Application Layer Attack Definitions

We define an application layer attack as an effort to subvert an application, an application user, or data managed by an application for purposes other than those sanctioned by the application owner or administrator. Application layer attacks do not usually depend on leveraging techniques at lower layers, although such techniques (such as IP spoofing or TCP session splicing) are sometimes used to change the way application layer attacks are delivered to the target.

Application layer attacks are often made possible because programmers are under pressure to release code under strict deadlines, and not enough time is left over for rooting out bugs that result in security vulnerabilities. In addition, many programmers ...

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