Insecure Direct Object References (IDOR)

Question 1

What’s IDOR and what does it allow attackers to do?

Answer 1

• occurs when an application exposes internal object references, such as database records, files, or resources, without proper authorization checks
• allows an attacker to manipulate these references to access unauthorized data or perform unintended actions
• can enable an attacker to bypass access controls and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information

Question 2

What typically allows this vulnerability to exist?

Answer 2

• lack of indirect access checks
• instead of using indirect references, such as unique identifiers or tokens, to access resources, the application directly exposes internal references that can be easily manipulated

Question 3

How can be IDOR exploited?

Answer 3

by modifying URL parameters, intercepting and manipulating requests, or crafting custom requests to access restricted resources

Question 4

What are the mitigation strategies that address the IDOR vulnerability?

Answer 4

• Implement Proper Access Controls
• Use Indirect Object References
• Implement Access Validation
• Perform Input Validation and Sanitization
• Apply Security Testing and Code Reviews