OWASP Top 10 2025: What's Changed and How to Prepare

Introduction

The OWASP Top 10 remains the gold standard for web application security awareness. The 2025 update reflects evolving threat landscapes, increased API attack surfaces, and the growing complexity of modern applications.

Key Changes

1. Broken Access Control (A01)

Still the #1 vulnerability. Over 94% of applications tested had some form of broken access control. Common issues include:

IDOR (Insecure Direct Object References)

Missing function-level access control

CORS misconfiguration

2. Cryptographic Failures (A02)

Previously "Sensitive Data Exposure," this category focuses on failures related to cryptography that lead to data exposure. Key areas:

Weak algorithms (MD5, SHA1 for passwords)

Insufficient key management

Cleartext data transmission

3. Injection (A03)

SQL, NoSQL, OS, and LDAP injection remain critical threats. Modern applications face new vectors:

GraphQL injection

Template injection (SSTI)

Expression Language injection

Mitigation Strategies

**Implement Zero Trust Architecture** - Never trust, always verify

**Shift Left Security** - Integrate security into CI/CD pipelines

**Regular Penetration Testing** - Automated + manual testing

**Security Training** - Continuous developer education

Conclusion

Stay ahead of threats by making security a first-class citizen in your development process.