Hacking APIs is a crash course on web API security testing that will prepare you to penetration-test APIs, reap high rewards on bug bounty programs, and make your own APIs more secure.
You'll learn how REST and GraphQL APIs work in the wild and set up a streamlined API testing lab with Burp Suite and Postman. Then you'll master tools useful for reconnaissance, endpoint analysis, and fuzzing, such as Kiterunner and OWASP Amass. Next, you'll learn to perform common attacks, like those targeting an API's authentication mechanisms and the injection vulnerabilities commonly found in web applications. You'll also learn techniques for bypassing protections against these attacks.
In the book's nine guided labs, which target intentionally vulnerable APIs, you'll practice:
"[Hacking APIs is] the best source of API info I've seen. If you're curious about what APIs are and how they work, read it once. If you work with or create APIs, read it twice. If you break APIs, read it three times."
--Graham Helton, @GrahamHelton3
"One of the few books that is actually dedicated to API hacking. . . . a great resource for anyone who wants to learn more about API security and how to hack into web applications. It provides in-depth information on how to break through various types of APIs, as well as tips on how to stay ahead of the curve in this rapidly changing field."
--Dana Epp, Security Boulevard
"This book has more to offer than hacking APIs but sets down a solid foundation of tools and techniques that would benefit any developer or QA Engineer that has to develop, test, or otherwise work with APIs."
--John Wenning, Cybersecurity Researcher, Fortra
"A thorough guide to what APIs are, how they work, what technologies they use, the various common insecurities that APIs have, and, most importantly, how to exploit them. . . . I would recommend Hacking APIs as a great read for anyone interested in learning more about the vulnerable side of APIs."
--Darlene Hibbs, Senior Cybersecurity Researcher, Fortra