Kotlin Broken Object Level Authorization Guide: Examples and Prevention

Broken object-level authorization (BOLA) is a security vulnerability where users gain access to data without the necessary privileges, topping OWASP's API Security Top 10 for 2023. This vulnerability often results from inadequate code-level validation, allowing attackers to manipulate URL and request parameters to access unauthorized data. For instance, an attacker might exploit a todo app API by altering user-ids or task-ids to view tasks or details not belonging to them, or by accessing admin-only features without proper credentials. Prevention strategies include validating user identity and access privileges, implementing API rate-limiting, and using hard-to-guess identifiers. It's also crucial to rigorously test APIs for unauthorized access to mitigate BOLA risks. The article is authored by Pius Aboyi, a developer with extensive experience in Android development, who emphasizes the importance of thorough testing to safeguard against such vulnerabilities.