Server Side Request Forgery SSRF Attack Prevention

Server Side Request Forgery SSRF Attack Prevention

Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) represents a growing threat where attackers trick servers into making requests to unintended locations. Imagine giving someone your credit card to buy something specific, but they use it to purchase whatever they want instead. SSRF works similarly—applications designed to fetch resources on behalf of users can be manipulated to access internal systems, cloud metadata services, or external sites for the attacker's benefit.

SSRF's inclusion in the 2021 OWASP Top 10 reflects the increasing severity of these attacks in cloud environments. When applications run in cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, SSRF can expose cloud credentials through metadata services, potentially compromising entire cloud accounts. The Capital One breach of 2019, affecting over 100 million customers, involved SSRF as a key attack vector to access AWS credentials.