Hacking APIs Early Access

Jul 7, 2026

Upload by Noah

Early Access edition of “Hacking APIs” by Corey J. Ball, inviting reader feedback on an unreleased, potentially incomplete manuscript. The book is organized into four parts: web API security context, lab setup for building a testing environment, practical attack workflows for discovering and probing APIs, and real-world techniques including evasive methods, rate-limit testing, GraphQL attacks, and breach/bounty considerations. Includes appendices such as an API hacking checklist and additional resources.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryTechnology

FormatPDF

Pages353

Reading Time14 h 50 min

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part I: The State of Web API Security

Chapter 0: Preparing for API Security Testing

Chapter 1: How Web Applications Work

Chapter 2: The Anatomy of Web APIs

Chapter 3: API Insecurities

Part II: Lab Setup

Chapter 4: Setting Up an API Hacking System

Chapter 5: Setting Up Vulnerable API Targets

Part III: Attacking APIs

Chapter 6: Discovering APIs

Chapter 7: Endpoint Analysis

Chapter 8: Attacking API Authentication

Chapter 9: API Fuzzing

Chapter 10: Exploiting API Authorization

Chapter 11: Exploiting Mass Assignment

Chapter 12: API Injection

Part IV: Real-World API Hacking

Chapter 13: Evasive Techniques and Rate Limit Testing

Chapter 14: Attacking GraphQL

Chapter 15: Breaches and Bounties

Appendix A: API Hacking Checklist

Appendix B: Additional Resource

Conclusion

Hacking APIs (Early Access) © 2022 by Corey Ball NO STARC H P RESS EARLY ACC ESS P ROG RAM : FEEDBACK WELCOME! Welcome to the Early Access edition of the as yet unpublished HackingAPIs by Corey J. Ball! As a prepublication title, this book may be incomplete and some chapters may not have been proofread. Our goal is always to make the best books possible, and we look forward to hearing your thoughts. If you have any comments or questions, email us [at](at earlyaccess@nostarch.com. If you have specific feedback for us)[ earlyaccess@nostarch.com](at earlyaccess@nostarch.com. If you have specific feedback for us)[. If you have specific feedback for us](at earlyaccess@nostarch.com. If you have specific feedback for us), please include the page number, book title, and edition date in your note, and we’ll be sure to review it. We appreciate your help and support! We’ll email you as new chapters become available. In the meantime, enjoy! Hacking APIs (Early Access) © 2022 by Corey Ball HAC KI NG AP IS COREY J . BALL Early Access edition, 2/1/22 Copyright © 2022 by Corey J. Ball. ISBN 13: 978-1-7185-0244-4 (print) ISBN 13: 978-1-7185-0245-1 (ebook) Publisher: William Pollock Managing Editor: Jill Franklin Production Manager: Rachel Monaghan Production Editor: Jennifer Kepler Developmental Editor: Frances Saux Cover Illustrator: Gina Redman Interior Design: Octopod Studios Technical Reviewer: Alex Rifman Copyeditor: Bart Reed Compositor: Maureen Forys, Happenstance Type-O-Rama Proofreader: Paula L. Fleming No Starch Press and the No Starch Press logo are registered trademarks of No Starch Press, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than use a trademark symbol with every occurrence of a trademarked name, we are using the names only in an editorial fashion and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher. The information in this book is distributed on an “As Is” basis, without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this work, neither the author nor No Starch Press, Inc. shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in it. Hacking APIs (Early Access) © 2022 by Corey Ball CO NTE NTS Foreword Acknowledgments Introduction PART I: THE STATE OF WEB API SECURITY Chapter 0: Preparing for API Security Testing Chapter 1: How Web Applications Work Chapter 2: The Anatomy of Web APIs Chapter 3: API Securities PART II: LAB SETUP Chapter 4: Setting Up an API Hacking System Chapter 5: Setting Up Vulnerable API Targets PART III: ATTACKING APIS Chapter 6: Discovering APIs Chapter 7: Endpoint Analysis Chapter 8: Attacking API Authentication Chapter 9: API Fuzzing Chapter 10: Exploiting API Authorization Chapter 11: Exploiting Mass Assignment Chapter 12: API Injection PART IV: REAL-WORLD API HACKING Chapter 13: Evasive Techniques and Rate Limit Testing Chapter 14: Attacking GraphQL Chapter 15: Breaches and Bounties Conclusion Appendix A: API Hacking Checklist Appendix B: Additional Resource The chapters in red are included in this Early Access PDF. Hacking APIs (Early Access) © 2022 by Corey Ball To my incredible wife, Kristin, and our three amazing daughters, Vivian, Charlise, and Ruby. Your distractions were almost always a delight, and they probably only cost the world a data breach or two. You are the light of my life, and I love you. Hacking APIs (Early Access) © 2022 by Corey Ball About

FAQs

What does the Early Access edition request from readers?

Readers are asked to provide comments or questions and, when possible, include the page number, book title, and edition date so the author and publisher can review the feedback.

How is the book structured to cover API security?

It follows four parts: web API security fundamentals, lab setup, hands-on attacking methods, and real-world API hacking scenarios.

Which topics in the book address attacking and testing APIs?

The table of contents lists API discovery and endpoint analysis, authentication and authorization attacks, fuzzing, mass assignment exploitation, injection attacks, GraphQL targeting, and rate-limit testing.

Jul 7, 2026

Upload by Noah