Identifying Web Application Components from URLs

A URL can be thought of as a reflection of the feature set, or various functionalities, of a Web application. Recall that the URL is the primary means of communication between the browser and the Web application system. The use of different components in a Web application system results in different patterns being visible in the URL. We often encounter people who are quite sharp at being able to tell what part of the world a person comes from, based on his appearance, the language he speaks, his accent, and various mannerisms. Differentiating a native New Yorker from someone originally from New Delhi might be relatively easy. In contrast, a lot more observation and iterative refinement is required to differentiate a native New Yorker from someone originally from New Jersey.

Identifying technologies at work in a Web application by simply looking at URLs requires the same sort of skill, power of observation, and experience with a plethora of Web application systems. The more systems you see, the more you are able to recognize and identify. Technology identification from URLs is an art an art that can prove to be quite a useful weapon for a Web hacker.