What is Forced Browsing?
Forced browsing is a type of cyberattack where an attacker attempts to access directories, files, or other resources that a website does not intend to make publicly available. Instead of navigating through public pages and links, the attacker directly inputs a URL into the browser's address bar to probe for hidden files or directories on the server. Common methods to identify non-public paths include:
Directory Listing
If the web server's directory index feature is enabled, specifying a directory's URL can display a list of files within it. If sensitive files reside in those directories, attackers can easily identify their names.
HTML File Comments
Comments embedded within the HTML code can inadvertently reveal paths to non-public resources.
URL Guessing
By examining directory listings or information from HTML comments, attackers may deduce the site's naming conventions. They can then use these patterns to speculate the names of non-public files in other directories.
To prevent forced browsing attacks:
Additionally, implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) can effectively mitigate such attacks. F5 offers the F5 BIG-IP, which integrates robust WAF capabilities to safeguard against forced browsing and other cyber threats.