How hackers acquire goods with a 99% discount: using a Race Condition vulnerability in practice – column

How to Avoid “Race Condition”: Practical Solution for Web Applications Before Black Friday

Before Black Friday, the threat of cyberattacks exploiting “race condition” becomes a pressing issue for online stores. Using tools such as Burp Suite helps identify these vulnerabilities and protect against financial loss.

On the eve of Black Friday, web application security becomes one of the main priorities for online retailers, as cyberattacks, particularly those using “race condition,” can cause significant financial damage. Vadym Tylnyy from VAPAN COMMUNITY has examined in detail how hackers use parallel requests and which tools help enhance the resilience of digital systems against such threats. One such solution is Burp Suite, a tool suite for web application security testing that allows testing different request submission methods and manipulating TCP connections.

Support for HTTP/2 also plays an important role, as it allows the simultaneous processing of multiple requests, which can be used by attackers to exploit “race condition.” Attackers may take advantage of vulnerabilities in web application logic, leading to incorrect interactions with resources, such as applying multiple discounts simultaneously. The conclusion for companies is to ensure process atomicity and use locking mechanisms to avoid such situations.

Conducting regular pentests and implementing bug bounty programs will help identify and correct vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. This approach enhances the cyber resilience of any business handling financial transactions or user data.

Companies in Ukraine are increasingly turning to bug bounty programs, allowing them to engage ethical hackers to test the security of their systems, providing an independent assessment of their vulnerabilities. This becomes an important step in ensuring digital security in the modern world.