---
title: "Cursor Security OWASP"
description: "Configures Cursor for secure coding practices with OWASP guidelines, vulnerability scanning, and penetration testing."
category: "configuration"
tags: ["cursor", "security", "owasp", "vulnerability", "penetration-testing", "secure-coding"]
tech_stack: ["Cursor", "OWASP", "security-tools", "vulnerability-scanners", "penetration-testing-tools"]
---

This setup improves Cursor for secure coding practices by following OWASP guidelines. It emphasizes vulnerability scanning and penetration testing, making your development process safer.

### Configuration Overview
This configuration creates a solid framework for secure coding by integrating OWASP guidelines. It allows for thorough vulnerability assessments and automates security testing to help you catch issues early.

### Prerequisites
Before you dive in, make sure you have the following:

- **Cursor IDE**: Latest version
- **Node.js**: Version 14 or higher
- **npm**: Version 6 or higher
- **OWASP ZAP**: Installed for vulnerability scanning
- **Burp Suite**: Installed for penetration testing
- **Docker**: To run security tools in isolated environments

### Installation & Setup
Let’s get everything set up step by step:

1. **Install Cursor IDE**: Head over to the [Cursor website](https://cursor.software) to download and install it.
2. **Install Node.js and npm**: Follow the instructions on the [Node.js website](https://nodejs.org) to get these installed.
3. **Install OWASP ZAP**:
   - Download it from the [OWASP ZAP website](https://www.zaproxy.org/download/).
   - Follow the instructions for your operating system to complete the installation.
4. **Install Burp Suite**:
   - Get it from the [PortSwigger website](https://portswigger.net/burp).
   - Follow the installation steps provided there.
5. **Install Docker**: Check out the installation guide on the [Docker website](https://docs.docker.com/get-docker/).
6. **Configure OWASP ZAP**:
   - Start ZAP and set it to run in daemon mode for automated scans:
     ```bash
     zap.sh -daemon -port 8080
     ```
7. **Set Up Project Structure**:
   - Create a new project directory:
     ```bash
     mkdir secure-coding-project
     cd secure-coding-project
     ```
   - Initialize a new Node.js project:
     ```bash
     npm init -y
     ```

### File Structure
Here’s how your project should look:

```
secure-coding-project/
├── src/
│   ├── app.js
│   ├── routes/
│   └── controllers/
├── tests/
│   ├── security-tests/
│   └── unit-tests/
├── .env
├── .gitignore
├── Dockerfile
└── package.json
```

### Key Configuration Files
- **`.env`**: Keep sensitive environment variables here:
  ```plaintext
  DATABASE_URL=your_database_url
  SECRET_KEY=your_secret_key
  ```

- **`Dockerfile`**: This is for containerizing your application:
  ```dockerfile
  FROM node:14
  WORKDIR /usr/src/app
  COPY package*.json ./
  RUN npm install
  COPY . .
  EXPOSE 8080
  CMD ["node", "src/app.js"]
  ```

### Advanced Options
Here’s how you can take it a step further:

- **Integrate Security Testing Tools**: Use `npm` scripts to run scans with OWASP ZAP and Burp Suite automatically:
  ```json
  "scripts": {
    "test:security": "zap-cli quick-scan --self-contained --start-options '-config api.addrs.addr1=0.0.0.0' http://localhost:3000"
  }
  ```
- **Set up Continuous Integration**: Use GitHub Actions to automate security scans on pull requests.

### Troubleshooting
If you run into issues, here are some quick fixes:

- **ZAP not starting**: Make sure Java is installed and that the `JAVA_HOME` variable is set correctly.
- **Port conflicts**: If another service is using the port, change the port in the ZAP configuration.
- **Docker build errors**: Check that Docker is running and look for syntax errors in your `Dockerfile`.

### Best Practices
Keep your project secure with these tips:

- **Regularly update dependencies**: Keep libraries and tools current to reduce vulnerabilities.
- **Implement input validation**: Always validate and sanitize user inputs to fend off injection attacks.
- **Use HTTPS**: Make sure all communications are encrypted using HTTPS.
- **Conduct regular security audits**: Schedule scans using OWASP ZAP and Burp Suite periodically.

### Performance Optimizations
Here are some ways to boost performance:

- **Optimize Docker images**: Use multi-stage builds to cut down image size.
- **Cache dependencies**: Leverage Docker caching by copying `package*.json` before the rest of your application code.
- **Run scans in parallel**: If you’re using multiple tools, set them up to run at the same time to save on scanning time.