I'm kicking off a series of articles on API Security 🔐 to help us—developers 👨💻👩💻—better understand and implement secure coding in our software design. 🛡️
Here is the second one: Broken Authentication
APIs are the backbone of modern applications, but weak authentication mechanisms can expose sensitive data and lead to account takeovers. Broken Authentication ranks #2 in the OWASP API Security Top 10 (API2:2023).
⚠️ What is Broken Authentication?
It occurs when an API fails to properly authenticate users, allowing attackers to:
- Bypass login mechanisms 🔓
- Exploit weak passwords or credentials 🔑
- Abuse session tokens 📛
- Perform brute-force attacks 🏴☠️
🎯 How Does It Happen?
🚫 Insecure token handling: Attackers steal or reuse expired tokens.
🚫 Lack of rate limiting: APIs allow unlimited login attempts.
🚫 Weak password policies: Easily guessable passwords.
🚫 Flawed session management: Tokens remain valid after logout.
🔍 Real-World Examples:
✅ Uber (2022): A hacker accessed an employee's credentials and internal systems.
✅ PayPal (2023): Credential-stuffing attack exposed thousands of accounts.
🛡️ How to Prevent Broken Authentication?
🔸 Use strong authentication mechanisms (OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect).
🔸 Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for added security.
🔸 Enforce strong password policies (complexity, expiration).
🔸 Limit login attempts & detect anomalies with rate limiting & monitoring.
🔸 Secure session management (invalidate tokens after logout, use short-lived JWTs).
🚀 APIs must be both powerful and secure!
Have you encountered authentication flaws in your projects? Let’s discuss this in the comments! 👇
#APISecurity #OWASP #CyberSecurity #Authentication #SecureCoding