Understanding Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA): OWASP API Security Principle #1

APIs have become the backbone of digital systems, from mobile apps to financial platforms, powering the seamless exchange of data between users and services. But as APIs grow in complexity and volume, so do their vulnerabilities.

According to the OWASP API Security Top 10, the #1 vulnerability impacting APIs is Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA), one of the most common and damaging flaws found in real-world breaches.

BOLA attacks are responsible for countless data leaks, unauthorized access incidents, and compliance failures across industries. Understanding what causes them and how to prevent them is essential to keeping your APIs secure.

What is Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA)?

Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA) is one of the most common and serious problems in API security.

The easiest way to explain it is by asking a simple question: “Can User A see User B’s data?”
If the answer is yes, your API is vulnerable to BOLA.

Here’s what that means in simple terms: when someone logs into an app, the system checks who they are. That's called authentication. But the system also needs to check what they’re allowed to see or do; that's called authorization.

In a BOLA situation, the first check works (the user logs in successfully), but the second one doesn’t happen properly. So, if an attacker changes a number or ID in the API request, they might be able to view or edit someone else’s information.

For example, imagine a user’s profile is fetched from:

/api/v1/users/101

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If they simply change the number to /api/v1/users/102 and the API shows another person’s details, that’s a clear BOLA flaw.

Why it’s dangerous:

• It’s easy to exploit anyone who understands how URLs or API requests work and can try it.
  
  
• It’s hard to detect if the requests look normal and don’t trigger alarms.
  
  
• It exposes sensitive data like personal info, bank details, or private messages.

Because of how simple and damaging it is, OWASP ranks BOLA as the number one risk in API security.
It’s a reminder that checking “who you are” isn’t enough; every API must also check “what you’re allowed to see.”

Real-World Example of BOLA

Imagine an e-commerce platform that allows users to view their past orders by visiting:

GET /api/orders/{user_id}

When a legitimate user (User A) sends a request like GET /api/orders/1234, they receive their order history.
However, if User A changes the parameter to GET /api/orders/5678, they might gain access to another customer’s data (User B).

That’s a BOLA vulnerability, the system authenticated User A correctly but did not validate whether they were authorized to access the data belonging to User B.

The impact of such vulnerabilities can include:

• Exposure of personal or financial information
• Unauthorized account actions or data manipulation
• Violation of privacy regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA

How BOLA Differs from Authentication Issues

While authentication verifies identity (confirming who you are), authorization controls access (deciding what you can do).

BOLA is not an authentication problem, it occurs after authentication, when an application fails to correctly enforce authorization checks.
This means even a valid, logged-in user could exploit logic flaws to access someone else’s data.

For a deeper dive into how authentication and authorization differ, check out our related blog on Master API Authentication and Authorization.

Potential Consequences of BOLA Vulnerabilities

The impact of BOLA can be devastating because it targets data directly. Some of the most common consequences include:

• Massive data breaches: Attackers can exfiltrate sensitive customer records, payment data, or medical information.
• Privacy violations: Unauthorized access to personal or confidential data can lead to lawsuits and loss of trust.
• Regulatory penalties: Violations of GDPR, PCI DSS, or HIPAA can cost millions in fines.
• Reputation damage: Publicly disclosed breaches erode customer confidence and brand credibility.

These are not hypothetical. Real-world API breaches at companies like Experian, LinkedIn, and Venmo have exposed millions of user records due to inadequate authorization logic.

Mitigation Strategies for BOLA

Preventing BOLA requires strong, consistent authorization enforcement at every layer of your API architecture. Below are key best practices recommended by OWASP and security experts:

1. Implement Object-Level Access Controls: Always validate that the authenticated user has permission to access the requested object. This should occur server-side and not rely on client logic.
   
   
2. Use Unique, Non-Guessable Object IDs: Avoid sequential or easily predictable IDs in URLs. Use UUIDs or encrypted identifiers to minimize guessing attacks.
   
   
3. Adopt the Principle of Least Privilege: Limit users to the minimal data and actions necessary for their role.
   
   
4. Automate API Security Testing: Manual testing can’t keep up with today’s complex API environments. Tools like APIsec.ai automate BOLA detection by simulating real-world exploits across every API endpoint, ensuring vulnerabilities are caught early in the development cycle.
   
   
5. Integrate Security into CI/CD: Shift left by incorporating automated authorization tests directly into your CI/CD pipeline so you detect and fix logic flaws before deployment.
   
   
6. Monitor Runtime Behavior: Continuous monitoring for suspicious access patterns helps detect BOLA exploitation attempts in real time.

To learn more about proactive testing methods, explore our detailed guide on API Security Best Practices.

How APIsec.ai Solves BOLA

APIsec doesn’t just check whether your APIs have authorization rules, it simulates real BOLA attacks to prove where those rules break.

The platform automatically creates and runs controlled attack scenarios where User A tries to access, change, or delete data that belongs to User B.

If the API allows that action, APIsec flags it immediately and provides a full proof-of-concept showing how the exposure occurred.

Here’s how it works in practice:

• Simulated exploit testing: APIsec builds live attack scenarios that mirror real-world attempts to access other users’ data.
  
  
• Automated coverage: Every endpoint and object reference is tested for cross-user access, not just a sample set.
  
  
• Continuous validation: The system runs these simulations continuously inside your CI/CD pipeline so new BOLA issues are caught before deployment.
  
  
• Clear, actionable results: Each finding includes the exact request and response that proves unauthorized access, making it easy for developers to reproduce and fix.

By reproducing what an actual attacker would do, not just scanning for patterns, APIsec ensures your APIs truly enforce “User A cannot see User B’s data.”

Conclusion

Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA) sits at the top of the OWASP API Security Top 10 for a reason: it’s simple to exploit but incredibly damaging.

By implementing strict access control, automating security testing with APIsec.ai, and maintaining continuous monitoring, organizations can stay ahead of these logic-based threats.

BOLA isn’t just a technical bug, it’s a governance failure. Fixing it means treating authorization as a fundamental part of your API design, not an afterthought.

Ready to test your APIs for BOLA vulnerabilities? Sign up for APIsec.ai and start automated testing today.

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