Untitled

Security Assessment Report

Title: Insecure Parameter Handling in Authenticated SOAP API Account Search

Observation

During the security assessment of the authenticated SOAP API designed for searching accounts by first and last names, it was observed that the API processes manipulated search parameters—such as account_id or address—which were not intended for client-side input. This indicates a susceptibility to parameter tampering attacks, where an attacker modifies parameters within the SOAP message to exploit vulnerabilities in the application's logic or security controls. 

Impact

The exploitation of parameter tampering in an authenticated context can lead to significant security risks:

1. Unauthorized Access: Attackers may manipulate parameters to bypass authentication mechanisms or gain access to resources or functionalities beyond their intended privileges. 


2. Data Manipulation: By altering parameters, attackers can modify data sent to the application, leading to data integrity issues or unauthorized changes to sensitive information. 


3. Privilege Escalation: Parameter tampering can be used to elevate privileges within the application, allowing attackers to perform actions restricted to privileged users. 


4. Information Disclosure: If the application displays error pages or stack traces containing sensitive information, parameter tampering can trigger these error conditions, revealing valuable details about the application's internal workings or underlying technologies. 



Remediation

To mitigate the identified risks, the following measures should be implemented:

1. Enforce Strict Input Validation

Implement server-side validation to ensure that only expected parameters (first_name and last_name) are accepted.

Reject requests containing unauthorized or unexpected parameters.



2. Implement Proper Authorization Controls

Enforce role-based or attribute-based access controls to ensure users can only access information they are permitted to view.

Authenticate and validate each request against user privileges.



3. Limit Response Data Exposure

Restrict the API from returning sensitive fields unless explicitly required and authorized.

Implement data masking or redaction for sensitive information.



4. Monitor and Log API Requests

Implement logging mechanisms to track API calls and detect unauthorized parameter manipulations.

Use anomaly detection to identify suspicious behavior.



5. Use API Security Best Practices

Implement schema validation to ensure only defined parameters are processed.

Enforce rate limiting to prevent enumeration attacks.

Secure the API using robust authentication mechanisms such as OAuth2 or API keys.




By addressing these vulnerabilities, the security and integrity of the SOAP API can be significantly improved, reducing the risk of unauthorized data access and information leakage.