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47 views4 pages

apimike-com-api-penetration-testing-checklist

Uploaded by

saravanan lakshminarayanan
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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API Mike

API penetration testing checklist


By: Mike API In: Api Security

Contents
API penetration testing is the process of testing the security of an

API by attempting to exploit vulnerabilities in it. You want to find


any security flaws that could be used by hackers and fix them
before they can be used. This is the goal of API penetration testing.
TOUCHLESS
There is no single checklist for performing API penetration testing, API
as the process will vary depending on the specific API and its DISCOVERY
security vulnerabilities. However, there are some common steps Discover all unknown APIs in
that should be included in any API penetration testing process. your organization & reduce
cloud costs.

API penetration testing steps BOOK DISCOVERY ASSESSMENT

1. Determine the API to be used. • Powered by BLST Securit y

Once you have identified the target API, the next step is to start
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enumerating the endpoints and identify the parameters that can

be used to call the API. You can use a tool like Postman to send
requests to the API and see the response. This can help you to
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understand how the API works and identify any vulnerabilities that
may exist. Enter your email

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2. Go through the API documentation.
The next step is to review the API documentation. This will help you
to understand the functionality of the API and identify the attack
surface. The documentation will also help you identify how the API
is used and what parameters are required. This information can be

used to identify potential vulnerabilities in the API.

3. Determine the attack surface.


An API’s attack surface includes all of the inputs and outputs of
the API. By identifying these inputs and outputs, you can determine
the potential vulnerabilities in the API. These inputs and outputs
can include, but are not limited to, the following:

API calls

API calls are a way for a program to communicate with another


program. They allow programs to share data and functionality.
URL parameters
URL parameters are the variables that you can set in a web
address to affect how the page is displayed or how the data is

sent. For example, you might use a URL parameter to change


the size of the text on a web page, or to specify the data that
is sent to a server.
Headers
Headers are an important part of any API pentest. They can

be used to manipulate the data that is sent and received by


the API. Headers can also be used to bypass security
measures.
Cookies
Cookies are small pieces of data that are stored on your

computer or mobile device when you visit a website. Cookies


allow a website to recognize a user’s device and remember the
user’s preferences and settings. Cookies can also be used to
collect information about a user’s browsing activity and to
target ads.

Web responses
Web responses are the HTTP responses that are sent by the

web servers in response to the requests that are sent by the


clients. The web responses can be of different types
depending on the type of request that is sent by the client.
The most common type of web response is the HTTP
response code 200, which is the standard response code for a
successful request. Other common HTTP response codes are
404 (Not Found), 401 (Unauthorized), and 500 (Internal Server
Error), but these are the most common.
File uploads
Files that are uploaded to a server are usually placed in a

special directory reserved for that purpose. The web server


will then reference the file whenever it needs to send a copy
of the file to a user. This is often done when the user requests
a web page that contains an image or some other type of file.
API keys
API keys are codes that allow applications to access certain
features or information on a website. API keys are often used
by websites to protect information or features that are not
meant to be accessed by the general public. Websites that
need API keys usually have a form where users can enter their

application’s key to get access.

4. Identify the inputs and outputs of the


API
The inputs and outputs of an API can be identified by the
endpoints that the API provides. An endpoint is a URL that
represents a particular resource or action that can be performed
on that resource. By making requests to different endpoints, you

can interact with the resources that the API exposes. The
responses that the API sends back will also contain the information
that you need to understand the structure of the data that is being
returned.

5. Choose an authentication method.


The authentication mechanism is used to identify the user and
ensure that they are authorized to access the API. The
authentication mechanism is usually a username and password, but
it can also be a token or a certificate. The authentication
mechanism is important because it determines the potential
vulnerabilities in the API. If the authentication mechanism is weak,
then the API is more vulnerable to attack.

6. Determine the API’s vulnerabilities.


After identifying the attack surface and authentication mechanism,
you need to identify the vulnerabilities After identifying the attack

surface and authentication mechanism, you need to identify the


vulnerabilities in the API. This can be done by performing
penetration testing against the API. Penetration testing is the
process of attacking a system in order to find security
vulnerabilities. By attacking the API, you can find vulnerabilities
such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and privilege escalation.
These vulnerabilities can be exploited to gain access to the system
or data.

7. Carry out API penetration testing


One of the most important aspects of API security is identifying
and patching any vulnerabilities in the API. While manual testing is
one way to identify these vulnerabilities, penetration testing can
be a more comprehensive way to identify them. Penetration

testing is a technique used to identify the weaknesses in an API by


attempting to exploit them. This can be done using a variety of
methods, such as using automated tools or by manually attacking
the API. By using a lot of different methods, it is possible to find
more problems with an API.

8. Present your findings.


The aim of an API penetration test is to identify and exploit
vulnerabilities in an API. The findings of the assessment should be
reported to the client in order to allow them to fix the

vulnerabilities. The report should include the results of the


security assessment, as well as suggestions for how to keep the

API safe, in it.

Once the testing is complete, the team will generate a report

detailing the findings of the test. The report should include a


description of the vulnerabilities that were found, the methods

that were used to find the vulnerabilities, and the impact of the
vulnerabilities. The report should also include recommendations for

fixing the vulnerabilities.


Learn more about
API attack types

In conclusion
API penetration testing is the process of finding vulnerabilities in
an API so that they can be fixed before they can be exploited by

hackers. The process of API penetration testing varies depending


on the API and its security vulnerabilities, but there are some

common steps that should be included. These steps include

enumerating the endpoints, reviewing the API documentation,


determining the attack surface, and identifying the vulnerabilities.

The most important part of API security is identifying and fixing


any vulnerabilities in the API.

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