OpenAPI Specification Discovery
OpenAPI Specification (OAS) discovery, in the context of cybersecurity, is the process of locating and retrieving OpenAPI Specification files. OAS files provide a standardized, machine-readable format for describing the surface of RESTful APIs. These files are essential for security because they reveal details about an API's endpoints, parameters, data structures, and authentication requirements.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
Identifying OAS Files: This involves actively searching for locations where OAS files are likely to reside. Common locations include:
Standard URLs: Many APIs serve their OAS files at predictable URLs (e.g., /swagger.json, /openapi.yaml).
Web page links: OAS files might be linked within HTML pages, documentation portals, or developer resources.
Code repositories: Developers sometimes store or generate OpenAPI Specification (OAS) files in source code repositories.
Retrieving and Parsing OAS Files: Once located, OAS files need to be retrieved (e.g., via HTTP requests) and parsed to extract the API's structure and details. These files are typically formatted in JSON or YAML.
Analyzing API Structure: The information within the OAS file is then analyzed to understand the API's attack surface. This includes:
Enumerating all available API endpoints.
Identifying accepted HTTP methods (e.g., GET, POST) for each endpoint.
Determining required parameters and their data types.
Understanding request and response formats.
Analyzing authentication and authorization mechanisms.
Security Implications: OAS discovery is crucial for security because it gives both attackers and defenders a clear map of the API.
Attackers can utilize OAS files to identify vulnerabilities, locate sensitive data endpoints, and craft exploits more efficiently.
Security professionals can utilize OAS files to conduct security testing, automate vulnerability scanning, and ensure adherence to API security best practices.
OpenAPI Specification discovery is a reconnaissance technique that focuses on identifying and understanding API documentation to assess and manage security risks.
Here's how ThreatNG can help with OpenAPI Specification (OAS) discovery in a cybersecurity context:
ThreatNG's core capability of performing external, unauthenticated discovery is the foundation for OAS discovery. It enables ThreatNG to thoroughly scan an organization's web presence to identify potential locations where OAS files may be stored. This is crucial because OAS files can be hosted in various places, and ThreatNG's discovery capabilities increase the likelihood of finding them.
While ThreatNG doesn't have a specific "OAS assessment" module, its assessment capabilities indirectly contribute to the security context of OAS discovery:
Web Application Hijack Susceptibility: If ThreatNG identifies vulnerabilities that could allow an attacker to hijack a web application, this is highly relevant to OAS discovery. An attacker might use a discovered OAS file to exploit those vulnerabilities more effectively.
Cyber Risk Exposure: ThreatNG's assessment of cyber risk exposure, which involves analyzing subdomain headers and vulnerabilities, helps prioritize OAS files for security review. For example, an OAS file found on a subdomain with known vulnerabilities would be a higher priority.
3. Reporting
ThreatNG's reporting capabilities are essential for presenting the results of OAS discovery. Reports can include information about the location of OAS files, the APIs they describe, and any associated security risks. This helps security teams understand the API landscape and prioritize security efforts.
ThreatNG's continuous monitoring of the external attack surface is valuable because OAS files can change frequently as APIs evolve. Continuous monitoring ensures that any new or updated OAS files are discovered and analyzed for security implications.
ThreatNG's investigation modules provide several ways to aid in OAS discovery and analysis:
Domain Overview: This module specifically calls out related SwaggerHub instances, which provide interactive API documentation and specifications, enabling users to understand and potentially test the API's functionality and structure. Swagger and OpenAPI are related technologies for documenting APIs, so this is directly relevant.
Subdomain Intelligence: This module helps identify subdomains where OAS files may be hosted. It also identifies APIs.
Archived Web Pages: This module can discover older versions of web pages that may contain previously exposed OAS files.
While ThreatNG's intelligence repositories do not specifically store OAS files, they provide valuable context for OAS discovery. For example, compromised credentials in intelligence repositories could be used to exploit APIs documented by discovered OpenAPI (OAS) files.
7. Working with Complementary Solutions
ThreatNG can enhance other security tools by providing them with information about discovered OAS files:
API testing tools: ThreatNG can provide a list of OAS files to API testing tools, which can then use the files to automatically generate test cases.
Vulnerability scanners: ThreatNG can identify APIs described by OAS files, which vulnerability scanners can then assess for security flaws.
8. Examples of ThreatNG Helping
ThreatNG discovers an OAS file on a non-standard URL that was missed by manual security reviews.
ThreatNG identifies an older version of an OAS file that reveals deprecated API endpoints with known vulnerabilities.
ThreatNG's continuous monitoring detects a new OAS file being deployed, prompting an immediate security review.
9. Examples of ThreatNG Working with Complementary Solutions
ThreatNG provides a list of discovered OAS files to an API testing tool, which automatically generates security tests for the APIs.
ThreatNG identifies an OAS file that describes an API with weak authentication. This information is fed into a vulnerability scanner, which performs detailed testing of the authentication mechanism.
ThreatNG offers a range of capabilities that can significantly enhance OpenAPI Specification discovery and its security implications. Its discovery, assessment, reporting, monitoring, and investigation modules all play a role in finding, analyzing, and securing APIs described by OAS files.
