INDUSTRY:
CYBERSEC
YEAR:
2024
EXPERIENCE:
PHP, SQL, CYBERSEC
Vulnerable site
about.
This intentionally vulnerable PHP message board application serves as an educational cybersecurity demonstration, designed to illustrate the most common web application security flaws in a controlled learning environment. Created as a teaching tool for cybersecurity education, this project showcases real-world vulnerabilities including Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), SQL Injection, and hardcoded credentials in their natural context. The goal was to provide students with hands-on experience identifying and understanding security vulnerabilities before learning proper remediation techniques. Built with deliberate security gaps, this application creates a safe sandbox where learners can explore attack vectors and defensive programming practices. The final implementation serves as both a cautionary example and a practical training platform, making complex security concepts tangible and accessible to students beginning their cybersecurity journey.
challenge.
The main challenge lay in creating vulnerabilities that were realistic and educational while maintaining a controlled environment that wouldn't encourage malicious behavior. Balancing authenticity with safety required careful consideration of which vulnerabilities to include and how to present them in a way that emphasized learning over exploitation. It was also essential to provide clear documentation and remediation examples that would guide students from vulnerability identification to secure coding practices. This demanded thoughtful curriculum design, comprehensive testing scenarios, and robust instructor guidance to ensure the educational objectives were met while maintaining ethical boundaries in cybersecurity education.
result.
The educational demonstration proved highly effective, with students actively engaging in both the exploitation and remediation phases of the exercise. Students successfully identified and exploited the intentionally placed vulnerabilities, gaining practical experience with XSS attacks, SQL injection techniques, and the risks of hardcoded credentials. The hands-on approach resonated particularly well, as students could immediately see the impact of their attacks and understand the real-world implications of insecure coding practices. Following the exploitation phase, students demonstrated strong comprehension when implementing the provided security fixes, with many expressing newfound appreciation for defensive programming techniques. The controlled environment allowed for safe experimentation while building critical cybersecurity awareness that will inform their future development practices.
testimonial.
Actually exploiting XSS and SQL injection attacks made security concepts finally click for me. Going from hacker to defender in the same lesson was brilliant - I now automatically think about sanitization when coding. This hands-on approach beats textbook learning every time.
Student X
Student at my college
