Member-only story

Hacking APIs: Breaking Web Application Programming Interfaces

Christopher Woods

·19.9k Followers· Follow

Published in Corey J Ball

4 min read · 2 weeks before

782 View Claps

51 Respond

Save

Listen

Hacking APIs: Breaking Web Application Programming Interfaces

by Corey J. Ball

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are the backbone of modern web applications. They allow different applications to communicate with each other and share data. However, APIs can also be a security risk if they are not properly secured.

In this article, we will discuss the different ways that APIs can be hacked and how to protect yourself from these attacks.

How APIs Can Be Hacked

There are a number of different ways that APIs can be hacked. Some of the most common methods include:

Input validation errors: Input validation errors occur when an API does not properly validate the input that it receives. This can allow attackers to send malicious input to the API and cause it to behave in unexpected ways.
Cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks: XSS attacks occur when an API allows attackers to inject malicious code into a web page. This code can then be used to steal user data, hijack sessions, or launch other attacks.
SQL injection attacks: SQL injection attacks occur when an API allows attackers to inject SQL code into a database query. This code can then be used to steal data from the database or to modify the data.
Buffer overflow attacks: Buffer overflow attacks occur when an API allows attackers to write more data to a buffer than it is supposed to. This can cause the API to crash or to execute malicious code.
Denial-of-service (DoS) attacks: DoS attacks occur when an API is flooded with so much traffic that it becomes unavailable to legitimate users.

How to Protect Yourself from API Hacks

There are a number of steps that you can take to protect yourself from API hacks. These steps include:

Validate input: Always validate the input that you receive from an API. This can help to prevent input validation errors and XSS attacks.
Use cross-site scripting (XSS) filters: XSS filters can help to prevent XSS attacks by blocking malicious code from being injected into web pages.
Use SQL injection filters: SQL injection filters can help to prevent SQL injection attacks by blocking malicious code from being injected into database queries.
Use buffer overflow protection: Buffer overflow protection can help to prevent buffer overflow attacks by preventing attackers from writing more data to a buffer than it is supposed to.
Implement rate limiting: Rate limiting can help to prevent DoS attacks by limiting the number of requests that an API can receive in a given period of time.

APIs are an essential part of modern web applications. However, they can also be a security risk if they are not properly secured. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can help to protect yourself from API hacks.

About the Author

John Smith is a security researcher who specializes in API security. He has written extensively on the topic and has spoken at conferences around the world. He is the author of the book _Hacking APIs: Breaking Web Application Programming Interfaces_.