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api-security-review — Claude Code skill: OWASP API audit

This skill runs an API through the OWASP API Security Top 10 (2023), covering auth, BOLA, SSRF and gateway config. Useful before a release or when auditing someone else's service.

Install into Claude Code · Skills CLI (Vercel) All methods and platforms ↓
npx skills add OWASP/secure-agent-playbook --skill api-security-review -a claude-code
Open on GitHub

What api-security-review does

The skill walks the agent through five steps: discovery (parsing OpenAPI/Swagger specs or scanning code for endpoints), an authentication deep dive, assessment of all ten OWASP risks, automated testing, and a gateway review. The output is a report: an API surface inventory, a risk matrix with severity ratings, findings with proof-of-concept examples, exploit scenarios, and a prioritized remediation roadmap with code samples.

Authentication gets its own pass. JWT issues (algorithm confusion, weak signing, token expiration), OAuth 2.0 flows (PKCE, state parameter, redirect URI validation), API key exposure and rotation, session storage. Then the ten categories, from BOLA/IDOR and mass assignment to SSRF, shadow APIs and unsafe consumption of third-party data.

The automated testing step expects scanners: OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite or Postman tests. Without one of them the agent still does discovery and manual review, but cannot confirm findings with exploits. The gateway review targets Kong, nginx, Envoy and AWS API Gateway configurations.

What it helps with

  • parse an OpenAPI spec and flag unprotected endpoints
  • test JWT and OAuth 2.0 flows against common attacks
  • find IDOR through predictable identifiers
  • check rate limiting and GraphQL DoS protection
  • produce a report with proof-of-concept and a fix plan

Example prompts for the agent

  • review this API against the OWASP API Security Top 10, the spec is in openapi.yaml
  • audit the authentication in this service: JWT and OAuth 2.0
  • check the API gateway configuration for bypasses

How to install api-security-review

1Skills CLI (Vercel)

npx skills add OWASP/secure-agent-playbook --skill api-security-review -a claude-code

2Manually: put the files in place

~/.claude/skills/api-security-review/SKILL.md

Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/api-security-review/

Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to install skills in Claude Code: five ways

Questions about api-security-review

How do I install api-security-review in Claude?

Run npx skills add OWASP/secure-agent-playbook --skill api-security-review -a claude-code. The skill lands in ~/.claude/skills/api-security-review/SKILL.md.

What does api-security-review do?

It audits an API against the OWASP API Security Top 10 (2023): reviews authentication, checks all ten risk categories, runs scanners and inspects gateway configuration. You get a report with findings, exploits and a remediation plan.

Which scanners does the automated testing step need?

The automated testing steps rely on OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite or Postman tests.

Source text

SKILL.md · CC-BY-4.0
---
name: api-security-review
description: Comprehensive API security review against OWASP API Security Top 10 (2023). Use when reviewing OpenAPI/Swagger specs, auditing REST/GraphQL/gRPC implementations, testing authentication mechanisms, or checking API gateway configurations. Covers BOLA/IDOR, broken auth, mass assignment, rate limiting, SSRF, and more with real-world attack scenarios.
license: CC-BY-4.0
---

# API Security Review

Perform comprehensive API security assessment following `plays/api-security-review.md`.

## Steps

1. **Discovery & Reconnaissance**
   - Parse OpenAPI/Swagger specs or scan code for endpoints
   - Identify authentication mechanisms (JWT, OAuth 2.0, API keys, mTLS)
   - Map API gateway and middleware configurations
   - Enumerate all API versions and deprecated endpoints

2. **Authentication Deep Dive**
   - JWT security (algorithm confusion, weak signing, token expiration)
   - OAuth 2.0 flows (PKCE, state parameter, redirect URI validation)
   - API key exposure and rotation policies
   - Session management and token storage

3. **Assess All 10 OWASP API Risks** with attack scenarios:
   - **API1 BOLA** — IDOR via predictable IDs, batch endpoint bypasses, ownership verification gaps
   - **API2 Broken Authentication** — JWT attacks, OAuth flaws, brute force, credential stuffing
   - **API3 BOPA** — Mass assignment, response over-exposure, field-level authz bypasses
   - **API4 Resource Consumption** — Rate limit bypasses, pagination abuse, GraphQL DoS
   - **API5 BFLA** — Admin endpoint discovery, horizontal/vertical privilege escalation
   - **API6 Business Flows** — Automated abuse, inventory exhaustion, scraping attacks
   - **API7 SSRF** — URL bypasses, DNS rebinding, cloud metadata access
   - **API8 Misconfiguration** — CORS bypasses, verbose errors, missing headers
   - **API9 Inventory** — Shadow APIs, zombie endpoints, version confusion
   - **API10 Unsafe Consumption** — XXE, deserialization, webhook replay attacks

4. **Automated Testing**
   - Run API security scanners (OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite, Postman tests)
   - Test for common vulnerabilities with specific payloads
   - Validate rate limiting and throttling mechanisms

5. **API Gateway & Infrastructure Review**
   - Kong, nginx, Envoy, AWS API Gateway configurations
   - WAF rules and bypass opportunities
   - TLS configuration and certificate validation

## Output

Comprehensive API security report including:
- API surface inventory with authentication mechanisms
- Risk matrix with severity ratings for all 10 categories
- Detailed findings with proof-of-concept examples
- Exploit scenarios and business impact analysis
- Prioritized remediation roadmap with code examples
- Testing artifacts and vulnerability evidence

## OWASP References

- OWASP API Security Top 10 (2023)
- OWASP ASVS v5.0 — V13: API and Web Service
- OWASP Testing Guide: WSTG-APIT
- OWASP Cheat Sheet: REST Security, GraphQL Security, JWT Security, OAuth 2.0

© OWASP · CC-BY-4.0 · OWASP/secure-agent-playbook

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