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API Security TestingOverview

API Security Testing

API Scanning tests REST and GraphQL APIs for exploitable vulnerabilities. It uses your OpenAPI specification or GraphQL schema to identify endpoints, queries, and mutations, then sends real payloads to detect exploitable vulnerabilities.

How It Works

  1. Import — Upload your OpenAPI spec (REST) or GraphQL schema. Detectify parses it to discover your API’s structure.
  2. Configure — Set authentication credentials, rate limits, scan scope, and scheduling. See Configuration.
  3. Scan — Detectify sends exploit payloads to each endpoint or operation. Payloads are rotated across scan runs — the scanner tracks what has been sent per target and prioritizes untested variations in subsequent runs. See Coverage for vulnerability types and payload rotation details.
  4. Analyze — Findings are validated through actual payload execution, not signature matching. Each finding includes the exact request and response, severity, and remediation guidance. See Results & Remediation.

Key Capabilities

CapabilityDescription
Spec-driven testingScans are built from your OpenAPI specification or GraphQL schema
Payload rotationRotates through payload libraries per target, expanding coverage across scan runs
Authentication supportOAuth 2.0, Basic Auth, and API key — see Configuration
Continuous monitoringSchedule recurring scans to catch regressions as your API evolves
Prompt injection testingDetects prompt injection in AI and LLM-powered endpoints

Getting Started

See the Getting Started guide for a step-by-step walkthrough of your first scan, including supported formats for both REST and GraphQL.

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