API Vulnerability Scanner

Character with goggles that can see vulnerabilities

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This custom, online API Vulnerability Scanner helps you run precise, in-depth security assessments.

Find and report API vulnerabilities ranging from SQLi and SSRF to Local File Inclusion, Code Injection, and Request URL override.

  • Spec file parsing for testing tailored to API behavior
  • An arsenal of custom detectors for accurate results
  • A 9-engineers team who constantly develop scanning capabilities

Paid plans give you access to its full capabilities, plus other 20+ security testing tools and features.

Reporting

Sample API Vulnerability Scanner report

Every API vulnerability scan produces detailed findings you can easily export in a PDF, HTML, CSV, XLSX, or editable DOCX report, depending on your plan. Each report includes:

  • Risk-coded vulnerability summary

    This helpful overview defines your API’s overall risk level, breaks down the number of findings based on risk ratings, and provides scan information.

  • Detailed vulnerability evidence

    Each API vulnerability pinpoints the affected URL, method, and parameters, providing the proof you need. Reports also include a one-click Replay Attack option and a prefilled risk description.

  • Ready-to-use remediation advice

    Built-in, professionally written recommendations make it for report readers to solve API security risks. CWE and OWASP classifications are also included, where available.

  • Full list of tests performed

    You get full visibility into API security testing stages with the list of 40+ tests included at the end of each report. Use it to demonstrate security scanning depth and accuracy.

API Vulnerability Scanner Report Sample

Better vulnerability discovery.Faster pentest reporting.

Get instant access to custom vulnerability scanners and automation features that simplify the pentesting process and produce valuable results. The platform helps you cover all the stages of an engagement, from information gathering to website scanning, network scanning, exploitation and reporting.

Pentest-Tools.com offers faster pentest reporting and better vulnerability discovery.

Scanning capabilities

How our API Vulnerability Scanner runs precision scans

  1. 1

    Spec file parsing for more accurate API security testing

    Our online API Vulnerability Scanner parses the API specification files to understand its expected input parameters and how it works. Based on these details, the scanner customizes tests for a deeper, more thorough security assessment.

  2. 2

    Robust scanning engine with detection for new vulnerabilities

    The API Scanner uses the same engine as our powerful, custom Website Vulnerability Scanner. Both tools pack a wide range of detectors for comprehensive security assessments against any type of web application. A team of 9 engineers constantly develop new scanning capabilities for it.

  3. 3

    Flexible authentication options for deep API security scans

    Authenticating requests during the API scan is easy: just set the appropriate header with the authentication information (e.g. Authorization: Basic Authkey, or Authorization: Bearer JWTToken). The API Vulnerability Scanner supports header authentication through common methods, like Basic Authorization headers, and more complex ones, such as JWT tokens.

  4. 4

    Built-in OpenAPI support and validation

    Our API Vulnerability Scanner currently supports OpenAPI versions 2 and 3, including YAML, YML, and JSON formats.

  5. 5

    Constantly updated API security testing capabilities

    The dedicated team of engineers behind our API scanning tool is constantly working to expand its capabilities.

  6. 6

    Custom, up-to-date detectors developed in-house

    The API Scanner leverages the strong set of detectors from our custom Website Vulnerability Scanner, which include:

    • SQL Injection
    • Local File Inclusion
    • OS Command Injection
    • Server Side Request Forgery
    • Open Redirect
    • Broken Authentication
    • Code Injection
    • Log4j Remote Code Execution
    • Server-Side Template Injection
    • ViewState Remote Code Execution
    • Exposed Backup Files
    • Request URL override
    • HTTP Request Smuggling
    • XML external entity (XXE) injection

Use cases

What you can do with the API Vulnerability Scanner

  • Make sure your APIs are secure before launching

    Our API security testing tool is ready to use right out of the box. Just provide your API specification file and your target, plus authentication headers – if you need them. Get notified when it finds vulnerabilities that match your criteria and focus on more valuable work instead of configuring stuff and waiting for results.

  • Balance deep coverage with fast results

    Got limited time for API security testing? (Who doesn’t?) You can set a custom scan time on to get full control of your API vulnerability scans. Make the most of your limited resources by letting scans run in the background while you work on other pressing tasks.
  • Harness the power of two tools at the same time

    Because the API and Website Vulnerability scanners share the same DNA, the Injection Points the API Scanner extracts are scanned using active and passive detectors the Website Scanner runs. This results in a comprehensive vulnerability assessment of any web app.

  • Run accurate scans that don’t require supervision

    We built several checks into our API security testing tool to make sure scans don’t get stuck once they start. That’s why we ensure the API specification URL is correct and provide the option to use Follow redirects and avoid errors if your target has multiple ones.

  • Make sure new vulnerabilities don’t impact your API users

    Malicious hackers eagerly exploit security risks such as internal server errors, insecure communication, error messages that include sensitive information, and any other details a vulnerable API reveals. Our team of security engineers and researchers constantly expands our API Vulnerability Scanner with detection for new vulnerabilities and misconfigurations.

We built the API Vulnerability Scanner for

  • Offensive security teams who need to quickly map attack surfaces, validate critical CVEs, simulate unauthorized access, automate recurring vulnerability scans and other routine tasks, and generate editable penetration testing reports from a list of centralized findings.

  • Defensive security teams who need to monitor web application and network vulnerabilities through regular – scheduled – scans, detect shadow IT and keep an updated list of internal and public-facing assets, and automatically send actionable findings to other teams through email, Jira, Slack, and other channels.

  • System builders and admins who need to do basic security hygiene checks, automate compliance scans, assess security posture before audits, identify misconfigurations in web servers and applications, uncover missing patches, receive notifications when new security issues arise, and auto-forward them to colleagues who can fix them.

API Vulnerability Scanner

Technical details

Full list of API Vulnerability Scanner tests

IncludedTest
IncludedFingerprint web server software
IncludedAnalyze HTTP headers for security misconfiguration
IncludedCheck the security of HTTP cookies
IncludedCheck the SSL certificate of the server
IncludedCheck if the server software is affected by known vulnerabilities
IncludedAnalyze robots.txt for interesting URLs
IncludedCheck if HTTP TRACK/TRACE methods are enabled
IncludedCheck if security.txt is missing on the server
IncludedCheck if CORS is misconfigured
IncludedCrawl website
IncludedCheck for SQL Injection
IncludedCheck for Local File Inclusion and Remote File Inclusion
IncludedCheck for OS Command Injection
IncludedCheck for Server Side Request Forgery
IncludedCheck for Open Redirect
IncludedCheck for PHP Code Injection
IncludedCheck for JavaScript Code Injection
IncludedCheck for Ruby Code Injection
IncludedCheck for Python Code Injection
IncludedCheck for Perl Code Injection
IncludedCheck for Log4j Remote Code Execution
IncludedCheck for Server-Side Template Injection
IncludedCheck for ViewState Remote Code Execution
IncludedCheck for Client-Side Prototype Pollution
IncludedCheck for Exposed Backup Files
IncludedCheck for Request URL Override
IncludedCheck for Client-Side Template Injection
IncludedCheck for HTTP/1.1 Request Smuggling
IncludedCheck for outdated JavaScript libraries
IncludedCheck for commented code/debug messages
IncludedFind Login Interfaces
IncludedSensitive Data Crawl

FAQ

Common questions about the API Vulnerability Scanner

Our tool currently works on REST APIs, GraphQL APIs and Postman Collections.