Web Security Academy

Learning path

Here's how to get the most out of the Web Security Academy

If you're new to web security, it can be difficult to know where to begin. That's why we've created this suggested learning path to point you in the right direction. We recommend completing the labs as you go, but don't be afraid to move on to the next topic if you get stuck. You can go back to the more challenging labs once you've developed your skills further.

When you've started to build up your web security testing skills, you could put them to the test with our Burp Suite Certified Practitioner accreditation. Before you are ready to attempt the Burp Suite Certified Practitioner exam, you should be comfortably able to complete all of the labs within the Web Security Academy labeled "Practitioner" or lower. There is no set time frame for completing the labs, but you must be able to do so without requiring access to the solutions provided.

Server-side topics

For complete beginners, we recommend starting with our server-side topics. These vulnerabilities are typically easier to learn because you only need to understand what's happening on the server. Our materials and labs will help you develop some of the core knowledge and skills that you will rely on time after time.

1SQL injection

SQL injection is an old-but-gold vulnerability responsible for many high-profile data breaches. Although relatively simple to learn, it can potentially be used for some high-severity exploits. This makes it an ideal first topic for beginners, and essential knowledge even for more experienced users.

2Authentication

3Directory traversal

4Command injection

5Business logic vulnerabilities

6Information disclosure

7Access control

8File upload vulnerabilities

9Server-side request forgery (SSRF)

10XXE injection

Client-side topics

Client-side vulnerabilities introduce an additional layer of complexity, which can make them slightly more challenging. These materials and labs will help you build on the server-side skills you've already learned and teach you how to identify and exploit some gnarly client-side vectors as well.

11Cross-site scripting (XSS)

Simply put, XSS is one of the most important vulnerabilities out there. It's both incredibly common and extremely powerful, especially when used as part of a wider exploit chain. This is a huge topic, with plenty of labs for complete beginners and seasoned pros alike.

12Cross-site request forgery (CSRF)

13Cross-origin resource sharing (CORS)

14Clickjacking

15DOM-based vulnerabilities

16WebSockets

Advanced topics

These topics aren't necessarily more difficult to master but they generally require deeper understanding and a wider breadth of knowledge. We recommend getting to grips with the basics before tackling these labs, some of which are based on pioneering techniques discovered by our world-class research team.

17Insecure deserialization

Deserialization has a reputation for being difficult to get your head around but it can be much easier to exploit than you might think. We'll guide you through the process step-by-step so you can pick off some high-severity bugs that even experienced testers may have missed altogether.

18GraphQL API vulnerabilities

New topic added

19Server-side template injection

20Web cache poisoning

21HTTP Host header attacks

22HTTP request smuggling

23OAuth authentication

24JWT attacks

25Prototype pollution

26Essential skills

Burp Suite Certified Practitioner

The Burp Suite Certified Practitioner exam is challenging, and heavily focused on problem-solving. To pass the exam, you will need to demonstrate a number of skills and abilities. We advise that you need to able to complete all "Apprentice" and "Practitioner" level labs, so at this point in the learning path you're in a great position to give it a go.

Mystery lab challenge

Unlike when you complete labs on the Web Security Academy, during the exam you'll have no prior knowledge of the type of vulnerability that you need to find and exploit. Use the mystery lab challenge below to spin up a randomized lab that you'll have to try and work out how to solve with no context, just like in the exam.

In some of the labs, you have access to your own account with the credentials wiener:peter. If you can enumerate usernames, you may also be able to brute-force the login using the following username and password wordlists.

Level

Category

Javascript is required to launch the labs.

The certification exam

In order to become a Burp Suite Certified Practitioner, you will need to undertake (and successfully pass) a four hour exam. This exam will consist of multiple practical challenges, designed to test your knowledge of vulnerabilities as well as your ability to exploit them.

Prepare with the practice exam

Take practice exam

Understand the exam process

Want the latest from the Web Security Academy?

Follow us on Twitter for new topic releases, and to get involved with our wider community.

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Learning about web security @WebSecAcademy and don't know how I made it this long in the web design world without getting into this. Now I am hooked. Can't stop playing around in their labs. Just spent an entire long weekend in front of the laptop #websec

@CodeWithFrida

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