In the realm of cybersecurity, the metaphor of “Leaky Buckets” has become an increasingly prevalent concern, particularly in the context of API security. This term encapsulates the hidden vulnerabilities and exposures in API infrastructures that many organizations struggle to identify and address. The digital era has amplified these challenges, with APIs becoming central to the operational fabric of numerous enterprises. This blog post delves into the intricacies of API leaks and the critical steps needed to mitigate these risks.
The Growing Concern: Unseen API Vulnerabilities
The recent trend in the cybersecurity landscape points toward a significant lack of visibility into external attack surfaces, with APIs at the forefront of this issue. Many vendors offer solutions to enumerate these surfaces, but gaps persist, particularly in comprehensively assessing the API attack surface. This gap is crucial because the risks associated with APIs are unique and often not adequately addressed by general-purpose tools. The complexity of detecting public-facing APIs and ensuring they are safeguarded by Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) adds to the challenge.
Leaked Secrets: A Catalyst for Compromises
A pivotal aspect often overlooked in attack surface discovery is the leakage of secrets. The rise of the API economy, while beneficial for broad integration, has also increased the risk of leaked API secrets. These leaks aren’t limited to just API keys but extend to other credentials, file locations, private API schemas, and user information. Such sensitive data falling into the hands of attackers is a recipe for rising compromises.
Wallarm’s API ThreatStats™ report from Q3 2023 sheds light on this escalating issue, documenting 26 incidents related to API leaks. These leaks included not only API keys but also stack traces, files, and user information. The breadth of affected entities, from well-known to lesser-known vendors, underscores the widespread nature of this threat.
Sealing the Leaky Buckets
It’s Time to Take Action – Fortifying Cyber Defenses
As the digital landscape evolves, so does the nature of threats. The threat of API leaks is a pressing issue in today’s digital environment. Companies need to be vigilant and proactive in safeguarding their API infrastructures and should be taking steps to minimize the threat of API leaks – but people, process, and technology can only go so far in preventing leaks from occurring. The growing complexity of software supply chains, the velocity of development, and the growth of the API economy make this problem continuously harder to solve.
By embracing advanced tools and strategies, companies can mitigate the risks associated with API leaks and secure their digital assets against evolving cyber threats.
In order to help address the lack of visibility into the API attack surface that organizations experience, Wallarm has introduced API Attack Surface Management, and the first capability we’re releasing in this product offering is API leak detection. Wallarm’s new product will use customer provided discovery seeds to search public repositories and other sources for API leaks, and provide detailed information about those that are found. Customers who use Wallarm’s web application and API protection capabilities will be able to implement automated blocking of leaked secrets in production traffic. This leverages customer-provided discovery seeds to search public repositories and other sources for API leaks, offering detailed insights about the findings. Customers can also benefit from web application and API protection capabilities, which include automated blocking of leaked secrets in production traffic.Addressing API leaks requires a multifaceted approach, involving people, processes, and technology. However, the complexity of software supply chains, the rapid pace of development, and the expansion of the API economy make it a continuously evolving challenge.
For further insights, check out our website and our demo video on Wallarm’s API Leak Detection.
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