---
description: Protect against SQL injection, XSS, and other OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities.
title: Block application attacks
image: https://developers.cloudflare.com/og-docs.png
---

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# Block application attacks

Last updated Aug 25, 2026|Copy as Markdown|[View as Markdown](https://66f4ea29.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/use-cases/application-security/block-attacks/index.md)|[Agent setup](https://66f4ea29.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/agent-setup/)

Web applications face constant threats from SQL injection, Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), and other Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Top 10 vulnerabilities. Cloudflare WAF managed rulesets block these attacks automatically, and rate limiting prevents brute force abuse.

## Solutions

### Application security (WAF)

Get automatic protection from vulnerabilities and create your own custom rules. [Learn more about WAF](https://66f4ea29.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/waf/).

* **Managed rulesets** \- Pre-configured rules covering OWASP Top 10 and emerging threats, updated by Cloudflare
* **Zero-day protection** \- Rules are updated as new vulnerabilities are discovered, with no action required from you
* **Custom rules** \- Block or challenge requests based on any request attribute including headers, cookies, and IP reputation

### Rate limiting

Limit request rates based on flexible matching criteria. [Learn more about rate limiting](https://66f4ea29.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/waf/rate-limiting-rules/).

* **Rate limiting** \- Prevent brute force attacks and Application Programming Interface (API) abuse with flexible per-endpoint request limits

## Get started

1. [Deploy WAF managed rulesets](https://66f4ea29.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/waf/managed-rules/deploy-zone-dashboard/)
2. [Create custom rules](https://66f4ea29.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/waf/custom-rules/create-dashboard/)
3. [Configure rate limiting rules](https://66f4ea29.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/waf/rate-limiting-rules/create-zone-dashboard/)

For custom rules and rate limiting patterns specific to bot traffic, refer to [Stop malicious bots while allowing legitimate traffic (Free, Pro, and Business)](https://66f4ea29.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/use-cases/solutions/stop-malicious-bots/).

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