01
Object authorization
BOLA and tenant isolation across identifiers, lists, exports, nested resources and bulk actions.
api security testingAPI penetration testing,
API penetration testing,
focused on the objects and actions attackers want.
Validate authorization, authentication, data boundaries and abuse resistance across REST, GraphQL and application backends.
what this engagement answers
API risk often lives between valid requests. An endpoint can be technically correct yet expose another customer’s object, accept a forbidden state change or allow automated abuse at scale.
The engagement models identities, objects, functions and data flows first. Testing then checks whether every action is authorised at the object, property and function level, including alternate methods and hidden routes.
Primary baseline: OWASP API Security Top 10 2023, supported by NIST SP 800-115.
scope
What is reviewed.
Final scope is confirmed in writing before work starts. Testing is performed only on authorised assets and within agreed rules of engagement.
02
Authentication
Token issuance, refresh, revocation, signing, audience, replay and identity-provider integration.
03
Function and property controls
Administrative methods, hidden functions, mass assignment and excessive property exposure.
04
Resource consumption
Pagination, filters, file handling, expensive operations and business-sensitive automation limits.
05
Inventory and configuration
Old versions, undocumented routes, debugging, CORS, schema exposure and inconsistent gateways.
06
Business flow abuse
Purchasing, invitation, approval, credit, verification and other sequences that can be automated or reordered.
evidence
What you receive.
01
Executive decision summaryExposure, plausible impact and the order in which leadership should fund remediation.
02
Reproducible technical findingsAffected component, evidence, preconditions, impact and safe reproduction guidance.
03
Remediation planSpecific fixes grouped by urgency, owner and dependency rather than a flat vulnerability list.
04
Closure evidenceA retest outcome that distinguishes fixed, partially fixed, accepted and still-open findings.
// how it works
A controlled, decision-ready process
The engagement turns technical observations into owned decisions. Critical issues are escalated through the agreed channel, not left waiting for the final report.
01
Authorise
Confirm assets, accounts, timing, exclusions, contacts and stop conditions.
02
Model
Map roles, trust boundaries, sensitive actions and likely attacker paths.
03
Test
Combine manual investigation with appropriate tooling and safe proof.
04
Prioritise
Rate findings using exploitability, exposure, data impact and business context.
05
Retest
Verify fixes and record the final status for stakeholders and assurance teams.
buyer questions
What teams usually ask.
Do you need API documentation?
Documentation helps coverage, but testing can also use captured application traffic. OpenAPI or GraphQL schemas should be shared through an agreed secure channel.
Can you test authenticated roles?
Yes. Multiple representative identities are important for testing object, function and tenant boundaries.
Does the test include the mobile app?
API testing covers the backend interface. Choose the mobile application engagement when client storage, platform controls and reverse engineering also need review.
Methodology and primary references
These sources define the baseline. The exact checks are selected for the architecture, risk, data flows and engagement objective, not copied as a generic checklist.
- OWASP API Security Project: official OWASP project and API Security Top 10
- NIST SP 800-115: testing and assessment planning guidance
Do your APIs enforce every object and action boundary?
Describe the API type, authentication model, roles and environment. ABZSECURE will return a proposed scope and evidence plan.