An API attack is a hostile attempt to change the details, steal information, or threaten the authorities. The API attackers use the loopholes available in the system to get the desired information, and sometimes, they change the entire result coming out of data processing. Some people find API attacks hard to understand, while others associate them with hacking.
Some claim that API attacks should be legalized in the region, while others are extremely against the liberal idea. Basically, an API attack is an unauthorized access, or you can also say, illegitimate access to the data in order to temper results, steal relevant information, and attack for espionage purposes. Come with me to understand API attacks in detail, their purposes, possible risks, and the prevention method.
If you are still unable to understand the Application Programming Interface and attacks, then I will tell you with a very simple example. Let’s say you are sitting in a restaurant, and a waiter comes to take an order from you. You tell him the eatables, he notes them, and he comes back with your order after 10 minutes.
Now, the waiter is working as an API, building a connection between you and the kitchen. Similarly, the API is an intermediary that requests information from one software application to another hub of information, also known as the database and returns back with the desired information, just like the ordered food in the restaurant.
There is no system without loopholes or weaknesses in the world; for example, the high-security databases of Google, YouTube, Facebook, or WhatsApp also have loopholes. The API attackers try to exploit these loopholes and then get access to the main database, where they can temper the data or steal the information, which is called an API attack.
Types Of API Attacks
It seems very simple, but if you try attacking a system, it will take days and nights. Actually, finding these loopholes and trying to exploit them requires skills and patience, so one may need days to steal information from a database. However, there are several kinds of API attacks; some are severe, while others require hours to recover.
A very common type of attack is an injection attack in which the attacker maliciously sneaks a code in order to steal sensitive information. Let’s make it more simple to understand, when you open a website and provide the initial information to get access to the platform, such as username or password. The attacker, on the other hand, slips a malicious code that tricks the system, and if security does not double-check, the code shows all the conversations between your device and the database.
Now, the source used for attacking the system is called SQL, a language used for accessing, manipulating, and managing the relational database. In 2017, the attack on Equifax was supported by SQL. The loophole allowed attackers to take more than 147 million people’s information from the database.
Sometimes, the purpose is not to steal the information but to create an inconvenience that can cause financial or reputational damage. Denial of Service or DoS is used to block the entire system in order to create disruption by bombarding a platform with endless requests that it cannot accept and goes down. Similarly, the Distributed Denial of Service or DDoS involves multiple sources that block people’s traffic by bombarding the server with limitless requests, and as a result, the server goes down.
You may find it very illogical that one only wants to shut down the system for a period instead of stealing data. Actually, blocking the system can cause more damage than stealing individuals’ secret information. For example, the attack on GitHub 2018, which caused the loss of millions of dollars, was an attempt to disrupt the platform for a period, so the developers stopped communicating with each other, and it led to financial damage.
Another commonly occurring API attack is called Authentication Hijacking, in which the attacker steals the personal information of the user very smartly and gains access to the platform. In simple words, every website or application offers you an account or cookies, which is a pass to get access to the website. Now, these attackers hijack the cookie or steal the pass information such as password and email, then take this information to pretend to be the user in order to access the platform from your account.
The task is not as simple as it seems because one requires a list of tools and highly polished skills to use coding. However, people use multiple ways to access users’ personal information. For example, there were Twitter hacks in 2020, Facebook account hijackings in 2018, and eBay API attacks in 2014.
Other Types of API Attacks
- Data Exposure: It is a consideration when sensitive data such as passwords, bank account numbers, emails, or personal details of the clients are mistakenly exposed to irrelevant bodies, which can take advantage of the information negatively.
- Man In The Middle: It is a type of hacking in which attackers place themselves between two communication mediums in order to gather information about people using the platform. For example, a third part is seeing your text messages with your friends.
- Parameter Tampering: Sometimes, the purpose is not to create disturbance or steal information but to trick the clients. In Parameter Tapering, an attacker exploits the protocols used for exchanging information between the user and the server so the user gets different results.
- Unencrypted Communications: Encryption is a process to encode the data, whether it is communication or personal information. If the data is unencrypted, an attacker can access and use it for negative advantages.
- Application Abuse: In this type of API attack, the hacker alters the application’s features in order to use them more, even if the feature is not designed for it. For example, prolonging the trial-free durations in paid applications.
- Broken Access Control: It happens when the attacker accesses the parts of the application that are not allowed for the general public without the consent of the user. For example, Facebook’s Photo API’s Vulnerability 2018 incident, in which the system allowed attackers to gain access to the user’s private pictures.
What Are The Best Defenses Against API Attacks?
Once you understand how attackers can steal your personal information from websites and applications, the fear of an API attack may keep you awake the entire night. However, there are ways you can strengthen the security of your application, website, and server to prevent attacks. These methods are not only reliable but also easy to apply for laymen.
Authentication & Authorization
An API key is like a password or the code that allows you to take information from a specific part of the server. So, if you strengthen the authentication method, such as turning on Two-Step Authentication, which carefully verifies the key holder, you can prevent attacks. Additionally, you can get assistance from Granular Authorization, which limits access to other applications in order to enhance security.
Input Validation & Data Sanitization
Input Validation is another security step that can prevent hackers from accessing your information. You can use programming language or tools to strengthen your security system so it double-checks every entry and then allows the user to gain information. Furthermore, you can clean the data from harmful things, tricky codes, and other stuff, which is called Data Sanitization.
I have mentioned the DoS and DDoS attacks, which are triggered by bombarding too many requests at the same time. It blocks the chain of information, and the system is hijacked, just like a traffic jam in which neither left-side cars go to the right nor right-side vehicles go to the left because of immense critical conditions. But what if you limit the number of requests according to the time frame?
For example, you limit the server access to 5 times an hour for 200 requests, and the rest of the requests are denied. It will not only keep your server or website safe from excess information but also prevent the burden upon the server so the server can function effortlessly.
Today, we are living in a digital world where people are more interested to know the personal details of the next individual rather than showing their own data. Simply put, it is a kind of politics and a game where you try to trick, manipulate, and sometimes attempt to defeat your opponent with the help of API attacks. However, the attack is not successful if the system perfectly encrypts the data.
As I have mentioned above, encryption is a process of encoding data, but now we are going to understand it with further details. When you encrypt the data, it changes the data’s shape; it shows that you are reading or accessing something different, and sometimes, the encryption changes the type of file so no one can access it. For example, you receive a highly confidential data file that is not opening in the VLC player, but it seems like the file is an audio or video message; instead, it is an EPUB list of characters.
Anyhow, you can effortlessly encrypt a file with the help of the applications or platforms that are widely available. Similarly, you can use HTTPS to secure the information between the client and the server. You need certain certificates and server configurations to implement encryption.
The Growing Threat of API Attacks
There are several reasons that the threat of API attacks is growing day by day. Watch cyber news that shows attackers stealing information from a well-known website, destroying a platform, and malfunctioning the applications, such as building MOD versions of games on a daily basis. All these kinds of activities are increasing because our digital world relies upon APIs, and we do not have any better model that can save our data.
Moreover, the security measures are expensive for laymen, so they cannot afford complicated tools. On the other hand, giant organizations try their best to prevent API attacks, but there are malicious hackers who steal data in order to sell it on multiple illegal platforms. So, the system has become very complicated, and we cannot get out of these threats until we find a way to minimize the use of APIs.
Are API Attacks Legal?
No, API attacks have never been legal and appreciated as they violate the rules of privacy and copyrights. Basically, if someone tries to access the information, he is stealing the data related to your bank accounts, email, social media platform passwords, and confidential details. So, it has never been encouraged to support such behavior by attackers involved in unethical hacking and stealing information.
What does an API attack look like?
An API attack has multiple forms, such as an injection attack, parameter tampering, or hijacking the authentication methodology of the platform. The purpose may be to steal data, cause financial loss, or damage reputation.
How can an attacker take advantage of your APIs?
An attacker can use your APIs to slip a code that stops the entire system’s authentication and show him the communication between the client and server.
How do you stop API abuse?
You can take a list of measures such as strengthening the security, enhancing authorization, and improving the encryption process.
How secure is an API?
API keys are weak as compared to the authentication tokens. One can effortlessly fail the entire system of API keys to get the data.
An API attack can ruin your entire career, cause a major financial loss, and leave negative marks on your social media life, so you should beware of sharing personal information with people and always double-check the data sources. You should use all the security measures, such as two-step verification, HTTPS security, rate-limiting requests, and improved authentication methods. Anyhow, I have explained everything related to the API attacks, their causes, their solutions, and how to prevent them. I hope the guide will help you in the future.
Mashambulizi ya API ni jaribio la uhasama la kubadilisha maelezo, kuiba habari, au kutisha mamlaka. Watendaji wa API hutumia mapungufu ya mfumo ili kupata habari inayohitajika, na wakati mwingine wanabadilisha matokeo yote ya usindikaji wa data. Watu wengine hupata mashambulizi ya API ngumu kuelewa, wakati wengine wanawaunganisha na hacking. Baadhi wanadai kwamba mashambulizi ya API yanapaswa kuhalalisha katika mkoa huo, wakati wengine ni kabisa dhidi ya wazo la huria. Mashambulizi ya API ni upatikanaji usioidhinishwa, au unaweza kusema pia, upatikanaji usio halali wa data ili kupunguza matokeo, kuiba habari muhimu, na kushambulia kwa madhumuni ya ujasusi. Njoo na mimi kuelewa mashambulizi API kwa undani, madhumuni yao, hatari iwezekanavyo, na mbinu ya kuzuia. Kama bado hawawezi kuelewa Interface Programu ya Maombi na mashambulizi, basi mimi nitakuambia kwa mfano rahisi sana. Hebu tuseme wewe ni ameketi katika mgahawa, na mhudumu huja kuchukua agizo kutoka kwenu. Mtamwambia vitu vinavyokula, yeye ataviandika, na atarudi na agizo lako baada ya dakika kumi. Wakati wa kulia, mtumishi wa chakula anafanya kazi kama API, na kuunganisha kila kitu kati ya mtumishi na jikoni. API ni mpatanishi ambaye anaomba habari kutoka kwa programu moja hadi kituo kingine cha habari, pia inajulikana kama hifadhidata, na kurudi na habari inayohitajika, kama vile chakula kilichoamriwa katika mkahawa. Hakuna mfumo usio na mapungufu au udhaifu ulimwenguni; kwa mfano, hifadhidata za usalama wa juu za Google, YouTube, Facebook, au WhatsApp pia zina mapungufu. Washambuliaji wa API hujaribu kutumia mapungufu haya na kisha kupata ufikiaji wa hifadhidata kuu, ambapo wanaweza kupunguza data au kuiba habari, ambayo inaitwa shambulio la API. Aina ya mashambulizi ya API Inaonekana rahisi sana, lakini kama wewe kujaribu kushambulia mfumo, itachukua siku na usiku. Kwa kweli, kutafuta mapungufu haya na kujaribu kuyatumia inahitaji ujuzi na uvumilivu, kwa hivyo mtu anaweza kuhitaji siku kuiba habari kutoka kwa hifadhidata. Hata hivyo, kuna aina kadhaa za mashambulizi ya API; baadhi ni kali, wakati wengine wanahitaji masaa ya kupona. Aina ya kawaida sana ya shambulio ni shambulio la sindano ambapo mshambuliaji kwa uovu huficha nambari ili kuiba habari nyeti. Hebu kufanya hivyo rahisi kuelewa, wakati wewe kufungua tovuti na kutoa habari ya awali ya kupata upatikanaji wa jukwaa, kama vile jina la mtumiaji au nenosiri. Mshambuliaji, kwa upande mwingine, huingiza nambari mbaya ambayo huwadanganya mfumo, na ikiwa usalama hauchunguzi mara mbili, nambari inaonyesha mazungumzo yote kati ya kifaa chako na hifadhidata. "Kuna lugha ya kipekee inayotumiwa kwa ajili ya kuingilia mfumo wa SQL, ambayo ni lugha ya ""kufikia, kudhibiti, na kusimamia hifadhidata ya uhusiano.""" Katika 2017, Equifax ilishambuliwa na SQL. Uharibifu huo uliruhusu washambuliaji kuiba habari za watu zaidi ya milioni 147 kutoka kwa hifadhidata. Wakati mwingine, kusudi si kuiba habari bali ni kusababisha usumbufu ambao waweza kusababisha uharibifu wa kifedha au sifa. Denial of Service (DOS) ni mfumo wa kuzuia huduma kwa kutumia maombi ya kutokuwa na mwisho ambayo huwezi kukubali. Kwa mfano, DDoS (Ukosefu wa Huduma ya Usambazaji) ni aina ya shambulio ambalo hutokea wakati wa kukataza trafiki ya watumiaji kwa kushambulia seva na maombi ya bure, na kusababisha server kushuka. Unaweza kuiona kuwa isiyo ya busara sana kwamba mtu anataka tu kufunga mfumo kwa kipindi badala ya kuiba data. Kwa kweli, kuzuia mfumo unaweza kusababisha uharibifu zaidi kuliko kuiba habari za siri za watu binafsi. Kwa mfano, shambulio la GitHub 2018 lilisababisha hasara ya mamilioni ya dola, na jaribio la kuharibu jukwaa kwa kipindi, kwa hivyo watengenezaji waliacha kuwasiliana na kila mmoja, na ilisababisha uharibifu wa kifedha. Shambulio jingine la API linalofanyika kwa kawaida linaitwa Utekaji nyara wa Uthibitisho, ambapo mshambuliaji huiba habari za kibinafsi za mtumiaji kwa busara sana na kupata ufikiaji wa jukwaa. Kwa maneno rahisi, kila tovuti au programu inatoa akaunti au kuki, ambayo ni kupitisha kupata upatikanaji wa tovuti. Washambuliaji hawa wanaweza kuiba cookie au kuiba habari za usajili kama vile nywila na barua pepe, kisha kuchukua habari hii kujifanya kuwa mtumiaji ili kufikia jukwaa kutoka kwa akaunti yako. Kazi si rahisi kama inaonekana kwa sababu moja inahitaji orodha ya zana na ujuzi wa juu polished kutumia coding. Hata hivyo, watu hutumia njia nyingi za kupata habari za kibinafsi za watumiaji. Kwa mfano, Twitter ilivunjwa mnamo 2020, akaunti za Facebook zilivunjwa mnamo 2018, na eBay ilipigwa na API mnamo 2014. Aina nyingine za mashambulizi ya API - Ufunuaji wa data: Ni kuzingatia wakati data nyeti kama vile nywila, nambari za akaunti za benki, barua pepe, au maelezo ya kibinafsi ya wateja hufunuliwa kwa makosa kwa mashirika yasiyofaa, ambayo yanaweza kutumia habari hiyo vibaya. Man in the Middle ni aina ya hacking ambapo washambuliaji kujiweka kati ya njia mbili za mawasiliano ili kukusanya habari kuhusu watu kutumia jukwaa. Kwa mfano, sehemu ya tatu ni kuona ujumbe wako wa maandishi na marafiki wako. - Parameter Tampering: Wakati mwingine, kusudi si kuunda usumbufu au kuiba habari lakini kudanganya wateja. Katika parameter tapering, mshambuliaji hutumia itifaki zinazotumiwa kubadilishana habari kati ya mtumiaji na seva ili mtumiaji apate matokeo tofauti. - Unencrypted Mawasiliano: Encryption ni mchakato wa encode data, kama ni mawasiliano au habari ya kibinafsi. Ikiwa data haijafichwa, mshambuliaji anaweza kuipata na kuitumia kwa faida hasi. - Matumizi mabaya ya maombi: Katika aina hii ya shambulio la API, hacker hubadilisha huduma za programu ili kuzitumia zaidi, hata ikiwa huduma hiyo haijaundwa kwa ajili yake. Kwa mfano, kupanua vipindi vya bure vya majaribio katika maombi ya kulipwa. - Broken Access Control: Inatokea wakati mshambuliaji anafikia sehemu za programu ambazo haziruhusiwi kwa umma bila idhini ya mtumiaji. Facebook iliripoti tukio la 2018 la Facebook Photo API Vulnerability, ambapo mfumo uliruhusu washambuliaji kupata picha za kibinafsi za watumiaji. Ni nini ulinzi bora dhidi ya mashambulizi ya API? Mara baada ya kuelewa jinsi washambuliaji wanaweza kuiba habari yako ya kibinafsi kutoka kwa wavuti na programu, hofu ya shambulio la API inaweza kukufanya usikose usingizi usiku kucha. Hata hivyo, kuna njia unaweza kuimarisha usalama wa maombi yako, tovuti, na seva ili kuzuia mashambulizi. Mbinu hizo si za kuaminika tu bali pia ni rahisi kutumiwa na watu wasio na ujuzi. Authentication & Authorization: API ni kificho cha kuwasiliana na sehemu fulani ya server. Kwa hiyo, kama wewe kuimarisha njia ya uthibitisho, kama vile kugeuka juu ya Hati mbili-Hatua, ambayo kwa uangalifu kuthibitisha mmiliki ufunguo, unaweza kuzuia mashambulizi. Kwa kuongezea, unaweza kupata msaada kutoka kwa Uidhinishaji wa Granular, ambao hupunguza upatikanaji wa programu zingine ili kuongeza usalama. Input Validation & Data Sanitization (IVSA) ni hatua nyingine ya usalama ambayo inaweza kuzuia wadukuzi kutoka kupata habari yako. Unaweza kutumia lugha ya programu au zana kuimarisha mfumo wako wa usalama ili kuchunguza mara mbili kila kuingia na kisha kuruhusu mtumiaji kupata habari. "Kupitia programu hii, unaweza kuondoa ""kitu cha hatari"" kutoka kwa data yako, na kuondoa ""kitu cha hatari"" kutoka kwa data yako, na kuondoa ""kitu cha hatari"" kutoka kwa data yako." Mashambulizi ya DoS na DDoS yanatokana na maombi mengi ya maombi. "Hii ni kama ""traffic jam"" ambapo magari ya upande wa kushoto hayakwenda upande wa kulia wala magari ya upande wa kulia hayakwenda upande wa kushoto kwa sababu ya hali kubwa sana." Lakini vipi ikiwa utapunguza idadi ya maombi kulingana na muda? Kwa mfano, unaweza kuamua kuunganisha seva kwa mara tano kwa saa kwa maombi 200, na ombi la ziada linakataliwa. Hii sio tu itahakikisha kuwa wavuti yako haipatikani na habari nyingi, lakini pia itazuia mzigo kwenye seva ili iweze kufanya kazi bila shida. Leo tunaishi katika ulimwengu wa dijiti ambapo watu wanapenda kujua maelezo ya kibinafsi ya mtu mwingine kuliko kuonyesha data zao wenyewe. Kwa ufupi, ni aina ya siasa na mchezo ambapo unajaribu kudanganya, kudanganya, na wakati mwingine kujaribu kumshinda mpinzani wako kwa msaada wa mashambulizi ya API. Hata hivyo, shambulio hilo halitafanikiwa ikiwa mfumo huo utaficha data kikamilifu. Kama nilivyosema hapo juu, encryption ni mchakato wa encoding data, lakini sasa sisi ni kwenda kuelewa kwa maelezo zaidi. Wakati wewe encrypt data, ni mabadiliko ya data's sura; inaonyesha kwamba wewe ni kusoma au kupata kitu tofauti, na wakati mwingine, encryption hubadilisha aina ya faili hivyo hakuna mtu anaweza kupata. Kwa mfano, unapokea faili ya data ya siri sana ambayo haifunguki katika mchezaji wa VLC, lakini inaonekana kama faili ni ujumbe wa sauti au video; badala yake, ni orodha ya herufi za EPUB. Kwa vyovyote vile, unaweza bila shida encrypt faili kwa msaada wa maombi au majukwaa ambayo ni inapatikana sana. Kwa mfano, unaweza kutumia HTTPS ili kuhifadhi habari kati ya mteja na seva. Unahitaji vyeti fulani na usanidi wa seva kutekeleza encryption. Kuna sababu kadhaa kwa nini tishio la mashambulizi ya API linaongezeka siku kwa siku. Tazama habari za mtandao ambazo zinaonyesha washambuliaji wakiba habari kutoka kwa wavuti inayojulikana, kuharibu jukwaa, na kufanya kazi vibaya kwa programu, kama vile kujenga matoleo ya MOD ya michezo kila siku. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Dunia yetu ya dijiti inategemea API, na hatuna mfano bora wa kuokoa data zetu.""" Isitoshe, hatua za usalama ni ghali kwa watu wasio na ujuzi, kwa hiyo hawawezi kumudu vifaa tata. Kwa upande mwingine, mashirika makubwa hujaribu kila njia kuzuia mashambulizi ya API, lakini kuna wahasibu wenye madhara ambao huiba data ili kuizalisha kwenye majukwaa kadhaa haramu. Kwa hivyo, mfumo umekuwa ngumu sana, na hatuwezi kutoka kwa vitisho hivi mpaka tupate njia ya kupunguza matumizi ya API. Je, Mashambulizi ya API Ni Halali? "Hakuna, mashambulizi ya API hayajawahi kuwa halali na yanathaminiwa kwani yanakiuka sheria za faragha na haki za uchapaji. """ Kwa mfano, mtu anajaribu kugundua habari, anajikopa data zinazohusiana na akaunti zako za benki, barua pepe, nywila za jukwaa la media ya kijamii, na maelezo ya siri. Kwa hivyo, haijawahi kuhamasishwa kuunga mkono tabia kama hiyo na washambuliaji wanaohusika katika hacking isiyo ya maadili na kuiba habari. Jinsi gani API ya mashambulizi ya API inaweza kuonekana? Mashambulizi ya API yana aina nyingi, kama vile mashambulizi ya sindano, udanganyifu wa parameter, au utekaji nyara wa mbinu ya uthibitisho wa jukwaa. Huenda kusudi likawa kuiba habari, kusababisha hasara ya kifedha, au kuharibu sifa. Jinsi gani mshambuliaji anaweza kutumia faida ya API yako? Mshambuliaji anaweza kutumia APIs yako kuingiza nambari ambayo inasimamisha uthibitisho wa mfumo mzima na kumwonyesha mawasiliano kati ya mteja na seva. Jinsi ya kuzuia matumizi mabaya ya API Unaweza kuchukua orodha ya hatua kama vile kuimarisha usalama, kuongeza idhini, na kuboresha mchakato wa encryption. Je, API ni salama kadiri gani? API funguo ni dhaifu ikilinganishwa na ishara za uthibitisho. Mtu anaweza effortlessly kushindwa mfumo mzima wa funguo API kupata data. Mashambulizi ya API yanaweza kuharibu kazi yako yote, kusababisha hasara kubwa ya kifedha, na kuacha alama hasi kwenye maisha yako ya media ya kijamii, kwa hivyo unapaswa kuwa mwangalifu wakati wa kushiriki habari za kibinafsi na watu na kila wakati angalia vyanzo vya data. Kwa hivyo, unapaswa kutumia hatua zote za usalama, kama vile uthibitisho wa hatua mbili, usalama wa HTTPS, maombi ya kupunguza kiwango, na mbinu za uthibitisho zilizoboreshwa. Kwa hivyo, nimeelezea kila kitu kinachohusiana na mashambulizi ya API, sababu zao, suluhisho zao, na jinsi ya kuzizuia. Natumaini mwongozo utakusaidia katika siku zijazo.