JCC logo
OWASP Risks Atlasby Jer Catallo
API Security

OWASP Top 10 for API Security

A focused OWASP Top 10 for API-first systems, covering authorization, authentication, resource abuse, inventory hygiene, and third-party API trust boundaries.

Select an Official Release Year

Pick a year to view release rankings, or switch to All Time for the cross-release top 10.

Showing official OWASP 2023 API Security categories

API Security categories for 2023
RankTitleSummaryDetails
#1Broken Object Level AuthorizationEndpoints that expose object identifiers can let attackers access records they do not own when object-level authorization checks are missing or inconsistent.View Details
#2Broken AuthenticationWeak token handling, flawed login flows, or insecure session logic let attackers impersonate legitimate users.View Details
#3Broken Object Property Level AuthorizationAPIs can expose or allow updates to object properties that callers should not be allowed to read or modify.View Details
#4Unrestricted Resource ConsumptionMissing limits on compute, storage, bandwidth, or paid downstream actions can turn APIs into denial-of-service or cost-amplification targets.View Details
#5Broken Function Level AuthorizationAdministrative or privileged functions become reachable when route- or action-level authorization is not enforced correctly.View Details
#6Unrestricted Access to Sensitive Business FlowsBusiness-critical flows can be automated and abused when APIs do not distinguish legitimate usage from harmful high-volume behavior.View Details
#7Server Side Request ForgeryUser-controlled remote fetches can be abused to coerce backend systems into making requests to internal or unexpected destinations.View Details
#8Security MisconfigurationWeak defaults, exposed debug features, missing hardening, or inconsistent deployment settings create avoidable attack paths.View Details
#9Improper Inventory ManagementUndocumented endpoints, stale versions, and forgotten environments expand the attack surface and weaken governance.View Details
#10Unsafe Consumption of APIsTrusting third-party APIs too much can import insecure data, behavior, or dependencies directly into your own system.View Details