Business Logic error requires “ out-of-the-box” thinking

What is Business Logic?

Business logic defines the rules and workflows that govern how an application processes information and behaves in specific scenarios. For example, it may include verifying if a user provides the old password before allowing a password change.

Now that we understand what business logic is, let's look at what business logic vulnerabilities or errors entail.

What Are Business Logic Vulnerabilities?

A business logic vulnerability arises from flaws in the design or implementation of an application’s business processes. These vulnerabilities enable attackers to exploit logical flaws, allowing them to manipulate the intended flow of the application .

To better understand business logic vulnerabilities, let’s explore an examples:

1. Parameter Manipulation in E-commerce: An attacker could return to the summary page of an e-commerce site, adjust the price of an item while maintaining a valid session, and complete the checkout at a lower cost.
2. Resource Locking and Price Manipulation: By holding or locking resources (e.g., items in a cart), an attacker could potentially buy items at a reduced price. Implementing timeouts and validation mechanisms can prevent such manipulation.
3. Loyalty Program Abuse: A user could initiate a transaction to earn loyalty points, then cancel the transaction after the points are credited, potentially retaining the rewards without completing the purchase.

Business logic testing :

• [ ] Test Business logic data vaaldation:

1. Identify Data Entry Points and Hand-off Points:

• Review documentation: Understand the application's data flow, including integration points with other systems.
• Exploratory testing: Identify points where data is entered, transferred, or used for decision-making.
• System handoffs: Pinpoint interactions between different system components (e.g., microservices, third-party APIs, and databases).

2. Inject Logically Invalid Data: