API Penetration Testing Course
Course Overview:
APIs are the backbone of modern applications—and a prime target for attackers. This API Penetration Testing Course equips you with the skills to identify, exploit, and secure API vulnerabilities using real-world techniques. Whether you’re a penetration tester, security researcher, or developer, this course will help you understand API attack vectors, bypass security controls, and enhance API security.
What You’ll Learn:
- API Reconnaissance – Mapping API endpoints, discovering hidden functionalities
- Authentication & Authorization Flaws – Exploiting OAuth, JWT, API keys & misconfigurations
- Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA) – Accessing unauthorized data & escalating privileges
- Injection Attacks – SQLi, XSS, SSRF, and NoSQL injections in APIs
- Business Logic Flaws – Identifying and abusing logic flaws in API workflows
- Rate Limiting & DoS Attacks – Bypassing API rate limits and resource exhaustion techniques
- API Security Best Practices – Secure coding, proper validation, and real-world defenses
Why Enroll?
- Hands-on Labs – Practical API hacking with real-world scenarios
- Learn Industry-Standard Techniques – OWASP API Security Top 10 & beyond
- Career Growth – Essential skillset for penetration testers, bug bounty hunters & security engineers
- Defensive & Offensive Perspectives – Understand both attack and mitigation strategies
Take your API security skills to the next level and become an API Pentesting Expert!
About this course:
Advanced
Flexible Timing
15-20 Weeks
Theory + Hands-on Labs + Real-World Case Studies
API Penetration Testing Modules
🔹 Understanding API architecture (REST, SOAP, GraphQL, WebSockets)
🔹 Common attack surfaces & vulnerabilities in APIs
🔹 OWASP API Security Top 10 Overview
🔹 API vs Web App Security: Key Differences
🔹 Role of APIs in microservices, cloud, and mobile apps
🔹 Installing & configuring Kali Linux, Burp Suite, Postman
🔹 Setting up vulnerable API labs (VAmPI, DVWS, crAPI, Juice Shop)
🔹 API enumeration tools: Postman, cURL, Arjun, Kiterunner
🔹 Intercepting API traffic using Burp Suite & mitmproxy
🔹 Automating API scanning with nmap, ffuf, katana
🔹 Discovering hidden API endpoints & parameters
🔹 Scraping Swagger, OpenAPI, GraphQL Introspection
🔹 Extracting API keys, tokens, and credentials from source code & logs
🔹 Automating API enumeration with ffuf, Kiterunner, and Arjun
🔹 Reverse engineering APIs from mobile & web apps
🔹 Broken Authentication (API1:2023)
- JWT (JSON Web Token) exploitation
- Brute forcing API credentials with Hydra, Burp Intruder
- Bypassing OAuth & API key-based authentication
🔹 Broken Authorization (API3:2023 & API5:2023) - IDOR (Insecure Direct Object References) attacks
- Bypassing RBAC (Role-Based Access Control)
- Exploiting BOLA (Broken Object Level Authorization)
🔹 SQL Injection (SQLi) in API requests
- Using sqlmap to exploit API-based SQLi
🔹 NoSQL Injection (NoSQLi) in APIs - Exploiting MongoDB & Firebase APIs
🔹 Command Injection & RCE via API parameters
🔹 Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) in APIs
🔹 GraphQL Injection Techniques
🔹 Testing for API Rate Limiting Bypass
- Automating API abuse using Turbo Intruder & throttle.sh
🔹 Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks on APIs - Exploiting API resource exhaustion
- Using slowloris, h2c smuggling, and batch request attacks
🔹 API4:2023 – Unrestricted Resource Consumption
🔹 API6:2023 – Mass Assignment Exploitation
🔹 API7:2023 – Improper Security Headers & CORS misconfigurations
🔹 GraphQL misconfigurations & exploitation (Introspection, Alias Bombing)
🔹 Understanding WebSocket vulnerabilities (ws://, wss://)
🔹 Intercepting & modifying WebSocket requests
🔹 GraphQL API Security Testing
- Introspection & Schema Extraction
- GraphQL Injection & Batch Query Exploits
🔹 Hacking AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure APIs
🔹 Privilege escalation in AWS IAM roles using pacu
🔹 Exploiting exposed S3 buckets, Lambda functions, and cloud misconfigurations
🔹 Automating API testing with Burp Suite & OWASP ZAP
🔹 Using Postman & Newman for API security automation
🔹 Writing a professional API security report
✅ eWPTX (eLearnSecurity Web Application Penetration Tester eXtreme)
✅ OSWE (Offensive Security Web Expert)
✅ APISEC University API Security Certifications
✅ Burp Suite Certified Practitioner (BApp Security)
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – API Penetration
API Penetration Testing is a security assessment process where ethical hackers test APIs for vulnerabilities like authentication flaws, authorization bypasses, injection attacks, and misconfigurations.
APIs power modern applications, including mobile apps, web services, cloud platforms, and IoT devices. A single vulnerability in an API can expose sensitive data, user accounts, or entire systems.
- The OWASP API Security Top 10 highlights the most critical API vulnerabilities, including:
- Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA)
- Broken Authentication & Session Management
- Mass Assignment & Injection Attacks (SQLi, NoSQLi, RCE)
- Excessive Data
- Exposure
- Rate Limiting
- Bypasses & DoS Attacks
- APIs rely on machine-to-machine communication, making them vulnerable to automated attacks and credential abuse.
- Unlike traditional web apps, APIs expose endpoints that attackers can manipulate, often without front-end restrictions.
- APIs use tokens, API keys, and OAuth authentication, which can be targeted for credential leakage, token hijacking, or privilege escalation.
Some of the best tools for API security testing include:
- Burp Suite & OWASP ZAP – API traffic interception & fuzzing
- Postman & cURL – API enumeration & request modification
- Kiterunner, Arjun, FFUF – API endpoint fuzzing
- JWT.io, JWK brute-force tools – JWT token attacks
- SQLmap, NoSQLMap – API-based SQL/NoSQL Injection
- Attackers can steal API keys from source code, logs, or public repositories (GitHub leaks).
- JWT tokens can be forged, modified, or cracked using weak secrets.
- Misconfigured OAuth flows allow token swapping & session hijacking.
APIs enforce rate limits to prevent brute force, scraping, and DoS attacks. If rate limiting is weak or absent, attackers can:
- Brute-force login credentials (password spraying)
- Exploit mass assignment vulnerabilities
- Overload the API with excessive requests
IDOR occurs when an API does not validate user access to resources. Test it by:
- Modifying user IDs or object IDs in API requests
- Attempting to access another user’s data or perform unauthorized actions
f an API allows unrestricted file uploads, attackers can:
- Upload malicious scripts (PHP, ASP, JSP) leading to Remote Code Execution (RCE)
- Bypass security checks using double extensions (e.g., shell.php.jpg)
- Host malware or phishing pages on the target server
To protect an API, you should:
- Implement proper authentication & authorization (OAuth, JWT best practices)
- Use rate limiting & input validation to prevent abuse
- Encrypt API traffic using HTTPS & secure headers
- Harden API gateways & implement logging/monitoring
Some industry-recognized certifications include:
- eWPTX (eLearnSecurity Web App Penetration Tester eXtreme)
- OSWE (Offensive Security Web Expert)
- APISEC University API Security Certifications
- Burp Suite Certified Practitioner (BApp Security)
Yes! API pentesting can be partially automated using tools like:
- Burp Suite's Intruder & Repeater
- OWASP ZAP for passive scanning
- Postman + Newman for API testing automation
- Custom Python scripts using requests & Fuzzing API parameters
Classroom Traning
We offer customized VILT (Virtual Instructor-Led Training) sessions at your convenient hours to provide effortless training.
Online Training Class
One can also opt for the prerecorded video sessions available at any point of time from any particular location.
Corporate Training
Hire a preferred trainer at your work premises at your chosen time slots and train your employees with full efficiency.
