OWASP API9:2023 Improper Inventory Management 📊🛠️🚨
Tags: beginners, cybersecurity, owasp, devsecops
Published: 2024-02-24 14:50:24


In OWASP, **Improper Inventory Management** refers to the security risk associated with **incomplete or inaccurate information about APIs** within an organization. This includes missing APIs, undocumented changes, and unmanaged older versions. This vulnerability grants attackers a **blind spot**, allowing them to exploit forgotten or outdated APIs to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or even take full control of systems.


![Improper Inventory Management](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/klmjo4azyewd8sm2tnwf.png)

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##  How to spot documentation blindspot in an API? 🕵️‍♂️
`An API has a "documentation blindspot" if:`

The purpose of an API host is unclear, and there are no explicit answers to the following questions

1. Which environment is the API running in (e.g. production, staging, test, development)?
2. Who should have network access to the API (e.g. public, internal, partners)?
3. Which API version is running?
4. There is no documentation or the existing documentation is not updated.
5. There is no retirement plan for each API version.
6. The host's inventory is missing or outdated.

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##  How to spot data flow blindspot in an API? 🕵️‍♂️
`An API has a "data flow blindspot" if:`

1. There is a "sensitive data flow" where the API shares sensitive data with a third party and
2. There is no business justification or approval of the flow
3. There is no inventory or visibility of the flow
4. There is no deep visibility of which type of sensitive data is shared

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##  Example Attack Scenarios 🌐⚔️

### Scenario 1: Exploiting an "Undocumented Feature"

**Context:** An e-commerce platform launches a new mobile app with an API for user authentication and data access. 

**Vulnerability:** The development team forgets to document a legacy API endpoint used for internal testing purposes during development. This endpoint, accessible at `/internal/user-data`, uses weak authentication (basic username and password) and provides access to user information, including names, addresses, and even payment details.

**Attack Steps:**

1. **Discovery:** An attacker scans the e-commerce platform's network using automated tools looking for exposed APIs.
2. **Exploitation:** The attacker identifies the undocumented `/internal/user-data` endpoint and attempts to guess the basic authentication credentials.
3. **Impact:** If successful, the attacker gains access to a wealth of sensitive user data, potentially leading to identity theft, financial fraud, and reputational damage for the company.

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### Scenario 2: Attacking a "Forgotten API"

**Context:** A financial institution migrates to a new API architecture, retiring the older version used for several internal applications. However, the IT team fails to remove the old API from the network and disable access from unauthorized sources.

**Vulnerability:** The retired API (version 1.0) remains accessible at its original URL. This version has known vulnerabilities (e.g., SQL injection flaws) due to a lack of patching and updates.

**Attack Steps:**

1. **Research:** An attacker researching potential targets finds information about the financial institution's past systems and discovers references to API version 1.0 through web archives or online forums.
2. **Vulnerability Scanning:** The attacker scans the exposed API and identifies the known SQL injection vulnerability.
3. **Exploitation:** The attacker crafts a specially crafted request to exploit the vulnerability, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive financial information or taking control of internal systems.

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##  How To Prevent Improper Inventory Management: 🚧

1. Maintain a comprehensive inventory: This includes documenting all APIs, their versions, environments, and access controls. Regularly review and update this information.

2. Secure access to APIs: Implement strong authentication and authorization mechanisms, granting access only to authorized individuals and applications based on the principle of least privilege.

3. Document all aspects of your APIs: Create thorough documentation covering functionalities, authentication methods, error handling, rate limiting, CORS policies, and endpoints. Utilize open standards and automate documentation generation.

4. Secure non-production deployments: Avoid using real data with non-production APIs, or ensure equivalent security measures as production environments.

5. Leverage security solutions: Implement API security solutions and conduct regular assessments to identify and address vulnerabilities.

6. Update versions with security improvements: When newer versions of APIs offer enhanced security, analyze the risks associated with older versions and determine if backporting improvements, retiring older versions, or forcing client updates is necessary.


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## Final Thoughts 💡🔒🛡️

Failing to maintain a complete and accurate inventory of APIs creates exploitable blind spots for attackers. These vulnerabilities can be leveraged to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or even compromise entire systems. By diligently maintaining comprehensive API inventories 🗃️, meticulously documenting data flows 📝, and implementing robust security measures 🛡️, organizations can significantly mitigate these risks. Continuous vigilance 👀 and unwavering commitment to best practices are paramount in securing APIs and safeguarding sensitive data. Remain vigilant, stay informed 📚, and maintain a robust security posture for your APIs. 🚧🔒