Why API Security is Critical

In the world of digital connectivity, APIs are the lifeline of modern businesses, enabling seamless integrations and efficient service delivery. However, misconfigurations can expose critical vulnerabilities, leaving businesses susceptible to data breaches and operational disruptions. At CloudSEK, we empower organizations to proactively secure their API infrastructures with our flagship platform, BeVigil Enterprise. This blog demonstrates how BeVigil helped a prominent logistics company identify and resolve a significant API security gap.

What Happens When API Gateways Are Left Unprotected?

During a routine scan of a major logistics company, BeVigil detected a misconfigured Kong API Gateway Admin Panel.

What is Kong API Gateway?
Kong is an open-source API gateway and micro-services management layer. It is designed to help organizations manage, secure, and optimize the traffic between their applications and services. Kong serves as an intermediary layer between clients and the backend services, providing a range of features to facilitate API management and improve overall system performance.

We identified few issues on the Kong API Gateway including:

• Unauthorized Admin Panel Access: Lack of proper access control can allow unauthorized individuals to view, modify, or delete critical API configurations and settings, compromising the functionality and security of the API gateway.
• Sensitive Data Exposure: Insufficient authentication may result in exposure of sensitive information such as API keys, tokens, and credentials, increasing the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access to APIs.
• Configuration Issues: Open access to the admin panel can lead to accidental or intentional misconfigurations, potentially causing service disruptions, data leaks, or new security weaknesses in the API infrastructure.
• Potential for API Exploitation: Malicious users may exploit the admin panel to introduce harmful plugins, create unauthorized APIs, or interfere with existing services, leading to outages or exposing the system to attacks.
• Compromise of Security Mechanisms: Unprotected admin interfaces may enable attackers to disable critical security features like rate limiting, authentication, or authorization, leaving APIs exposed to exploitation.

The vulnerability posed risks to data security, operational continuity, and the organization's reputation.

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Unmasking Security Flaws: A Detailed Analysis

1. API Misconfigurations detected by BeVigil's API Scanner

CloudSEK's BeVigil API Scanner uncovered a misconfigured API tied to the Kong API Gateway Admin service. The exposed configuration data included sensitive details such as log file locations, process IDs, and database information, highlighting significant security risks.

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2. Unauthorized Admin Panel Access via Open Port

BeVigil’s Network Scanner scans ports every day to catch vulnerabilities for our customers. In this case, it detected a critical issue with port 8002, which was hosting the Kong Admin Panel. The panel was accessible without authentication or authorization, leaving the gateway exposed to unauthorized access.

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3. Sensitive API Endpoints Left Vulnerable

BeVigil identified a serious risk with the Admin Panel exposing multiple API endpoints tied to key services. These endpoints widened the attack surface, allowing malicious actors to exploit them or even disable routes, disrupting legitimate access to critical services.

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4. Super Admin Access Token Compromised

One of the most critical vulnerabilities was the exposure of a super-admin access token. This token granted full control over Kong Manager and Kong Admin API. Attackers could create arbitrary admin accounts with super-admin privileges, leading to a complete takeover of the Kong Manager.

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As a proof of concept, a security researcher successfully used the exposed token to create a new user named “shashank2,” confirming the exploit's feasibility.

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The Outcome: Enhanced API Security and Operational Continuity

• Integrated Threat Detection: BeVigil seamlessly connects insights from network scans to API scans, offering a holistic view of vulnerabilities across your infrastructure.
• Actionable Intelligence: Beyond detection, BeVigil provides clear, practical recommendations to fix misconfigurations, secure endpoints, and prevent unauthorized access.
• Comprehensive Risk Mitigation: BeVigil quickly identifies high-risk exposures, like compromised credentials, and delivers effective solutions to minimize damage and prevent breaches.

Ready to Secure Your APIs? Trust BeVigil

BeVigil Enterprise is not just a vulnerability scanner—it is a comprehensive attack surface security platform tailored to address modern API challenges. Its key features include:

• Proactive Risk Management: Early detection of vulnerabilities to prevent breaches.
• Customizable Solutions: Security measures designed to fit unique business needs.
• Scalability: Robust protection for growing API ecosystems without compromising performance.

With BeVigil Enterprise, organizations can detect, remediate, and prevent vulnerabilities, ensuring the integrity of their digital operations. If your business relies on APIs, securing them is not optional—it is essential. At CloudSEK, we are committed to making the digital world safer for everyone.