Vulnerability Scanning
Most generic scanners struggle to detect vulnerabilities specific to APIs, especially those listed in the OWASP API Security Top 10. However, they can be effective at identifying Security Misconfigurations like:
Missing patches
Unnecessary features
Lack of secure encryption
Weak security headers
CORS misconfigurations
Scanning with Nikto
To see how a generic scan can fail, try scanning with Nikto using this command:
While Nikto may reveal server information and some security headers issues, it typically misses a broad range of API vulnerabilities.
Using OWASP ZAP for Better Results
Switching to OWASP ZAP allows for a more customized approach to API scanning. Start with an unauthenticated scan by importing the API specification file (specs.yml) for your target, then run an Active Scan on the root URL. Check the Alerts tab for security misconfiguration findings.
Performing Authenticated Scans
To get deeper insights, conduct an authenticated scan. Use the Manual Explore feature in ZAP to interact with the application as a user, after logging in and performing actions, run another active scan. This process often uncovers more vulnerabilities than the initial scan.
then Review the scan results to differentiate between actual vulnerabilities and false positives
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