Author: Kateryna Ivanenko, Invicti Brand Manager
Application security is important as ever: cyberattacks become more sophisticated, applications are targeted more and more, attack surface expands rapidly. Thus, it is essential to know about main application security trends and what we can expect in 2026.
The Most Obvious One: AI is Everywhere
Businesses use AI more and more, including LLM-based chatbots and AI assistants for coding. It poses some level of risk: attacks on LLMs are evolving (for example, prompt injection is already a well-known vulnerability), and based on analysis, LLMs tend to produce insecure code.
But malicious hackers leverage AI as well, thus attacks become more fast and complex, and companies often fail to accommodate to current threat landscape. This way cybersecurity, including mature AppSec program, becomes more and more crucial for resilience against such evolving risks.
Though, AI is used in AppSec as well. Application security vendors tend to add more and more AI-based features (for example, AI-powered scanning), which can be a concern for someone in terms of safety, but if handled correctly, it helps to make protection more efficient.
Considering all of this, we can be sure that, provided an organization does not keep up with modern AppSec, it will face more and more attacks, leading to various consequences, from data breach to shattered reputation.
Vulnerabilities are Weaponized Much Faster
In the first half of 2025, about 32.1% of known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs) were weaponized within 24 hours of disclosure – up from 23.6% in 2024.
It can be partially explained as a result of AI usage by threat actors, as was mentioned above. This makes it important for organization to remediate such flaws as soon as possible. It is not likely the trend will stop progressing.
Attacks Against Web Apps Become More Prevalent
A 2025 AppSec report shows that there is a 33% increase in web app attacks year over year, reflecting how malicious hackers increasingly focus on applications rather than just networks.
This is a big leap that most likely will continue to increase in 2026.
Increased Risks for APIs
Over the past two years, 57% of organizations encountered at least one API-related data breach, and 73% of those suffered three or more incidents.
Even more concerning, 41% reported five or more breaches, pointing to systemic weaknesses in API protection and reinforcing the need for specialized API security measures.
Also, incidents related to the OWASP API Security Top 10 increased by 32%.
Since API is still one of the main route for web attacks, software vendors actively expand their API security solutions. It includes thorough security testing to ensure vulnerabilities are remediated.
What can help with API security testing: Invicti DAST (based on Acunetix and Netsparker) and Mend SAST.
Provided that an organization does not apply proper security measures, it becomes an easy target for attacks in 2026 as well.
Broken Access Control Remains Widespread
The #1 application security risk category has not moved since the previous edition, and is also a long-time member of the OWASP Top 10.
This time, Broken Access Control covers 40 separate security issues that may in some ways allow malicious actors to access data, resources, user accounts, or operations that should be prohibited for them.
Example CWEs include some avenues of sensitive information exposure, missing or incorrect authorization and improper storage of sensitive data.
What can be leveraged for security testing: Invicti DAST (based on Acunetix and Netsparker) and Mend SAST.
Most likely, in 2026 this security risk category will be on the top as well.
Security Misconfigurations are on the Rise
Another category in the OWASP Top 10, security misconfigurations, continues to rise, moving up three positions since 2021. This trend is unsurprising, given that the report’s authors found every single tested application contained at least one misconfiguration.
Configuration mistakes are expected to remain a significant security threat for the foreseeable future, since applications become increasingly complex.
High Position of Software Supply Chain Failures
Software Supply Chain failures has a lot higher position as well, this trend was noticed last year as well and is expected to continue.
Back in 2021, Gartner warned that by 2025, nearly half (45%) of organizations would suffer a software supply chain attack. The latest numbers suggest that prediction was, if anything, conservative. According to IO’s 2025 State of Information Security Report, 61% of businesses experienced a supply chain breach in the past 12 months.
What can help with finding vulnerable libraries in applications (one of the vectors of supply chain attacks): Mend SCA.
Some OWASP Top 10 Categories Became Less Prevalent
It includes cryptographic failures, injections and insecure design. It seems that many application security teams pay more attention to such issues than before. Especially considering that injections are a very well-known class of vulnerabilities.
Results in the next year may vary, but since there is a tendency of decrease, most likely it will not become more prevalent in 2026.
More Secret Leaks
It includes API keys, tokens, and passwords. GitGuardian’s State of Secrets Sprawl 2025 reports 23.8 million new hardcoded secrets found on public GitHub in 2024 – a 25% increase year-over-year.
The same report shows about 70% of leaked secrets remain active two years later, meaning even “old” leaks are still exploitable.
Such an increase is a big one, which probably will continue to grow in 2026.
Conclusions
The next year is expected to be even more tough than 2025 in terms of cybersecurity. Organizations can keep up with that pace using the right tools and implementing advanced AppSec programs.
If you want to test Invicti DAST or Mend (SAST, SCA, Container Security) that seamlessly integrate with each other, please leave your contact details below, and we will reach out to you within business hours:
