Laravel Broken Object Level Authorization Guide: Examples and Prevention

Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA) is a prevalent security vulnerability in web applications and APIs caused by inadequate user entitlement checks, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data. The issue is demonstrated through a REST API for managing comic books, where different user roles possess varying access levels, yet improper authorization can result in unauthorized users altering or accessing data they shouldn't. The article discusses how Laravel applications can be susceptible to BOLA and outlines a solution using Laravel's Sanctum middleware to verify user entitlements effectively, ensuring only authorized users can perform certain actions. By implementing this fix, the application significantly enhances its security, preventing unauthorized data manipulation, while suggesting further improvements such as integrating access levels into the database schema for more robust protection.