Burp Suite: Overview, Features, Tools, and Benefits

[br] Burp Suite is one of the widely used toolboxes that assist cybersecurity professionals in executing “comprehensive” security testing. Developed by Portswigger, the Burp Suite assembly of tools facilitates penetration testing of different web applications. Users can further enhance the capacity of Burp Suite tools by the installation of available add-ons known as BApps.
In comparison to other cybersecurity tools such as OWASP ZAP, BurpSuite is comparatively easy to use. Hence it turns out to be one of the most popular choices among beginners in Bug Bounty hunting and web penetration testing. BurpSuite has a free as well as paid version. The community edition of Burp Suite is available free of cost while the paid package has two versions- Professional and Enterprise.

Features of Burp Suite

Burp Suite provides an extensive framework that helps to execute different tasks including:

• Automatic and Manual Web Security Testing Burp Suite makes it easy to conduct security testing against web applications.
• Identification of Vulnerabilities The penetration testing tool for web applications discovers vulnerabilities across web applications.
• Web Crawling The process of web crawling helps in indexing data across web pages with automated scripts or programs.
• Web Application Analysis The web application analysis in Burp Suite aims at the determination of vulnerabilities in web applications.

Tools included in Burp Suite framework

• Spider

  Spider tool is used for mapping the web application at the targeted destination. The initial objective of the tool is to fetch the endpoint list in order to observe the potential and respective vulnerabilities existing in the network. Security testers prefer Spider because if they are able to gather more endpoints during the recon stage, they are likely to encounter more attack surfaces during the actual testing phase.

• Intruder

  The Intruder is a fuzzer that includes a cluster of values throughout the input point. Security tester examine the results based on content length as well as failure or success parameters. Anomaly leads to frequent changes in content length and code of response. In the slot of payload, Burp Suite assists in single values, dictionary files, and brute force attacks. The invader is further engaged to carry out dictionary attacks on the password fields which seem to be vulnerable to SQL or XSS injection. You can also carry out brute force attacks through the rate limitation on web applications.

• Proxy

  The Proxy intercept in Burp Suite would support you in changing content requests and viewing the answers when it is sent. Also, it would aid in removing the hassle of copy-paste which can allow users to pass answers and requests pertinent to the tool. You have to configure the proxy server so that it can run on a specific loopback port and IP address. You also need to configure and set up a proxy so that it can block certain pairings of response and request.

• Sequencer

  This popular Burp Suite tool is an entropy checker that examines token randomness generated by a web server. The tokens are utilised for authenticating sensitive operations. These majorly include anti-CSRF tokens and cookies which are generated in a random approach.

• Decoder

  Decoder includes common techniques of encoding such as Base64, HTML, URL, and Hex. The decoder tool is helpful for searching specific chunks of data within headers and parameters. Added to that, the tool helps to develop payloads in the vulnerability classes. Decoder comes especially handy in detecting primary cases of session hijacking and IDOR.

• Repeater

  In the Repeater, security testers follow manual adjustments to submit repeated requests. It is further employed for examining values provided by the user.

• Extender

  The tool supports the BApps integration of external factors into the toolkit of Burp Suite for expanding the overall functionality. Cybersecurity professionals can use Extender to examine, remove, install, and modify them (BApps). Some components are supported by a free-of-charge community version. However, you would need paid versions to access upgraded functionalities.

• Scanner

  The Scanner option is not available in the community edition. It enables the analysis of websites for vulnerabilities which provides details on reliability in exploiting difficulties. It is also updated to introduce less known and new vulnerabilities.
  If you are aspiring to learn how to use Burp Suite tool for security testing, you can join the Cybersecurity Essentials program by DataSpace Academy. This industry-leading certification course is open to aspiring learners from all backgrounds, including non-tech backgrounds. Added to theory classes, you will also receive practical training on using the tool that will help to develop your hands-on skills.

How does BurpSuite work?

Getting started with Burp Suite:

1. Installation of Burp Suite tool

   • Burp Suite is preinstalled on the Kali Linux machine. But, if you want the community version, you can download it easily from the official PortSwigger website. You can use it in Linux distributions such as Ubuntu,
   • After launching Burp Suite, there is an option for choosing a temporary project,
   • You need to select Next,
   • You have to keep the settings in the default configuration. Hence, select the “ Start Burp” section,
   • Now Burp Suite is launched successfully.

2. Proxy configuration

   To configure Proxy in BurpSuite, you need to stop the web request in the tracks and also you need to change it.
   • In the initial step, you need to add FoxyProxy to the browser and click add for adding extensions,
   • Once you complete the installation, you will find the browser on the address bar as a small icon. Next, you need to click on select Options. Then, you will select Add,
   • Then, you will see a window that will have the following options that you need to fill.

Proxy type: HTTP Proxy IP address: Your interface Port: Port for executing Burp Suite

Benefits of using Burp Suite

Burpsuite enables to detection of diverse types of vulnerabilities such as:

• Brute Force attack
• SQL injection
• Management of session
• Broken authentication
• Exposure to sensitive data
• Misconfiguration of security parameters
• Cross-site scripting (XSS)

Popular competitors of Burp Suite

Some of the commonly used alternatives of Burp Suite include some of the most in-demand cybersecurity tools such as:

• OWASP ZAP
• Veracode
• Immuniweb
• Acunetix
• Invicti (priorly Netsparker)

Conclusion

BurpSuite includes a state-of-the-art kit of tools that supports protecting the security infrastructure of an organisation. It is one of the most popular testing tool suites and aids in extensive evaluation of security within online applications. Put simply, BurpSuite carries a cutting-edge approach that makes the security process more versatile and faster.
At DataSpace Academy our comprehensive courses provide you with the best and easy approach to use the BurpSuite for quick security testing to identify security flaws.