A canopy of apple-blossom¶

Beneath the deceptively tranquil canopy of web applications, a thriving ecosystem buzzes with activity—each bloom (endpoint) offering nectar (data) to legitimate pollinators (users), while hiding rot (vulnerabilities) in its petals. Like aphids draining sap, we probe for XSS holes in the fragrant blossoms, SQLi larvae burrowing into the fruit, and CSRF mites weaving invisible threads between branches. The orchard keepers (developers) often mistake beauty for health, not seeing how their prized blossoms drip with vulnerable pollen (insecure APIs) or how their sturdiest boughs (auth systems) crack under the slightest pressure.

This is the IN phase’s sweetest hunt: where low-hanging fruit (default creds) weighs down every other branch, where poisoned pollen (malicious inputs) spreads through interconnected flowers (microservices), and where the hungriest caterpillars (injection attacks) can spin entire webs (shell access) from a single nibbled leaf (parameter).

From PortSwigger’s lab-choked groves to Root-me’s thorny challenge vines, we document which blooms surrender their nectar too easily—and which ones hide wasp nests (RCE) beneath their petals. Portswigger Academy is the gardening class; Root-me is the wilderness survival trial—both end with you owning the orchard.