What Is the OWASP Top 10?
The OWASP Top 10 is the industry’s reference list of the most critical web application security risks, compiled by the Open Worldwide Application Security Project from real-world data. It is where most people first meet web security, and where most training and awareness starts. Learn these ten categories and you understand the shape of the majority of web vulnerabilities.
What does the Top 10 cover?#
The list is organized by category of risk, not individual bugs. Recent editions include:
| Category | Covered on this site |
|---|---|
| Broken Access Control | Broken access control |
| Cryptographic Failures | Sensitive data exposure |
| Injection | SQLi, XSS |
| Insecure Design | Threat modeling |
| Security Misconfiguration | Misconfiguration |
| Vulnerable Components | Supply chain |
| Auth Failures | Session management |
| Integrity Failures | Insecure deserialization |
| Logging Failures | Logging |
| SSRF | SSRF |
How should you use it?#
As a prioritized awareness baseline, not a finish line:
- Train developers on the categories most relevant to your stack.
- Map your testing to ensure each category is covered.
- Use it to communicate risk in a shared vocabulary.
The OWASP Top 10 is the map for much of this cluster. Work through it via the Web Security hub.
Frequently asked questions#
What is the OWASP Top 10?
The OWASP Top 10 is a regularly updated, community-driven list of the most critical security risks to web applications. Each entry is a category of vulnerability — like broken access control or injection — backed by real-world data. It is the de facto starting point for web application security awareness and training.
Is the OWASP Top 10 a complete security checklist?
No, and OWASP is explicit about this. It is an awareness document covering the most critical categories, not an exhaustive standard. For thorough coverage use the OWASP Application Security Verification Standard (ASVS). Treat the Top 10 as essential minimum literacy, not a certificate of security once addressed.