API Penetration Testing

What API Penetration Testing Is

Application Programming Interfaces are now the connective tissue of modern products: mobile apps, single-page web front ends, partner integrations, and machine-to-machine workflows all run through them. That makes the API layer one of the most attractive and most exposed parts of your estate, and it behaves very differently from a traditional website.

API penetration testing is a focused, manual-led assessment of your REST and GraphQL endpoints. Rather than scanning a user interface, we work directly against the API contract, exercising authentication and authorization logic, business rules, and data-handling behaviour the way a determined attacker would. Our approach maps directly to the OWASP API Security Top 10, the recognized reference for the risks unique to APIs.

Our Methodology

Every engagement follows the Cyber Shields rhythm: Assess, Protect, Monitor. For an API penetration test, that translates into the following steps.

1. Scope, NDA, and documentation review. We agree the endpoints, environments, and rules of engagement in writing, under a signed Non-Disclosure Agreement, and review any API documentation, schema, or collections you can share.
2. Endpoint enumeration. We map the full surface, including documented, undocumented, and deprecated endpoints, along with their methods, parameters, and the data each handles.
3. Authentication and authorization testing. We examine token issuance, session handling, and access enforcement, looking for broken authentication and weaknesses in how identity is verified.
4. Object and function level authorization. We test for broken object-level authorization and broken function-level authorization, attempting to access or act on data and operations that should be out of reach.
5. Input and rate-limit testing. We probe input validation, mass assignment, excessive data exposure, and the absence or weakness of rate limiting and resource controls.
6. Reporting. You receive a prioritized report with reproducible steps and CVSS-scored findings written for both engineers and decision makers.
7. Re-test. Once your team has remediated, we validate that each fixed finding is genuinely closed.

Standards & References

Testing and findings are anchored to recognized references so they are defensible and cross-mappable.

• OWASP API Security Top 10
• OWASP ASVS
• NIST SP 800-115

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you test both REST and GraphQL APIs?

Yes. We test REST and GraphQL interfaces, adapting our approach to each. GraphQL introduces its own concerns, such as introspection exposure, deeply nested queries, and resolver-level authorization, which we test alongside the broader OWASP API Security Top 10 risks.

Do you need our API documentation or a Postman collection?

It helps but is not strictly required. Documentation, an OpenAPI or GraphQL schema, or a Postman collection lets us achieve deeper coverage in the available time. Where documentation is incomplete, we enumerate the surface ourselves, though that typically extends the timeline.

Is it safe to test our production environment?

We prefer to test in a staging or pre-production environment that mirrors production. Where production testing is necessary, we agree careful rules of engagement, avoid destructive actions, and coordinate timing so that availability and data integrity are protected throughout.

Is a re-test included after we fix the findings?

Yes. A re-test of the reported findings is included so we can confirm that your remediation is effective. We validate each fixed finding and update its status, giving you a defensible record that the issues are closed.

Will the report be available in Arabic?

Yes. The report, the executive summary, and the readout session are available in both Arabic and English at no additional cost.