Building a Mini API Security Educational App for OWASP API Security Top Risks

Listen to this Post

The rise of AI-powered educational tools has opened new possibilities for cybersecurity training. A Cloud Security Analyst recently developed a mini API Security Educational App focused on the OWASP API Security Top 10 Risks, showcasing the potential of AI in cybersecurity education.

Check out the app here:

🔗 API Security Mini-Academy

APIs remain the 1 attack vector, making API security education crucial for developers and security professionals.

You Should Know:

1. Understanding OWASP API Security Top 10 Risks

The OWASP API Security Top 10 includes critical risks such as:
– Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA)
– Excessive Data Exposure
– Lack of Resources & Rate Limiting

2. Testing API Security with cURL

Use cURL to test API endpoints for vulnerabilities:

curl -X GET "https://api.example.com/users/123" -H "Authorization: Bearer <token>"

Check for IDOR (Insecure Direct Object Reference) by manipulating object IDs.

3. Rate Limiting Testing

Test if an API enforces rate limits:

for i in {1..100}; do curl -X GET "https://api.example.com/data"; done

If the server doesn’t block excessive requests, it’s vulnerable.

  1. Automating API Security Scans with OWASP ZAP

Run an automated scan using OWASP ZAP:

docker run -v $(pwd):/zap/wrk -t owasp/zap2docker-stable zap-api-scan.py -t https://api.example.com/openapi.json -f openapi

5. Detecting Sensitive Data Exposure

Use jq to parse API responses for sensitive data:

curl -s "https://api.example.com/users" | jq '.[] | select(.email != null)'

6. Securing APIs with JWT Validation

Validate JWT tokens manually:

echo "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzdWIiOiIxMjM0NTY3ODkwIiwibmFtZSI6IkpvaG4gRG9lIiwiaWF0IjoxNTE2MjM5MDIyfQ.SflKxwRJSMeKKF2QT4fwpMeJf36POk6yJV_adQssw5c" | jq -R 'split(".") | .[1] | @base64d | fromjson'

7. Mitigating Security Misconfigurations

Check for misconfigured CORS:

curl -H "Origin: https://evil.com" -I "https://api.example.com/data"

If the response includes `Access-Control-Allow-Origin: `, it’s insecure.

What Undercode Say:

API security is a critical frontier in cybersecurity. The OWASP API Security Top 10 provides a roadmap for securing APIs, but hands-on practice is essential. Use tools like Postman, OWASP ZAP, and Burp Suite to test APIs.

Additional Linux & Windows Commands for API Security:
– Linux:

 Check open API ports
netstat -tuln | grep -E '80|443|8080'

Monitor API traffic
tcpdump -i eth0 port 443 -w api_traffic.pcap
  • Windows (PowerShell):
    Test API connectivity
    Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://api.example.com" -Method GET
    
    Check TLS versions
    Test-NetConnection -ComputerName api.example.com -Port 443 -InformationLevel Detailed
    

AI-driven tools like the API Security Mini-Academy demonstrate how automation can enhance security training. However, always validate findings manually to avoid false positives.

Expected Output:

A secure API testing workflow combining automated scans (OWASP ZAP) and manual exploitation (cURL, jq) helps uncover vulnerabilities before attackers do.

🔗 Further Reading:

References:

Reported By: Kobyturjeman Api – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅

Join Our Cyber World:

💬 Whatsapp | 💬 TelegramFeatured Image