Listen to this Post
Google Dorking is a powerful technique for discovering vulnerable APIs, endpoints, and documentation. Threat actors often use this method to identify exposed CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operation endpoints, API documentation, and sensitive data leaks. Below are refined Google Dork queries to uncover hidden API resources.
Common API-Related Google Dorks:
1. Find API Documentation:
inurl:/api/v1/swagger.json intitle:"Swagger UI" filetype:json api
2. Discover CRUD Endpoints:
inurl:/api/v1/users intext:"GET /api/v1" inurl:"/api/v1" ext:php | ext:json | ext:yaml
3. Locate API Keys & Secrets:
"api_key" ext:env "x-api-key" ext:txt "Authorization: Bearer" ext:log
4. Exposed GraphQL Interfaces:
inurl:/graphql intitle:"GraphQL"
intext:"query {" ext:json
You Should Know:
Practical Steps for API Reconnaissance
1. Automate Dorking with `curl` & `grep`:
curl -s "https://www.google.com/search?q=site:example.com+filetype:json+api" | grep -Eo 'href="[^"]+"' | cut -d'"' -f2
2. Extract Endpoints from JavaScript Files:
wget -qO- https://target.com/app.js | grep -E '/api/v[0-9]/[a-z]+'
3. Test API Authentication Bypass:
curl -X POST 'https://api.target.com/v1/admin' -H 'X-API-Key: DUMMY_KEY'
4. Enumerate API Routes via FFUF:
ffuf -w wordlist.txt -u https://target.com/api/FUZZ -mc 200
5. Check for OpenAPI/Swagger Misconfigurations:
nmap -p 8080 --script http-swagger.nse target.com
What Undercode Say
API reconnaissance is a critical phase in both offensive security and defensive hardening. Always:
– Sanitize error messages (e.g., avoid leaking stack traces).
– Restrict Google indexing via robots.txt.
– Rotate API keys periodically.
– Monitor for unusual requests (e.g., spikes in `404` responses).
Key Commands for Defenders:
Audit exposed APIs on your domain
grep -r "api_key" /var/www/
Block suspicious user agents (e.g., scanners) in Nginx:
if ($http_user_agent ~ (wget|curl|nikto)) { return 403; }
Log API abuse attempts
fail2ban-regex /var/log/api_access.log 'POST /api/v1/login.401'
Expected Output:
- Refined Google Dorks for API discovery.
- Automated recon commands (
curl,grep,ffuf). - Defensive measures (Nginx rules, Fail2Ban).
- URL: API Recon via Google Dorking
References:
Reported By: Abhirup Konwar – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
