IDOR Attacks Made Simple: How Hackers Access Unauthorized Data
1 min read
Summary
The article highlights the vulnerability of IDOR (Insecure Direct Object Reference), in which a simple oversight can lead to the exposure of sensitive data.
IDOR occurs when an application does not verify whether the user has permission to access a given resource, trusting that users can access any resource they request.
This can be exploited when using URLs that use specific triggers, such as manipulating a URL to access another user’s profile, changing a URL with a user ID for another user’s information, or triggering a command under the guise of an unauthorized user.
To prevent such vulnerabilities, users should use parameterized queries with prepared statements to prevent possible SQL injections, utilize effective input validation, and consider implementing a testing framework to catch errors before production.
IDOR attacks are an easily understandable, yet potent vulnerability, which if exploited successfully can result in severe consequences.