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Commerce Security Authority
Category: Vulnerability and Software Security

OWASP Top 10

Also known as: OWASP Top Ten, OWASP Top 10 Web Application Security Risks
Simply put

The OWASP Top 10 is a widely recognized list of the most critical security risks facing web applications. It is published as an awareness document to help developers and security teams understand and address common weaknesses. It is periodically updated to reflect changes in how web applications are attacked.

Formal definition

The OWASP Top 10 is a standard awareness document maintained by the Open Worldwide Application Security Project (OWASP) that represents a broad consensus about the most critical web application security risks. It ranks the top ten categories of web application security risks and provides remediation guidance for each, serving as a reference for developers and application security practitioners. Successive editions (for example, the 2021 and 2025 releases) revise the risk categories and rankings, so practitioners should reference the current published edition. It is an awareness and prioritization framework rather than a compliance standard, and it is distinct from PCI DSS and related PCI standards; PCI DSS may reference secure coding practices that address issues such as those cataloged in the OWASP Top 10, but confirm the specific requirement and wording against the current published PCI DSS standard.

Why it matters

Web applications are a primary target for attackers seeking to compromise payment environments, and many breaches trace back to common, well-understood weaknesses rather than novel techniques. The OWASP Top 10 gives development and security teams a shared, prioritized reference for the categories of risk that most often lead to compromise, helping organizations focus limited remediation effort where it is likely to have the greatest impact. Because it reflects a broad industry consensus, it is widely used as a baseline for secure development training, code review, and application testing.

For payment security specifically, secure coding practices are relevant because vulnerable web applications can expose cardholder data or provide a foothold into systems that process, store, or transmit it. PCI DSS may reference secure coding practices that address issues such as those cataloged in the OWASP Top 10, but the OWASP Top 10 is an awareness and prioritization framework rather than a compliance standard in its own right; confirm the specific applicable requirement and wording against the current published PCI DSS standard.

It is important to treat the OWASP Top 10 as a starting point rather than a complete assurance program. It is intended to raise awareness of the most critical risk categories, not to enumerate every possible vulnerability. Addressing the listed categories may reduce common exposure, but it does not guarantee an application is secure, and organizations typically supplement it with deeper testing, threat modeling, and controls appropriate to their environment.

Who it's relevant to

Application developers and engineering teams
Developers use the OWASP Top 10 as a shared reference for the most common and critical web application weaknesses, informing secure coding practices, code review checklists, and design decisions. It helps teams prioritize which classes of risk to address, though it should be treated as a baseline rather than a complete list of every vulnerability.
Application security practitioners and testers
Security testers and AppSec teams reference the current edition of the OWASP Top 10 when scoping assessments, penetration tests, and remediation guidance. Because the categories and rankings change between editions, practitioners should confirm they are working from the current published version.
Compliance and PCI DSS assessors
Compliance officers and assessors may encounter the OWASP Top 10 as a reference for secure coding practices. PCI DSS may reference secure coding practices that address issues such as those cataloged in the OWASP Top 10, but it is a separate awareness framework and not a PCI standard; the specific applicable requirement and wording should be confirmed against the current published PCI DSS standard.
Security leaders and risk owners
Security managers and risk owners use the OWASP Top 10 to frame training programs, set expectations for development teams, and communicate common application risk categories to stakeholders. It supports prioritization but does not by itself constitute a comprehensive assurance program.

Inside OWASP Top 10

Awareness Document, Not a Standard
The OWASP Top 10 is a periodically updated awareness document produced by the Open Web Application Security Project that highlights broad categories of the most critical web application security risks. It is not a certification standard and is not the same as PCI DSS, though PCI DSS has historically referenced it in the context of secure coding and protecting against common web application vulnerabilities.
Risk Categories
Each edition groups vulnerabilities into ranked categories rather than listing individual flaws. Categories in past editions have covered themes such as injection, broken access control, cryptographic or sensitive data protection failures, and security misconfiguration. The exact category names, ordering, and grouping change between editions, so practitioners should confirm against the current published edition rather than assuming a fixed list.
Relationship to PCI DSS Secure Development
PCI DSS includes requirements addressing secure software development and protection against common coding vulnerabilities, and it has referenced industry resources such as the OWASP Top 10 as examples of the kinds of vulnerabilities to address. The specific requirement numbering and wording differ between PCI DSS versions, so readers should verify the current standard. Application-focused validation frameworks such as PA-DSS and the PCI Software Security Framework are separate from PCI DSS.
Web Application Focus
The list is oriented toward web application risks. It is intended to inform developers, security engineers, and testers about categories of weaknesses to prioritize, and it complements but does not replace threat modeling, code review, and application security testing tailored to a specific environment.

Common questions

Answers to the questions practitioners most commonly ask about OWASP Top 10.

Is compliance with the OWASP Top 10 the same as being PCI DSS compliant?
No. The OWASP Top 10 is an awareness document listing broad categories of web application security risks; it is not a compliance standard and does not by itself constitute PCI DSS validation. PCI DSS references secure coding practices and awareness of common vulnerabilities as part of its software development requirements, but the specific requirement wording and numbering differ between PCI DSS versions, so confirm against the current published standard. Addressing the OWASP Top 10 categories can support your secure development efforts, but you must still meet the full set of applicable PCI DSS requirements and, where relevant, the PCI Software Security Framework, which is a separate standard.
Does covering every item in the OWASP Top 10 mean my application is secure or free of vulnerabilities?
No. The OWASP Top 10 is intended to raise awareness of prevalent, high-impact risk categories, not to serve as an exhaustive checklist of every possible weakness. Addressing these categories helps reduce common classes of vulnerability but does not guarantee an application is free of flaws, including those outside the list or specific to your architecture. It is best treated as a starting point that should be supplemented by threat modeling, code review, testing, and controls appropriate to your environment and data, including cardholder data protections.
How should we incorporate the OWASP Top 10 into our secure software development lifecycle?
Many teams use the OWASP Top 10 categories as a common vocabulary during design, code review, and testing, mapping each category to coding standards, developer training, and test cases. It can inform threat modeling and requirements gathering early in development. Because it describes risk categories rather than prescriptive implementation steps, pair it with more detailed OWASP resources and with your organization's own secure coding standards. Where applications handle cardholder data, align these practices with the relevant PCI DSS software development requirements, confirming details against the current published version.
How does the OWASP Top 10 relate to web application firewalls and automated scanning?
Automated scanners and web application firewalls often reference OWASP Top 10 categories in their coverage claims, which can help identify or mitigate some issues in those categories. However, these tools have known trade-offs: scanners can produce false positives and false negatives, and a WAF may block some attack patterns while missing logic flaws or novel variations. Coverage of a category label does not mean every instance is detected or blocked. Treat these tools as one layer among several rather than as full assurance against the listed risks.
How often does the OWASP Top 10 change, and how should we handle new versions?
The OWASP Top 10 is periodically revised, and categories, ordering, and naming can change between editions to reflect evolving data and community input. When a new version is published, teams typically review how the revised categories map to their existing controls, training, and test cases, then update accordingly. Because specifics vary by edition, refer to the current OWASP publication rather than assuming a fixed set of items, and avoid hard-coding references to a particular edition in policies that are meant to remain current.
How can we map the OWASP Top 10 to our own risk register and testing scope?
A common approach is to translate each OWASP Top 10 category into specific, testable requirements for your application, then link those to entries in your risk register with owners, controls, and validation methods. This helps clarify what is in scope for a given assessment and what is not, since the list describes categories rather than every concrete weakness. For applications in a cardholder data environment, coordinate this mapping with your defined PCI DSS scope so that software risks are considered alongside network, storage, and data-protection controls.

Common misconceptions

Addressing the OWASP Top 10 makes an application PCI DSS compliant.
The OWASP Top 10 is an awareness document covering broad risk categories, while PCI DSS is a distinct standard with its own requirements spanning far more than application vulnerabilities. Covering the Top 10 categories may help satisfy the secure development portions of PCI DSS, but compliance depends on meeting all applicable requirements in the current published standard, validated as required.
The OWASP Top 10 is a complete checklist of every vulnerability an application can have.
It is a prioritized set of broad risk categories, not an exhaustive inventory. Many relevant weaknesses fall outside the top categories, and the list changes between editions. It is intended to focus attention, not to serve as a comprehensive test plan.
Following the OWASP Top 10 prevents web application breaches.
It is intended to help reduce exposure to common, high-impact risk categories, but no single resource guarantees security. Effective application security also depends on implementation quality, testing coverage, ongoing maintenance, and controls tailored to the specific environment.

Best practices

Confirm which edition of the OWASP Top 10 you are referencing, since category names, ordering, and grouping change between editions.
Treat the Top 10 as a prioritization aid within a broader application security program that includes threat modeling, secure code review, and targeted testing, rather than as a standalone checklist.
When using it to support PCI DSS secure development obligations, map your work to the requirements in the current published PCI DSS version rather than assuming a fixed requirement number.
Keep application-focused validation frameworks such as PA-DSS and the PCI Software Security Framework distinct from PCI DSS in your documentation and control mapping.
Supplement the broad risk categories with vulnerability assessments and testing tailored to your specific application and environment, recognizing that the list is not exhaustive.
Re-evaluate coverage when a new edition is published and when the application changes, so that secure development controls stay aligned with current risk categories.