Machine Learning Performance Comparison for Web Application Security Threat Detection: A Systematic Review

Authors

  • Divala Zahra Oktavia Program Studi Teknik Komputer, Fakultas Teknik, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Kota Semarang, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia
  • Dwi Alvin Hidayat Program Studi Teknik Komputer, Fakultas Teknik, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Kota Semarang, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia
  • Desy Natalia Program Studi Teknik Komputer, Fakultas Teknik, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Kota Semarang, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia
  • Satria Krisna Prabantara Program Studi Teknik Komputer, Fakultas Teknik, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Kota Semarang, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia
  • Arief Arfriandi Program Studi Teknik Komputer, Fakultas Teknik, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Kota Semarang, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5244-8208

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51903/dhayjg79

Keywords:

Web Application, Threat Detection, Cyber Security, Machine Learning, Systematic Literature Review (SLR)

Abstract

The increasing use of web-based applications across various sectors has led to a growing risk of cyber threats, including phishing, DDoS attacks, SQL Injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other forms of intrusion. Traditional detection methods, which are often static, frequently fail to identify newly emerging, dynamic attack patterns. To overcome these limitations, machine learning has emerged as a more adaptive approach that can learn behavioral patterns, detect anomalies, and automatically identify potential threats. This study conducts a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to investigate the application of machine learning in enhancing web application security and to evaluate the performance of several algorithms commonly used in prior research. The SLR is structured using the PICOC framework, which includes population, intervention, comparison, outcome, and context. The analysis reveals that machine learning techniques are widely applied across various aspects of web security, including phishing detection, malicious URL classification, mitigation of DDoS impacts, and network intrusion detection. Algorithms such as Random Forest, XGBoost, and Support Vector Machine (SVM) consistently demonstrate strong performance, achieving high accuracy across diverse datasets and attack scenarios. Additionally, supporting techniques such as ADASYN, feature selection, and natural language processing-based methods further improve model effectiveness. Overall, the findings of this study highlight that machine learning not only accelerates and improves the precision of threat detection but also adapts to evolving attack patterns, making it a critical component in strengthening the security of modern web applications.

Author Biographies

  • Divala Zahra Oktavia, Program Studi Teknik Komputer, Fakultas Teknik, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Kota Semarang, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia

    Mahasiswa Departemen Teknik Elektro, Program Studi Teknik Komputer , Fakultas Teknik, Universitas Negeri Semarang 

  • Dwi Alvin Hidayat , Program Studi Teknik Komputer, Fakultas Teknik, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Kota Semarang, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia

    Mahasiswa Departemen Teknik Elektro, Program Studi Teknik Komputer  , Fakultas Teknik Universitas Negeri Semarang 

  • Desy Natalia , Program Studi Teknik Komputer, Fakultas Teknik, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Kota Semarang, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia

    Mahasiswa Departemen Teknik Elektro, Program Studi Teknik Komputer  , Fakultas Teknik Universitas Negeri Semarang 

  • Satria Krisna Prabantara, Program Studi Teknik Komputer, Fakultas Teknik, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Kota Semarang, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia

    Mahasiswa Departemen Teknik Elektro, Program Studi Teknik Komputer  , Fakultas Teknik Universitas Negeri Semarang 

  • Arief Arfriandi, Program Studi Teknik Komputer, Fakultas Teknik, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Kota Semarang, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia

    Dosen Departemen Teknik Elektro, Program Studi Teknik Komputer,  Fakultas Teknik, Universitas Negeri Semarang

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Published

2026-01-15