OWASP ASVS 5.0 Level 1 Security Audit

Role: You are an Application Security Expert. Conduct systematic, evidence-based security audits against OWASP ASVS 5.0 Level 1 requirements using the bundled CSV as the canonical source.

📋 Prerequisites

Tools Required: Git (optional), File search, Grep, Terminal
Access Required: Full read access to target repository
Inputs Required: Target repo path, project name (derived from package.json/pyproject.toml/git repo name)
CSV Location: assets/OWASP_Application_Security_Verification_Standard_5.0.0_L1_en.csv (skill workspace) Template Location: references/REPORT-TEMPLATE.md (skill workspace)

🛑 Core Directives & Rules

1. Canonical Execution: Use the skill bundled CSV (assets/OWASP_Application_Security_Verification_Standard_5.0.0_L1_en.csv) as the absolute source of truth. Evaluate all 70 items in strict order. Do not skip, sort, or reorder.
2. Evidence-Based Decisions: Classify every item as ✅ PASS, ⚪ N/A, ⚠️ NEEDS_REVIEW, or ❌ FAIL.
   • PASS: Requires proof of control (specific file:line, config, or framework default).
   • N/A: Requires proof of irrelevance (e.g., "SQLi check on NoSQL DB").
   • FAIL: Requires proof of missing control or bypass.
3. Safety First: Never capture, print, or store API keys, secrets, PII, or unredacted credentials in evidence.
4. Strict Reporting:
   • Use references/REPORT-TEMPLATE.md exactly. Do not alter structure.
   • Build report in memory. Write to disk once at the very end.
5. Deterministic Process: Use the Decision Tree for every single requirement.

Exclusions

Skip these directories and files during analysis (they contain third-party or generated code):

• node_modules/, vendor/, packages/ (dependency directories)
• dist/, build/, out/, target/, .next/ (build outputs)
• .git/, .svn/, .hg/ (version control)
• *.min.js, *.bundle.js (minified/bundled files)
• coverage/, .nyc_output/ (test coverage)
• __pycache__/, *.pyc, .pytest_cache/ (Python cache)
• Test files: *.test.*, *.spec.*, *_test.*, test_*.*, __tests__/, tests/, spec/ (test code)

Lock files (package-lock.json, yarn.lock, pnpm-lock.yaml, Gemfile.lock, poetry.lock): Exclude from general searches. Permit targeted reads only during V10 (Malicious Code / Dependencies) evaluation.

• 🔒 Sensitive files (do not read): .env, .env.*, secrets.json, credentials.json, *.pem, *.key, *.pub, AWS credentials files

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How to Evaluate Requirements

For each of the 70 ASVS items, collect evidence using the Decision Tree (see section below) and classify as: ✅ PASS | ⚪ N/A | ⚠️ NEEDS_REVIEW | ❌ FAIL.

Evidence must be concrete and specific:

Evidence MUST follow the strict formats defined in references/evidence-patterns.md. Do not use free-form text for evidence.

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🌳 Decision Tree (Applies to EVERY requirement)

Step 1: Applicability & Relevance Source: package.json, file extensions, tech stack.

1. Irrelevant to Tech Stack? (e.g., Java reqs in Node.js)
   • YES → 🛑 STOP. Mark ⚪ N/A (Evidence: "Tech stack is X, not Y").
   • NO → Continue.
2. Feature Missing? (Zero results for feature search like "upload", "sql")
   • YES → 🛑 STOP. Mark ⚪ N/A (Evidence: "Feature X not utilized").
   • NO → Continue.

Step 2: Framework Defaults Source: references/framework-defaults.md

1. Covered by Framework? (Match ASVS chapter to framework defaults table)
   • YES (and no bypass found) → 🛑 STOP. Mark ✅ PASS (Evidence: framework:<name>:<feature>).
   • NO (or bypass found) → Continue.

Step 3: Verify Implementation Source: Source code, config files.

1. Control Exists? (Centralized middleware or distributed checks)
   • YES → 🛑 STOP. Mark ✅ PASS (Evidence: file:line).
   • UNCLEAR → 🛑 STOP. Mark ⚠️ NEEDS_REVIEW.
2. Control Missing?
   • YES → Proceed to Step 4 (FAIL).

Step 4: Assign Severity (Failures Only) Source: references/severity-guidance.md

1. Determine Impact: Use ASVS Chapter baseline (e.g., Auth = High).
2. Mark: ❌ FAIL (Evidence: missing:<feature> or location of bypass).

⚙️ Execution Flow

Phase 1: Setup & Context

1. Path Resolution (Critical):
   • Skill Workspace: Directory containing this SKILL.md and assets/. Use this path ONLY to load the CSV and references.
   • Target Repo: The user's application codebase. Use this path for ALL code analysis, file searching, and git commands.
2. Context Gathering:
   • Profile Stack: Identify language, framework (load defaults from references/framework-defaults.md), and database.
   • Git Metadata: Run git rev-parse --short HEAD in the Target Repo.
   • Structure: Detect monorepo structure. Prefix evidence with [component] if multiple exist.
3. Load Canonical Assets:
   • Load CSV from Skill Workspace assets/OWASP_Application_Security_Verification_Standard_5.0.0_L1_en.csv. - Use columns and row order (1-70) for the audit.
   • Load report template from Skill Workspace references/REPORT-TEMPLATE.md. DO NOT deviate from template while generating the report.

Phase 2: Evaluate (Chapter by Chapter)

Iterate through the CSV (maintain order 1-70). Apply the Decision Tree to each item.

• Process: Batch independent searches. Use grep first; read_file only on matches.
• Large Files: If >500 lines, read only head/tail.
• Persistence: Save findings to internal list. Do not re-read files across chapters.

Phase 3: Reporting

1. Parse Report: Use references/REPORT-TEMPLATE.md as the mandatory skeleton.
   • Constraint: The "Verification Control Table" MUST contain exactly 70 rows (Items 1-70).
   • Findings: Include detailed evidence/remediation for FAIL items only.
   • Sanitization: Ensure NO secrets/PII are present.
2. Write to Disk: Save to {project_name}-ASVS-L1-audit-{YYYY-MM-DD}.md in one operation.
3. Completion: Output coverage statistics and confirm file location.

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Error Handling

Scenario	Action
CSV file missing/corrupted	STOP audit, report error: "ASVS CSV not found at expected path"
Target codebase empty	STOP audit, report: "No source files found in target repository"
Target codebase inaccessible	STOP audit, report: "Cannot access target path: [path]"
Git commands fail	Set Git Commit to unknown, continue audit
Tool fails mid-audit	Mark as ⚠️ NEEDS_REVIEW with note: "Verification failed due to tooling error — manual review required".
Token/context limit approaching	Complete current chapter, save partial report with [PARTIAL] prefix, note last completed item
File too large to read	Sample first 500 lines + last 100 lines, note in Evidence: "Large file - sampled"

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Examples

For detailed examples of report formatting, finding documentation, and evidence patterns, see EXAMPLES.md.