Ah, the shopping cart! 🛒 You fill it up with all the things you want to buy, but what if someone could sneak in and change the prices or empty your cart? That’s why Shopping Cart Security Testing is so important. Ecommerce company knows that the shopping cart is more than just a list of items—it’s a critical part of the shopping experience that needs to be locked down.
Why Security Testing is Critical for the Shopping Cart
The shopping cart is where users make critical decisions—adjusting quantities, applying discounts, and finally moving on to payment. But without proper security, this feature becomes a playground for attackers looking to manipulate product prices or steal customer data. That’s why this website treats its shopping cart like a vault that requires constant monitoring.
Key Reasons for Shopping Cart Security Testing
- Protects Product Data: Ensures prices, quantities, and product details aren’t manipulated.
- Secures Customer Data: Protects personal data like addresses saved in the cart from unauthorized access.
- Maintains Trust: A secure shopping cart builds confidence in the checkout process.
Also read about What skills and knowledge should a software tester have regarding SQL?
Benefits of Security Testing for Shopping Cart
Testing your shopping cart’s security not only protects user data but also ensures the overall integrity of the e-commerce platform. Here’s what you gain by doing it:
- Prevents Price Manipulation: Ensures that prices can’t be changed using developer tools or by altering requests.
- Protects Customer Data: Keeps personal information stored in the cart secure.
- Enhances Shopping Experience: Users can shop without fear, knowing their data and purchases are safe.
- Maintains Trust: A secure shopping cart boosts customer confidence, leading to higher conversion rates
Also read about What skills and knowledge should a software tester have regarding SQL?
Disadvantages of Not Performing Security Testing
Now, what if you don’t test your shopping cart for security? Things can spiral out of control pretty quickly:
- Price Manipulation: Attackers can change product prices, leading to financial losses.
- Customer Data Leaks: Personal information saved in the cart could be exposed.
- Loss of Trust: Customers who notice shopping cart vulnerabilities will hesitate to complete their purchase.
- Order Manipulation: Without security testing, attackers could manipulate cart data, leading to fraudulent orders.
Best Practices for Securing the Shopping Cart
1. Encrypt All Cart Data
All data transmitted through the shopping cart should be encrypted to prevent interception. Manual testers should verify that both in-transit and at-rest data is properly encrypted.
2. Validate All Inputs
Make sure no malicious input, like SQL injections, can manipulate the cart. Manual testers should test for common injection attacks to ensure the cart is secure.
3. Session Management
Use proper session management to prevent unauthorized cart access. Manual testers should validate that sessions expire after a certain period of inactivity and cannot be hijacked.
4. Regular Security Testing
Continuously test the cart for vulnerabilities to stay ahead of attackers. Regular security testing ensures that no new vulnerabilities are introduced during updates.
Manual Security Testing Checklist for Shopping Cart
- Encryption Verification: Verify that all data, including product details and customer information, is encrypted during transmission and storage.
- Input Validation Testing: Attempt SQL injection and XSS attacks on shopping cart input fields to identify vulnerabilities.
- Session Expiration Testing: Verify that sessions expire after a set period of inactivity and cannot be reused.
- Price Manipulation Testing: Use developer tools to alter product prices or quantities and ensure that the system rejects such changes.
- Order Validation: Test that only authorized users can modify cart contents and place orders.
Test Cases with test data for Shopping Cart Security
(Note: These test cases are designed for manual testers performing security testing.)
Here are some test cases
| Test Case ID | Test Objective | Test Steps | Test Data | Expected Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEC_SC_01 | Test for price manipulation | Change product price using developer tools | Product ID: PRD12345, Price: $100 | Price remains unchanged |
| SEC_SC_02 | Test cart session expiration | Leave cart idle for 15 minutes | User: john_doe, Cart ID: CART54321 | Cart session expires, data cleared |
| SEC_SC_03 | Test input validation for quantity | Enter invalid characters in quantity | Quantity: abc | Input rejected, error shown |
| SEC_SC_04 | Test cart retention after logout | Add items to cart, logout, and log back in | User: jane_doe@example.com, Cart ID: CART98765 | Cart retained after re-login |
| SEC_SC_05 | Test for XSS in cart fields | Inject script in cart fields | <script>alert('Hacked!')</script> | Script blocked, input sanitized |
| SEC_SC_06 | Test cart functionality with large orders | Add maximum allowable quantity of an item | Product ID: PRD54321, Max Quantity: 100 | Cart processes maximum quantity correctly |
| SEC_SC_07 | Test cart data encryption | Inspect network traffic while updating cart | Cart ID: CART24680, Product ID: PRD13579 | Cart data encrypted using SSL/TLS |
| SEC_SC_08 | Test for duplicate items in cart | Add the same item to the cart multiple times | Product ID: PRD11111, Quantity: 5 | No duplicate items allowed, quantity updated |
| SEC_SC_09 | Test for SQL injection in cart actions | Enter SQL commands in cart-related actions | SELECT * FROM cart WHERE product_id = '123' | SQL injection blocked |
| SEC_SC_10 | Test cart functionality on mobile | Use mobile browser to update shopping cart | Device: iPhone 12, Browser: Safari | Cart updated correctly on mobile devices |
Conclusion
The shopping cart is more than just a list of items—it’s a key part of the customer journey. Securing it with the right tests and practices can prevent attackers from manipulating prices or accessing personal information. Just like eBay, make sure your shopping cart is safe, so your customers can shop with confidence!
“A secure cart is the first step to a happy checkout,” says security team.
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