Understanding OWASP Top 10 - A9: Security Logging & Monitoring Failures Explained

Where Can We Find It?

These failures occur when applications don’t log security events properly or fail to monitor suspicious activities. This makes it hard to detect and respond to attacks. Commonly found in:

• Web Applications (No logs for failed logins, privilege escalations)

• APIs & Microservices (No tracking of API abuse, data exfiltration)

• Cloud Environments (Lack of security alerts for unauthorized access)

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How It Works?

When logs and monitoring are missing or weak, attackers can:
✅ Remain undetected after exploiting vulnerabilities.
✅ Cover their tracks by deleting or tampering logs.
✅ Exfiltrate data without triggering alerts.

💀 Example 1: Silent Brute-Force Attack

• A web app doesn’t log failed login attempts.

• An attacker tries thousands of passwords without triggering any alert.

• After guessing a weak password, they gain full access.

• Fix: Log all failed login attempts and trigger alerts after multiple failures.

💀 Example 2: No Logging in API Attacks

• A financial app allows large fund transfers via API.

• An attacker modifies API requests to withdraw unlimited money.

• Since API requests aren’t logged, the fraud remains undetected for weeks.

• Fix: Implement detailed API logging & anomaly detection.

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Common Types of Security Logging & Monitoring Failures

1️⃣ No Logging of Critical Events

• Example: A banking app doesn’t log failed login attempts or password resets.

• Fix: Log all authentication, access control, and privilege escalation attempts.

2️⃣ Lack of Real-Time Monitoring & Alerting

• Example: A hacker tries thousands of SQL injection payloads, but no alerts are generated.

• Fix: Use SIEM (Security Information & Event Management) tools to detect anomalies.

3️⃣ Logs Stored in an Unsecured Manner

• Example: An attacker gains access to logs that contain plaintext passwords or API keys.

• Fix: Store logs securely with encryption & access controls.

4️⃣ Failure to Monitor API & Microservices Traffic

• Example: A shopping app’s API allows unlimited access to user order history.

• Attackers scrape data in bulk without any alerts.

• Fix: Enable API rate limiting & monitoring.

5️⃣ Attackers Deleting or Tampering Logs

• Example: A ransomware attacker deletes logs to erase traces of the breach.

• Fix: Use log integrity protection (e.g., immutable logging in AWS CloudTrail).

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How to Mitigate Security Logging & Monitoring Failures?

✅ 1. Log All Security Events

• Log failed logins, privilege escalations, access control violations, and API abuse.

• Use structured logging formats like JSON or Syslog for better analysis.

✅ 2. Implement Real-Time Monitoring & Alerts

• Use SIEM tools (Splunk, ELK Stack, Wazuh) to detect anomalies in real time.

• Enable email/SMS alerts for suspicious activities.

✅ 3. Protect Log Files from Tampering

• Store logs in secure, centralized locations (AWS CloudTrail, Azure Monitor).

• Use log integrity protection (append-only logging, log backups).

✅ 4. Enable API & Network Monitoring

• Monitor API requests for rate limiting violations & data scraping attempts.

• Use IDS/IPS (Intrusion Detection & Prevention Systems) for network monitoring.

✅ 5. Automate Threat Detection & Incident Response

• Implement automated threat detection to flag brute-force attacks, privilege escalations.

• Use SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) tools to automate responses.

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Real-World Case Study: Capital One Data Breach (2019)

What Happened?

• A misconfigured AWS firewall allowed an attacker to access 100M+ customer records.

• No proper logging & monitoring meant the attack went undetected for months.

• Attackers exfiltrated customer data without triggering alerts.

How They Fixed It?

✅ Implemented real-time security monitoring with automated alerts.
✅ Improved logging of API access & data transfers.
✅ Enforced least privilege access controls to prevent unauthorized access.

Lesson: Without proper logging & monitoring, attacks can remain undetected for months! 🚀