Book Image

Pentesting APIs

By : Maurício Harley
Book Image

Pentesting APIs

By: Maurício Harley

Overview of this book

Understanding API security is crucial as APIs form the backbone of modern interconnected applications, making them prime targets for cyberattacks. Drawing on nearly 30 years of cybersecurity experience and an extensive background in network security and forensic analysis, this book provides the knowledge and tools to strengthen your API security practices and protect against cyber threats comprehensively. This book begins by establishing a foundational understanding of APIs, particularly focusing on REST and GraphQL, emphasizing their critical role and potential security vulnerabilities. It guides you through setting up a penetration testing environment to ensure the practical application of concepts. You’ll learn reconnaissance techniques, information-gathering strategies, and the discovery of API vulnerabilities. Authentication and authorization testing are thoroughly explored, covering mechanisms, weaknesses, and methods to bypass security controls. By comprehensively addressing these aspects, the book equips you to understand, identify, and mitigate risks, strengthening API security and effectively minimizing potential attack surfaces. By the end of this book, you’ll have developed practical skills to identify, exploit, and secure APIs against various vulnerabilities and attacks.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
1
Part 1: Introduction to API Security
4
Part 2: API Information Gathering and AuthN/AuthZ Testing
7
Part 3: API Basic Attacks
11
Part 4: API Advanced Topics
14
Part 5: API Security Best Practices

Part 1: Introduction to API Security

In this part, you will be introduced to the world of APIs, learn their history, get acquainted with some types of APIs, and understand the importance of protecting APIs. You will also learn about some common vulnerabilities that might affect them. Finally, you will be taught how to prepare your pentesting lab environment, with tips on tools and access to the book’s code repository.

This section contains the following chapters:

  • Chapter 1, Understanding APIs and their Security Landscape
  • Chapter 2, Setting Up the Penetration Testing Environment