Top 6 common API Vulnerabilities

The development of business and web applications is increasingly reliant on APIs, but this expansion has also seen an increase in the use of insecure API implementations that put organizations at risk of hacking, DDoS attacks, data loss, and ultimately financial loss. Understanding the typical API vulnerabilities is essential since the security of your APIs is essential to the success of your business.

What is an API Vulnerability?

An application programming interface is a bridge that allows a computer program to interact with another program in a way the programmer of the first program would expect. An API vulnerability is a type of security flaw that can allow attackers to gain access to PII and sensitive data or execute other malicious actions. API vulnerabilities can occur when an API is poorly designed or implemented or is not adequately secured. Hackers can also exploit API vulnerabilities to launch different attacks, such as denial-of-service attacks, or to gain access to confidential information.

Top 6 common API Vulnerabilities

These vulnerabilities are very common in web-based systems and allow hackers to easily access a company’s information by breaching or manipulating these types of security protocols. In a list of vulnerabilities, we have gathered the top 6. In our opinion, these are the crucial ones. Some of these vulnerabilities can be resolved with proper planning and using new tools and reference architectures, but others might require a complete protocol overhaul that may or may not be possible, depending on the scope of a specific system API, integration points, and capability of the human factor.

Broken Access Control

Access control in APIs is a critical security measure that controls who can access data and functionality within an API. However, if access control is not implemented correctly, it can leave APIs vulnerable to attack. One type of attack that can exploit poor access control is known as a broken access control attack. This type of attack occurs when a hacker/attacker can bypass the security measures in place and gain unauthorized access to data or functionality.

To protect against broken access control attacks, it’s essential to implement proper access control measures in your API. This includes appropriately implementing authentication and authorization checks. It’s also essential to keep your access control measures up to date as new vulnerabilities are discovered.

Broken User Authentication

When valid credentials for the system are not required for an API request, that is likely to be a “Broken User Authentication” issue. If the API doesn’t require any authentication, it can be used by attackers to gain unauthorized access to protected resources. For a business, this kind of problem may present a critical challenge since the improper implementation of the authentication process may result in unauthorized access to sensitive information and computer systems.

API vulnerabilities: Injection Attacks

Injection vulnerabilities allow threat actors to send commands or malicious data to an API through user input fields, passing them as parameters or file uploads. Injection techniques used by attackers include Javascript, SQL, NoSQL, and OS command lines. The API’s interpreter circumvents any security and executes the malicious commands when there are injection flaws in the code, such as when client-supplied data is directly linked to SQL/NoSQL, Javascript queries, or OS commands.

Excessive Data Exposure

A system that has too many API endpoints enabled with excessively exposed data can be exploited by attackers. APIs should only include the functionality required for their intended purpose and nothing more. Exposing too much information about existing or future products is counterproductive as it enables hackers to use the APIs to perform reconnaissance on them, which could result in stolen IP, lost revenue, and damaged reputation.

API vulnerabilities: Lack of Rate Limiting

Rate limiting is a way to control the rate at which an API processes requests. Lack of rate limiting in APIs can lead to excessive requests that can overload the system and cause it to fail. This can result in a loss of data and service outages. Rate limiting is critical to API design and should be implemented to ensure the system’s stability. By limiting the number of incoming requests made per unit of time, rate limiting can help prevent resource overuse, improve performance, and reduce the risk of denial-of-service attacks.

Insecure Direct Object Reference

Insecure direct object reference (IDOR) is a type of security vulnerability that occurs when an application references an object using a direct reference. A hacker/attacker can exploit this to access sensitive data or perform unauthorized actions.

For example, a GET request is used to fetch user details such as name, card details, family member details, etc., and the API relies on the user ID, which the client sends as a parameter. If the user ID is guessable or can be brute forced, an attacker can change the user ID in the URL and fetch sensitive details of other users.

To prevent this attack, it’s essential to never reference an object using a direct reference. Instead, applications should use indirect references that are not guessable or predictable. For example, an application might use a UUID to reference an object.

How to defend against these API vulnerabilities?

API vulnerabilities are generally becoming an increasingly important issue as more and more businesses rely on APIs to connect with customers and partners. As we’ve seen, these APIs can be exploited in several ways. However, there are simple steps that you can take to help defend against them.

• Make sure that your API is well-protected. Use strong passwords and security measures, and make sure that only authorized users have access. Make sure that all users have unique passwords and use strong authentication methods such as two-factor authentication. This will make it much more difficult for attackers to gain access to your API, and be sure to regularly review security measures in order to stay up-to-date with the latest trends.
• You should also test your API regularly for vulnerabilities. Developers need to take care to properly check all user input before using it in any application logic. You also need to properly control request volumes to prevent denial of service attacks and exercise caution when designing APIs to avoid exposing private or confidential company data. Make use of penetration testing tools to identify any weaknesses in your system, and fix them as soon as possible.
• Finally, keep up to date with the latest security threats and updates. Make sure you’re aware of any new exploits or vulnerabilities that could potentially affect your API and always verify that user input is coming from a trusted source before taking any actions based on that input.

Conclusion

While APIs can improve business development efficiency, they also increase the system’s vulnerability. As a result, protecting APIs is critical, as is awareness of the most common threats. APIs are vulnerable to attacks that can compromise sensitive information, cause financial losses, or tarnish their reputation due to the vulnerabilities discussed in this article.