Introduction
APIs play a critical role in software and app development today. Every modern organization consumes or provides APIs for one or more aspects of its business process. With this abundance of APIs working for all kinds of data, one cannot help but question the security of the APIs. Because data security is essential for every API stakeholder, businesses must ensure that their APIs are shielded against security threats.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the most common security threats that an API can face and discuss how you can protect the API from such security threats.
What is API Security?
We often hear about various API-related attacks, from credential stuffing to stolen tokens to data extraction.
To prevent the loss from such attacks, businesses rely on API security. API security is an umbrella term that refers to the security mechanisms deployed by the companies to ensure the safety and reliability of their API.
Traditionally, businesses have relied heavily on content delivery networks, application delivery controllers, and web application firewalls to ensure the security of their APIs. However, these mechanisms alone are not enough to stop modern-day hackers from exploiting vulnerabilities and accessing your system components.
Let’s understand some common security threats and how to avoid or mitigate them.
Some Common Security Threats for APIs
Here is a list of some of the common security threats to be aware of. We have also included a brief overview of approaches that you can take to ward off such threats.
1. SQL Injection
SQL injection is one of the most common and biggest API security threats. Malicious input is passed through an API that eventually executes unintended SQL commands. Such execution can lead to data loss or corruption and even the disclosure of sensitive information such as passwords and credit card numbers.
To protect against SQL injection, it’s important to use parameterized queries and to escape special characters. In addition, API developers should consider using web application firewalls (WAF) to help detect and block malicious traffic.
2. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
Cross-site scripting (XSS) is another common API security threat. It occurs when an attacker injects malicious code into a web page or API endpoint. When an unsuspecting user executes such code, the source data could be corrupted or reveal sensitive information.
To protect against XSS, it’s essential to validate all input and output. API developers should also consider using a WAF to help detect and block malicious traffic.
3. Broken Authentication and Session Management
Broken authentication and session management occur when API authentication and session management mechanisms are not in sync. Such infrastructure allows attackers to access resources or data that they should not have access to.
To protect against broken authentication and session management, it’s crucial to use robust authentication mechanisms such as two-factor authentication. Developers should also consider setting a threshold for maximum failed login attempts and enforce a strong password complexity for users. For session management, they should implement session management through random and unique user IDs with high-grade entropy and invalidate them after each session lifecycle.
4. Insufficient Authorization and Authentication
Insufficient authorization and authentication happen when API developers do not implement adequate authentication and authorization checks. Such infrastructure can also allow unauthorized users to access data or resources they should not have access to.
To protect against insufficient authorization and authentication, we recommend using robust authentication mechanisms such as two-factor or multi-factor authentication systems. We also recommend avoiding the deployment of your applications with default credentials and without a log-keeping mechanism. Your APIs will have more robust protection against this threat if you can also implement modern encryption algorithms.
5. Broken Access Control
Broken access control is another common API security threat. It occurs when API developers do not correctly implement security controls, which can allow unauthorized users to access data or resources that they should not have access to.
To protect against broken access control, we suggest using strong authentication and authorization mechanisms. You should also consider using a WAF to help detect and block unauthorized traffic even before using a reliable access control mechanism.
6. Security Misconfiguration
Security misconfigurations are configurations that are left insecure. When API developers do not correctly configure security settings, it leaves your data at risk. Poorly documented configuration changes across endpoint components could lead to a security misconfiguration.
To protect against security misconfiguration, always correctly configure security settings — in all environments, from production to development to quality control. Developers should also install patches and software updates regularly, and QA engineers run scans and audits periodically.
7. Insecure API Endpoints
Insecure API endpoints are a dangerous API security threat that could jeopardize your entire business ecosystem. This threat occurs when developers expose internal API endpoints containing sensitive data for public consumption. Compromised API endpoints bring businesses to a screeching halt, increase maintenance costs, and damage your business reputation.
To protect against insecure API endpoints, ensure that sensitive data are always encrypted. Also, employ HTTPS endpoints wherever possible. You should also implement one-way password hashing, and using solid authentications is strongly recommended.
8. Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) is an attack where someone tries to make you click on something that looks like it’s from the original site but then takes you somewhere else entirely. CSRF attacks are possible on websites that use APIs and cookies for authentication because attackers could then access all the relevant cookies of the original webpage stored in the browsers.
To prevent CSRF attacks, you can use anti-forgery tokens — also known as “request verification tokens” — that helps the server to deny the browser’s request. Although using anti-forgery tokens with any authentication protocol can safeguard your APIs from CSRF, you should be careful when implementing cookie-based login systems.
9. API Spoofing
When attackers falsely identify themselves as an inter-company member with all the access rights, it’s called spoofing. They do this to get access and damage without being detected by the company or person they’re trying to attack.
The best way to protect your API is by creating a custom pre-configured server certificate trusted by the client’s computer. All requests must be made over Secured Security Layer (SSL), verified first, and checked against any malicious traffic when you enable this feature. The responses generated by the APIs are then encrypted and sent to the client’s computer.
- Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks
In this type of attack, the malicious user will make an enormous message requesting a server or network. Because serving many messages will consume the server’s resources, valid requests received by the server will have to wait until the resources are released and available to them. Without precautions, DoS could lead to the failure of infrastructure.
Businesses could employ rate limits or even request quotas to prevent DoS attacks. Similarly, HTTPS and OAuth mechanisms can also help protect against a DoS attack.
Best Practices for Better API Security
Now that you know the various API security threats see the following tips when securing APIs.
1. Use Security Tokens
Security tokens are an excellent way to protect your networks from outside interference. When a user successfully authenticates, the application gets a token. Then, every other transaction uses this token as credentials to call the API.
The use of API tokens allows the administrator to view or revoke the use of APIs, ensuring better control over the usage. Furthermore, when API tokens are tied together with the OAuth server, the authentication mechanism is isolated from the application, providing better infrastructure security.
We also recommend using JSON Web Tokens (JWT) for internal purposes. However, JWTs are available to everyone and easy to decode. So, we recommend that you use opaque tokens for external use.
2. Employ Encryption
The encryption process makes data unreadable by unauthorized users. API security can be achieved using an encryption algorithm that authorized parties can only decrypt with the proper key or code. Encryption is a powerful tool to protect against unauthorized access to information.
3. Use Central OAuth Server
Issuing tokens involves many complex processes like authentication, authorization, token signing, and transportation. Using the OAuth server, you isolate these complex processes from the application.
Moreover, if application APIs are allowed to issue authentication tokens, attackers will have direct access to the APIs and can tamper with the application using the authentication APIs
Using the Central OAuth server, you also limit different entities from creating and signing tokens. This limitation ensures ease of managing tokens.
4. Utilize API Gateway
An API gateway is a key to strengthening your API’s security. API gateways centralize the traffic flow, which allows you to apply security features to all API requests that pass through the gateway. For example, the security features you could use could be rate-limiting, blocking malicious attempts, and maintaining a log pool.
API Gateway also authenticates clients and routes their requests acting as an inverse proxy for traffic passing through it while maintaining standard protocols so that every connection can be tracked from start to finish with perfect accuracy by either party involved in this transaction.
5. Apply Quotas & Throttling
Consider setting limits on how often your API can be called and track its use over time. More frequent calls may indicate abuse, such as if an anonymous user continuously requested data from the same method without any intention of using it in a meaningful way. Such usages could also mean attackers are spamming you or trying to find a loophole in your API security. To protect yourself against spikes and DoS attacks, create rules for throttling so that there is constant availability of the resources even when demand increases unexpectedly.
Final Thoughts
API security is a complex yet critical process. and there are many threats that API developers need to be aware of. To ensure the security and privacy of web APIs, developers need to apply the standard security best practices. They must also equip APIs with better security tools that are not limited to API access control and privacy.
If you want to learn more about other security tools and methods to protect your web API from security threats, reach out to ThatAPICompany for a consultation.
