Exploiting WebSocket Vulnerabilities

When to Use

• During authorized penetration tests when the application uses WebSocket connections for real-time features
• When assessing chat applications, live notifications, trading platforms, or collaborative editing tools
• For testing WebSocket API endpoints for authentication and authorization flaws
• When evaluating real-time data streams for injection vulnerabilities
• During security assessments of applications using Socket.IO, SignalR, or native WebSocket APIs

Prerequisites

• Authorization: Written penetration testing agreement covering WebSocket testing
• Burp Suite Professional: With WebSocket interception capability
• Browser DevTools: Network tab for WebSocket frame inspection
• websocat: Command-line WebSocket client (cargo install websocat)
• wscat: Node.js WebSocket client (npm install -g wscat)
• Python websockets: For scripting custom WebSocket attacks (pip install websockets)