Transport Layer Security (TLS) is the protocol responsible for encrypting data exchanged between users and applications, protecting it from interception, tampering, and eavesdropping. Weaknesses or misconfigurations in TLS implementations can expose sensitive information, enable man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks, and undermine the confidentiality and integrity of communications.
TLS Security Tests:
- Insecure Transport Layer Protocols
Identifies whether the application uses outdated or insecure protocols like SSLv2, SSLv3, or early versions of TLS (e.g., TLS 1.0/1.1) that are vulnerable to known attacks.
- TLS Authenticity Flaws
Checks for weaknesses in verifying the authenticity of TLS certificates, such as accepting expired, untrusted, or self-signed certificates without proper validation.
- TLS Weak Encryption
Tests the strength of the cipher suites and encryption algorithms used, ensuring weak options like RC4 or short key lengths are disabled in favor of modern, secure alternatives.
- Bypassing TLS Certificate Pinning
Attempts to bypass certificate pinning controls implemented on the client side, which are designed to prevent MitM attacks by validating server certificates against a hardcoded, trusted certificate or public key.
- TLS Known Issues – CRIME, BREACH, BEAST, Lucky13, RC4, etc.
Assesses exposure to well-documented TLS-related attacks that exploit protocol flaws or weak configurations to decrypt or manipulate secure communications.
- Disable Certificate Validation
Tests if the application disables or improperly implements certificate validation, allowing attackers to intercept and modify encrypted traffic using forged certificates.