Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Damn Vulnerable Web Application VS Hack The Box

Compare Damn Vulnerable Web Application VS Hack The Box and see what are their differences

Damn Vulnerable Web Application logo Damn Vulnerable Web Application

Used to practice web penetration testing

Hack The Box logo Hack The Box

An online platform to test and advance your skills in penetration testing and cyber security.
  • Damn Vulnerable Web Application Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-08-14
  • Hack The Box Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-29

Damn Vulnerable Web Application features and specs

  • Educational Tool
    DVWA is designed specifically for educational purposes, helping users understand web vulnerabilities and how to protect against them.
  • Hands-On Experience
    Provides a practical environment for security professionals and students to practice pen testing techniques in a controlled and legal space.
  • Wide Range of Vulnerabilities
    Covers numerous web vulnerabilities like SQL Injection, XSS, and CSRF, which are commonly found in real-world applications.
  • Configurable Security Levels
    Allows users to adjust the difficulty level of vulnerabilities to learn progressively, from beginner to advanced.
  • Open Source
    DVWA is an open-source project, making it freely accessible to anyone interested in learning about or teaching web application security.

Possible disadvantages of Damn Vulnerable Web Application

  • Security Risks
    Running DVWA on a network connected system can pose security risks, as it contains deliberate vulnerabilities that could be exploited if exposed to unauthorized users.
  • Limited to Known Vulnerabilities
    Primarily focuses on well-known web application vulnerabilities and may not cover newer or more sophisticated security threats.
  • Setup Complexity
    Requires proper setup and configuration, which might be complex for beginners without a strong background in web technologies or security.
  • Not a Real-World Environment
    While DVWA is a useful learning tool, it does not fully replicate the intricacies and scale of a real-world application environment.
  • Dependencies
    Relies on other software components and systems (like PHP and MySQL), which must be correctly installed and configured, leading to potential compatibility issues.

Hack The Box features and specs

  • Realistic Practice Environment
    Hack The Box offers a wide variety of machines and challenges that closely mimic real-world scenarios, providing users with practical, hands-on experience in cybersecurity.
  • Community and Collaboration
    The platform fosters a strong community where users can interact, collaborate, and share knowledge through forums and team-based activities.
  • Diverse Skill Levels
    Hack The Box caters to all skill levels, from beginners to advanced professionals, ensuring that there are challenges appropriate for everyone.
  • Regular Updates
    The platform consistently updates its content with new machines and challenges, keeping the practice environment fresh and engaging.
  • Competitive Environment
    With leaderboards and point systems in place, users are encouraged to improve their skills and compete in a friendly environment.
  • Job Opportunities
    High performers on the platform can garner attention from companies and recruiters, leading to potential job offers and career advancements.

Possible disadvantages of Hack The Box

  • Learning Curve
    The platform can be intimidating for complete beginners as it assumes a certain level of knowledge in cybersecurity.
  • Steep Subscription Costs
    While basic access is free, the more advanced features and machines are locked behind a subscription paywall, which can be pricey for some users.
  • Limited Guidance
    Hack The Box emphasizes self-learning and problem-solving, which might not be suitable for users who require more structured guidance or tutorials.
  • Time-Consuming
    Many of the challenges and machines can be very time-intensive, which may not be practical for those with a busy schedule.
  • Potential for Frustration
    Due to the complex nature of some challenges, users might experience frustration and discouragement when they cannot solve certain tasks.

Damn Vulnerable Web Application videos

Installing Damn Vulnerable Web Application (DVWA) on Windows 10

More videos:

  • Review - 12 - XSS (Stored) (low/med/high) - Damn Vulnerable Web Application (DVWA)
  • Review - 5 - File Upload (low/med/high) - Damn Vulnerable Web Application (DVWA)

Hack The Box videos

Hack The Box VIP Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Damn Vulnerable Web Application and Hack The Box)
Monitoring Tools
11 11%
89% 89
Education & Reference
100 100%
0% 0
Education
9 9%
91% 91
Machine Data Analytics

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Damn Vulnerable Web Application and Hack The Box

Damn Vulnerable Web Application Reviews

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Hack The Box Reviews

Hack the Box vs TryHackMe – A Comparative Analysis
In the dynamic landscape of cybersecurity, the need to learn and evolve has never been greater. Security enthusiasts, pen-testers, and cybersecurity professionals need to stay ahead of potential adversaries. For this reason, platforms like Hack The Box (HTB) and TryHackMe (THM) have come to the fore, providing immersive environments to practice and learn cybersecurity...
Source: nextdoorsec.com
Top 5 Cyber Security Online Courses to Make a Good Pay
Hack The Box is targeted at offensive security and provides a live training place for hackers to practice their abilities without affecting production systems. For those who wish to be guided through the process, the course includes retiring boxes with write-ups by other members of the Hack The Box community. It also features active boxes with unpublished solutions. Hacking...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Hack The Box should be more popular than Damn Vulnerable Web Application. It has been mentiond 67 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Damn Vulnerable Web Application mentions (13)

  • Just starting out... building a lab recs?
    I would start with something like DVWA: https://dvwa.co.uk/. Source: about 3 years ago
  • I think this is a better approach in my case. Anyone in a similar boat?
    When you've got that, do some web-based challenges. The Damn Vulnerable Web Application is a great start as it has a little bit of everything. Start with Cross-Site Scripting, for example. Google it. Look at write-ups. Look at the solution for your current challenge, but it is important that you figure out why it works. As you go along with DVWA you will come across PHP and SQL. So google those and learn and... Source: about 3 years ago
  • Help needed with ab assignment
    Yes, the top 10 is a good place to start and pick a category from. For practice and demonstration you can use https://owasp.org/www-project-juice-shop/ or https://dvwa.co.uk/. Source: over 3 years ago
  • From php to hacking?
    Https://dvwa.co.uk/ Several difficulty levels on each topic. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Replacement for Damn Vulnerable Linux?
    It's not a distro, but you might still find DVWA (Damn Vulnerable Web Application) interesting. It's a PHP/MySQL-based web app, with the same goal as the distro you mentioned. Source: over 3 years ago
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Hack The Box mentions (67)

  • Tips for a CS student in college who wants to get into cyber-sec?
    You could also put any work you have done such as I am this far on tryhackme.com or hackthebox.com. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • How long did it take for you to make 80-100k?
    Definitely. There’s (Try Hack Me)[http://tryhackme.com] and (Hack The Box)[http://hackthebox.com], which are both excellent interactive learning platforms. I’m less personally familiar with Hack The Box, but at least for Try Hack Me, there are free modules and there are also modules locked behind a subscription service (it was $90/year when I signed up last year). I found it very helpful when I was prepping for my... Source: about 2 years ago
  • Jak nauczyć się etycznego hackingu?
    I'm sure there are some great Polish resources out there, unfortunately, I only know English language resources like https://tryhackme.com, Https://hackthebox.com, Https://overthewire.org, Etc. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Linux noob
    Most people that get into pentesting are already pretty familiar with Windows/Linux/Networking concepts, so you have an uphill battle in front of you. hackthebox.com and the youtube channel Ippsec are good places to start. Source: about 2 years ago
  • How do I get started in all of this?
    Have to agree, for a beginner and even beyond that, http://tryhackme.com/ is a great resource. There are others like http://hackthebox.com/ but they are considered a little bit less beginner friendly. Source: about 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Damn Vulnerable Web Application and Hack The Box, you can also consider the following products

TryHackMe - TryHackMe is an online platform for learning and teaching cyber security, all through your browser.

VulnHub - VulnHub provides materials allowing anyone to gain practical hands-on experience with digital security, computer applications and network administration tasks.

PentesterLab - Learn all about web hacking through online courses spanning the basics to advanced vulnerabilities

HackThisSite - Hack This Site is a legal free training ground for users to test and expand their hacking skills.

Nessus - Nessus Professional is a security platform designed for businesses who want to protect the security of themselves, their clients, and their customers.

LetsDefend - LetsDefend is a security operation center analysis and response training platform that provides a full lifecycle of learning modules in the form of courses, labs, and exercises to help organizations meet their compliance and cyber-resilience needs.