Authentication / Insecure Direct Object References

Description

Insecure Direct Object References is a type of authentication vulnerability that occurs when a web application or API provides direct access to objects based on user-supplied input. According to the OWASP Testing Guide, an Insecure Direct Object Reference can occur when an application uses an “unvalidated parameter, such as a user supplied input, to directly access a backend object or resource”. This type of vulnerability can allow attackers to bypass authentication and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Risk

Insecure Direct Object References pose a major threat to the security of web applications and APIs as they can allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. Given the severity of this type of vulnerability, it is important to assess the risk of Insecure Direct Object References, and determine if an application or API is susceptible to this type of attack.

Solution

The best way to fix Insecure Direct Object References is to ensure that user-supplied input is not used to directly access backend resources. Instead, applications should validate the user input and use an indirect reference to the object instead. This is the only way to ensure that malicious actors cannot bypass authentication and gain unauthorized access to sensitive data.