination allowlists, disable HTTP redirections.
🔗 Further Reading
FAQs
What is the OWASP Top 10 2025?
The 2025 OWASP Top 10 lists the most critical web application security risks based on data from 500+ organizations. Key changes: Supply Chain Failures at #3, Security Misconfiguration at #2, SSRF as a standalone category. It guides security investment prioritization for web applications.
Why is supply chain failure now top 3?
SolarWinds, Log4Shell, and XZ Utils backdoor demonstrated catastrophic supply chain impact. Modern applications use hundreds of third-party dependencies, each a potential compromise vector. The 2025 edition reflects this fundamental shift in how applications are attacked.
Key Takeaways
- Broken Access Control is #1 for four consecutive OWASP editions
- Supply Chain Failures is a major riser driven by Log4Shell and SolarWinds
- Integrate SAST, DAST, and SCA into CI/CD pipelines
- Threat modeling during design prevents entire vulnerability categories
- SSRF in cloud environments can compromise entire accounts via metadata services
Conclusion
OWASP Top 10 2025 reflects supply chain attacks, cloud misconfiguration, and automated exploitation. Address risks through secure-by-design practices, shift-left security testing, and regular pentesting. Related: Penetration Testing Beginner Guide.
Sources
- OWASP Top 10 2025 – owasp.org
- CWE Top 25 – cwe.mitre.org
- CISA Secure by Design – cisa.gov
