OWASP Top 10 for 2026: What Changed?

In February 2026, OWASP released a major update to the Top 10 — the world's most influential web security list. As Head of Cybersecurity at PhiBit, I audited our last 60 projects to show you what actually changed and how dev teams should respond.

What's most important in the 2026 update?

Three new categories entered the list, and two moved up significantly due to exploitation frequency. Key changes:

• A01: Broken Access Control — remains #1 (94% of audits find at least one instance)
• A02: Cryptographic Failures — climbed due to failure to migrate to post-quantum crypto
• A11 (new): AI/LLM Injection — prompt-based attacks on LLM apps
• A12 (new): Supply Chain Compromise — malicious dependency installation

A01: Broken Access Control

Still #1. Common example: an API endpoint returns another user's data by simply changing an ID in the URL — classic IDOR. In 31 of our last 60 audits, we found at least one instance.

A07: Identification & Auth Failures

Rose from #6 in 2024 to #5 in 2026. Main reason: explosion of mobile apps using JWT in unsafe ways.

// ❌ Dangerous: don't use JWT without verification
const decoded = jwt.decode(token); // just decodes!
const userId = decoded.sub;

// ✅ Safe: always use verify
const decoded = jwt.verify(token, secret); // decodes AND verifies
const userId = decoded.sub;

A11 (new): AI/LLM Injection

The most important new entry. With the explosion of LLM-powered apps, a whole category of attacks emerged: Prompt Injection, Jailbreaking, and Toxic Output. PhiBit built many AI apps in 2025-2026 — here are the top lessons:

• Always separate system instructions from user input (Anthropic's prompt caching helps a lot)
• Use output validation: never trust LLM output, especially if it will be executed as a command or SQL
• Strict rate limiting: max 10 messages/minute per typical user
• Don't send sensitive data in the context (remember providers retain logs)

A12 (new): Supply Chain Compromise

In 2025 alone, 14 major attacks happened via npm/pip. The solution isn't avoiding packages — it's smart verification. We recommend:

# pnpm audit + snyk on every CI run
pnpm audit --audit-level=moderate
snyk test --severity-threshold=high

# Use Socket.dev to catch supply-chain malicious packages
npx socket audit

Practical takeaways

If you're a developer or product manager, here's your priority action list for 2026:

1. Add ZAP or Burp to your CI — catches 70% of A01 and A03
2. Audit dependencies weekly — not monthly
3. If you use LLMs in production: read the new OWASP LLM Top 10
4. Get an annual pentest from an independent firm — no matter how much you trust your team