APIs power the modern digital world — from mobile apps and SaaS platforms to enterprise systems. But with this power comes one of the most dangerous threats highlighted in the OWASP API Security Top 10: Broken Access Control (BAC).
When access controls fail, attackers can escalate privileges, steal sensitive data, or bypass restrictions — resulting in data breaches, compliance violations, and reputation damage.
This guide explores the best tools to identify Broken Access Control in APIs and why Prophaze API Security is a proactive, AI-powered defense that goes beyond detection.
Understanding Broken Access Control in APIs
Broken Access Control happens when APIs fail to enforce proper authorization rules. Common patterns include:
-
Vertical Privilege Escalation: Regular users accessing admin-only features.
-
Horizontal Privilege Escalation: Users accessing other users' data with the same privilege.
-
Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA/IDOR): Manipulating object IDs to grab unauthorized content.
-
Broken Function Level Authorization (BFLA): Accessing limited functions because of inadequate role checks.
-
Did you know? BOLA is the most exploited API vulnerability worldwide.
The Best Tools to Identify Broken Access Control
1. Burp Suite Professional
Type: DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing), Manual Testing Aid
-
Powerful for manual API penetration testing.
-
Autorize extension helps simulate requests with different tokens.
-
Quickly identifies IDORs and privilege escalation flaws.
2. OWASP ZAP (Zed Attack Proxy)
Type: Open-Source DAST
-
Free and widely used by security professionals.
-
Access Control Testing add-on compares permissions across roles.
-
Integrates with CI/CD pipelines for automated testing.
3. Salt Security
Type: Runtime API Security Platform
-
Detects BOLA attacks in real time.
-
Uses traffic analysis to identify abnormal user behaviors.
-
Excellent for continuous monitoring in production.
4. Noname Security
Type: Full API Lifecycle Security
-
Detects BAC flaws during development and runtime.
-
Covers BOLA, BFLA, and privilege misconfigurations.
-
Strong API inventory and compliance features.
5. Traceable AI
Type: AI-Powered API Security
-
Uses AI + distributed tracing for anomaly detection.
-
Identifies suspicious privilege escalation attempts.
-
Monitors end-to-end user journeys across APIs.
6. Bright Security (DAST)
Type: Automated DAST for APIs
-
Specialized in automated BAC testing.
-
Integrates with CI/CD for early detection.
-
Helps DevSecOps teams reduce manual work.
7. Veracode DAST
Type: Enterprise-Grade DAST
-
Designed for large enterprises with complex systems.
-
Detects logic-based BAC vulnerabilities (IDORs, missing role checks).
-
Scalable for global organizations.
8. Pynt
Type: Automated API Security Testing
-
Parses OpenAPI/Swagger specifications.
-
Auto-generates tests to uncover BAC flaws during development.
-
Lightweight and dev-friendly.
Why Prophaze Stands Out
While the above tools excel at detecting BAC, they often stop at reporting vulnerabilities. Prophaze API Security goes further by preventing and mitigating BAC attacks in real time.
Prophaze Key Capabilities:
-
Automated API Discovery: Identifies shadow and hidden APIs.
-
Granular Authorization Enforcement: Protects against BOLA & BFLA with RBAC/ABAC, MFA, and hardened tokens.
-
Continuous Monitoring: Real-time anomaly detection, zero-trust enforcement, and rate limiting.
-
Shift-Left Integration: Catches BAC risks early in the CI/CD pipeline.
-
Related Resource: [How Prophaze Prevents OWASP API Top 10 Risks]
Strengthening API Security Against Broken Access Control
Broken Access Control remains a critical threat vector for APIs in 2025.
-
Tools like Burp Suite and OWASP ZAP are invaluable for manual/DAST testing.
-
Platforms like Salt Security and Traceable AI offer real-time, AI-powered monitoring.
-
Enterprise-grade systems like Veracode and Noname Security provide full lifecycle coverage.
But detection alone is not enough. With Prophaze API Security, enterprises gain continuous, AI-powered prevention that ensures only the right users access the right data — every time.
-
In today’s evolving threat landscape, choosing the right mix of testing + runtime protection is mission-critical. Prophaze helps businesses stay ahead with confidence.
