How I Found Multiple IDOR Vulnerabilities

When it comes to web security, there are many vulnerabilities that can be overlooked, and one of the most common yet dangerous is Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR). In this blog, I’ll walk you through how I identified multiple IDOR vulnerabilities, the tools and techniques I used, and why these vulnerabilities can be a serious risk to web applications.

What is an IDOR Vulnerability?

Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) is a type of access control vulnerability that occurs when an application exposes an internal object, such as a file, database entry, or user identifier, without properly validating whether the user has permission to access the object.

Typically, the application provides direct access to sensitive information through user-modifiable input parameters, such as a URL or API call. Attackers can manipulate these parameters to gain unauthorized access to other users’ data. IDOR vulnerabilities are commonly found in user profile pages, file download links, and API endpoints.

How IDOR Works

Let’s break down how IDOR vulnerabilities operate:

1. Object Reference: The web application may use an object reference, such as a numeric user ID or file path, to retrieve resources (such as files or profile data) for…