Of course, when we say \u201chacking,\u201d we mean \u201cethical hacking<\/a>.\u201d And using these intentionally vulnerable websites and web apps for testing provides you with a safe environment to legally<\/em> practice your craft<\/a> while staying on the right side of the law. This way, you can hack without treading into murky waters that could result in your arrest. (Unless, of course, the idea of spending time in prison sounds like a good time \u2014 then, hey, you do you.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s no secret that vulnerabilities in your websites and web applications leaves you (and your users) vulnerable to attack by bad guys. But what makes matters worse is that in their Web Application Vulnerability Report 2020<\/a>, the web security company Acunetix states that 63% of web applications and perimeter network security technologies have medium severity vulnerabilities and another 26% demonstrate high severity vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although this data is lower than what they previously reported, frankly, it\u2019s still too high. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a developer, you\u2019re likely responsible for designing, creating, and testing new and secure websites, applications, operating systems or other technologies. Doing this successfully requires:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This means that you must have the necessary cybersecurity knowledge and skills to identify and mitigate these vulnerabilities. And to keep these attributes as up to date as possible, you need to be aware of cybercrime industry trends but also the real-world approaches cybercriminals use. This is where using vulnerable websites and web apps can come in handy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But where can you find such useful vulnerable websites (or a list of such resources)? Look no further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This list contains a variety of vulnerable websites, vulnerable web apps, battlegrounds and wargames communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And before you ask, no, there isn\u2019t a particular order to this vulnerable website list in terms of importance or which resources would be considered the \u201cbest.\u201d Frankly, I\u2019m not a hacker myself, so I\u2019m just going to list them in alphabetical order for the sake of making things easy and to avoid starting any online arguments about how X<\/em> is better than Y<\/em>. Try these resources out for yourself to see how you might rank each different website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These suggestions came from my colleagues or are among the most popular choices that are frequently recommended within hacker online communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Buggy Web Application<\/a>, or BWAPP, is a great free and open source tool for students, devs, and security pros alike. It\u2019s a PHP app that relies on a MySQL database. Whether you\u2019re preparing for a project or just want to get some practice in to keep your ethical hacking skills up to par, this solution with the cute and happy little bee mascot contains more than 100 bugs for you to practice on. This includes all of the major (and most common) known vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n CTFlearn<\/a> is a popular ethical hacking platform that tens of thousands of people use worldwide. The name of the site is based on capture the flag<\/a> (CTF) contests that are common to the industry. These are usually cybersecurity competitions that are designed for hackers and other IT pros \u2014 often by other users of the site \u2014 that provide users with a chance to solve specific issues as either an attacker or defender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, a common CTF challenge might require you to break into a Linux web server and capture the \u201cflag,\u201d which could be a text file stored on the server. Inside the text file might be a pass phrase you can provide to prove that you completed the challenge. Depending on your mood and how the challenge is setup, this is a platform that allows you to wear your white hat or black hat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The challenge categories are organized by difficulty levels or a variety of topics, which include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Okay, I\u2019d be genuinely surprised if you\u2019ve never heard of this one. Damn Vulnerable iOS App (DVIA)<\/a>, much like the name would imply, is an iOS application that’s intentionally penetrable. This open source resource allows mobile security pros and enthusiasts to flex their skills in a series of challenges within a safe (and legal) environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s particularly great about this one compared to the rest of this list of vulnerable websites and vulnerable web apps is that it\u2019s focused specifically on mobile apps. While there are lots of vulnerable web apps available, there are fewer intentionally vulnerable mobile<\/em> app platforms<\/a> to practice on. It\u2019s the equivalent of a unicorn in a herd of wild horses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Want to experiment with some network layer security issues? Got it. What about local data storage vulnerabilities? It covers that, too. To use the tool<\/a>, simply download and install DVIA on your iOS device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not to be confused with DVIA, the Damn Vulnerable Web Application (DVWA)<\/a> is a great tool for web devs and security pros alike. Basically, it\u2019s a MySQL\/PHP web app that\u2019s designed to be super vulnerable to SQL injections<\/a> and other common attacks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In DVWA, you have the option of toggling between low, medium, high, and \u201cimpossible\u201d security levels for every type of vulnerability they offer. This gives you a chance to practice exploiting or defending against vulnerabilities that may exist within different environments. It also enables you to challenge yourself more and drill-down on areas you need to focus on more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, this tool is something that you\u2019d need to download from the website. It\u2019s important to note, however, that it\u2019s best to install this on a virtual machine where you can spin up individual instances as needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Want to see one of these challenges in action? Here\u2019s a video of someone performing SQL injections in a low security environment using DVWA:<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy These Resources Are Useful to Developers in Particular<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The 13 Best Vulnerable Web Applications & Vulnerable Websites for Testing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Buggy Web Application (BWAPP)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/bWAPP-mmebvba-1024x536.png\")
2. CTFlearn<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ctflearn-vulnerable-website-1024x606.png\")
3. Damn Vulnerable IOS App (DVIA)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/dvia-vulnerable-website-web-app-1024x520.png\")
4. Damn Vulnerable Web Application (DVWA)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/dvwa-vunerable-web-app-1024x549.png\")