Cybersecurity often focuses on traditional threats like SQL injection, malware, and phishing attacks, but a more insidious risk is quietly undermining the security of many companies —business logic vulnerabilities.
Business logic vulnerabilities pose a serious yet often overlooked threat to modern businesses. Unlike traditional security vulnerabilities, such as SQL injection or cross-site scripting (XSS), which exploit technical weaknesses, business logic vulnerabilities arise from flaws in how an application or system processes data.
The risks posed by business logic vulnerabilities are immense. Attackers can exploit them to manipulate pricing models, bypass authentication, or even gain unauthorized access to restricted areas of an application. Because these vulnerabilities are unique to each business system, they are notoriously difficult to detect, making them a significant concern for cybersecurity teams.
Sascha Giese, tech evangelist at SolarWinds, explains to ITPro that business logic is at the core of how organizations process data.
“A simple example would be a ‘buy two, get one free’ offer. When you add two items to your cart, the system adjusts the price automatically. But today, business logic can get a lot more advanced,” he says.
“A system might monitor stock levels and raise prices when demand is high or even apply complex rules like adjusting prices based on a customer’s location or purchasing power.” While these processes are designed to optimize business operations, they also introduce vulnerabilities. Attackers can exploit these logical pathways to gain financial advantages, steal data, or disrupt services.
A different kind of security risk
Business logic vulnerabilities stand apart from traditional cybersecurity threats because they do not exploit system defences' weaknesses. Instead, they manipulate how a system is supposed to work.
Ray Kelly, a fellow at Black Duck, points out that business logic vulnerabilities require careful planning and a deeper understanding of a system’s inner workings. “Unlike threats such as SQL injection or cross-site scripting, which can be quickly and easily tested, business logic flaws often require multiple steps or manual processes to exploit,” Kelly says. “Hackers tend to favor low-hanging fruit – attacks that require minimal effort – making common vulnerabilities like SQL injection more attractive targets. In contrast, exploiting business logic flaws takes more time but can be highly rewarding.”
One example is seat spinning, where cybercriminals repeatedly hold and release airline seats to block availability and resell them for profit. These are not traditional hacks but rather an exploitation of the business model itself.
Why are business logic flaws so hard to spot?
Unlike software bugs that can be detected with automated tools, business logic flaws require human intuition and creative problem-solving to uncover.
James Sherlow, systems engineering director at Cequence Security, notes that business logic abuse is unique to each application, making it difficult to apply universal security measures. “Whereas SQL and XSS can be protected by a web application firewall (WAF), for example, business logic abuse will be completely different for each application. There is not one test or signature that can be used,” Sherlow explains. “This is why these attacks need to be detected using behavioral analysis rather than traditional security testing.”
Dirk Schrader, VP of security research at Netwrix, also points out. “Automated pen-testing, even those that use an AI-based approach, has limited capabilities as it usually replicates what has been done before,” he explains to ITPro. “This is when the creativity of a human pen-tester makes a huge difference.” Since these vulnerabilities often don’t produce error messages or alerts, they go unnoticed until an attacker successfully exploits them.
How businesses can prevent business logic vulnerabilities
Addressing business logic vulnerabilities requires a fundamental shift in a business's cybersecurity strategy. Instead of relying merely on automated security tools, organizations must integrate threat modeling, human-driven testing, and real-time threat monitoring into their security framework.
1. Implementing threat modeling
Rather than focusing on traditional security risks, threat modeling analyzes how an attacker might manipulate a system’s workflows. According to Sherlow, the success of threat modeling depends on company-wide collaboration, not just the security team. “The key component here is that this needs to be embedded in company culture and not owned by the security team alone,” he advocates. “Security needs to come together with developers, business owners, product managers, and other areas of the business to build in processes to model potential threats.”
2. Manual penetration testing
Since automated tools struggle to detect business logic vulnerabilities, manual penetration testing remains crucial. Ethical hackers and security analysts must test applications as if they were attackers, looking for ways to exploit business logic flaws.
Danny Jenkins, CEO and co-founder at ThreatLocker stresses that AI cannot fully replace human analysis in identifying these vulnerabilities. "Automated testing is not great at testing for business logic vulnerabilities, so they usually have to be caught by a human," Jenkins says. "Security teams can overcome some of these challenges by ensuring proper code review and giving developers the time they need to consider potential risks as they develop."
3. Adopting a zero trust approach
A zero trust security model assumes that no system or user should be automatically trusted, even those within the organization. Dominik Birgelen, CEO of Oneclick AG, explains that zero trust architecture (ZTA) can help reduce the risk of business logic abuse.
“Zero Trust enforces continuous identity verification and context-aware access controls, ensuring users and devices are validated based on real-time risk assessments,” Birgelen explains. By applying strict access controls, session monitoring, and behavioral anomaly detection, businesses can limit an attacker’s ability to exploit logical weaknesses.
4. Monitoring for behavioral anomalies
Since business logic vulnerabilities often involve unexpected user behavior, real-time monitoring can help detect suspicious activity before it causes damage. AI-driven security tools can analyze normal user behavior and flag anomalies—such as a sudden increase in purchase attempts, repeated coupon code use, or unusual login patterns.
Cequence Security’s Sherlow emphasizes that detection must go beyond simple IP blocking to avoid false positives. “Defeating malicious actors is not only about blocking them but also breaking their business model,” he says. Security teams must use behavioral fingerprinting to track suspicious users without accidentally blocking legitimate customers.
Business logic vulnerabilities present a unique and growing threat that many organizations are ill-prepared to handle. Unlike traditional security flaws, these vulnerabilities arise from design weaknesses rather than technical exploits, making them more complex to detect and even more challenging for businesses to prevent.
As businesses continue to develop complex digital applications, attackers will look for new ways to manipulate their logic. The only way to stay ahead is by embracing proactive security strategies—including threat modeling, manual testing, Zero Trust security, and real-time behavioral monitoring. Organizations that fail to address these vulnerabilities risk financial losses, data breaches, and reputational damage.
