Content Management System Intrusion Detection using Regular Expressions

Abstract

With the widespread adoption of Content Management Systems (CMS) for website development, ensuring robust web security within these systems has become a critical concern. This paper explores the challenges and solutions for enhancing security in CMS-driven websites. As CMS platforms continue to empower users in creating and managing digital content, they also attract the attention of malicious actors seeking vulnerabilities. The paper conducts a comprehensive analysis of security measures specific to CMS, addressing issues such as user authentication, data integrity, and protection against common web attacks. Furthermore, this paper reviews the fundamental principles of Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), distinguishing between signature-based and anomaly-based detection methods. It gives a critical analysis of the strengths and limitations of IDS implementations. It also includes the development of a web log analysis application capable of recognizing patterns indicative of malicious activities using mainly regular expressions.