Bypassing API Authentication and Authorization Controls

APIs are the new perimeter, and attackers are constantly looking for ways to circumvent them.

– John Kindervag

API management plays a crucial role in ensuring the security of APIs. In this chapter, we will delve deeper into the concepts of authentication and authorization and explore how they can be used to secure APIs using industry-standard security design patterns. We will also examine practical methods of exploiting vulnerable APIs by setting up an API and attempting to bypass authentication and authorization mechanisms. Through these examples, we will gain practical insights into the role of API management platforms in the overall process of API security and management.

API authentication and authorization are fundamental components of securing and managing access to APIs; having robust authentication and authorization controls eliminates several attack vectors.

By the end of this chapter, we will have...