Alternatives to 42Crunch in Government

What middleBrick covers

Black-box scanning without agents or code access
Detection of OWASP API Top 10 (2023) categories
OpenAPI 3.0/3.1 and Swagger 2.0 parsing with ref resolution
Authenticated scanning with strict header allowlists
Continuous monitoring and diff detection across scans
Programmatic access via CLI and API client

Government API Security Assessment Needs

Government workloads often combine public-facing services with internal data systems, requiring API security scanners that operate without code access or agents. Assessments must be fast, low-impact, and aligned with established control frameworks such as PCI-DSS 4.0, SOC 2 Type II, and OWASP API Top 10 (2023). The scanner performs black-box checks using read-only methods, completing each scan in under a minute while avoiding destructive payloads. This approach supports audit evidence collection without requiring intrusive testing on production systems.

Detection Coverage for Common Government Risks

The tool evaluates APIs across 12 security categories derived from OWASP API Top 10 (2023), focusing on risks prevalent in government contexts. Detection capabilities include authentication bypass and JWT misconfigurations, broken object level authorization and IDOR, privilege escalation through exposed admin endpoints, and sensitive data exposure such as PII, credit card numbers, and API key formats. Additional coverage includes input validation issues like CORS misconfigurations, rate-limiting weaknesses, SSRF indicators, and inventory management gaps like missing versioning.

OpenAPI and Runtime Correlation

OpenAPI analysis parses OpenAPI 3.0, 3.1, and Swagger 2.0 documents with recursive $ref resolution, cross-referencing spec definitions against runtime behavior. Findings are correlated to identify undefined security schemes, sensitive fields in responses, deprecated operations, and missing pagination. This comparison helps identify discrepancies between documented contracts and actual behavior, supporting reviews relevant to SOC 2 Type II and PCI-DSS 4.0 control evidence.

Authenticated Scanning and Scope Control

Authenticated scanning is available from the Starter tier and above, supporting Bearer tokens, API keys, Basic auth, and cookies. Domain verification requires DNS TXT records or an HTTP well-known file to ensure only domain owners can scan with credentials. Header forwarding is limited to Authorization, X-API-Key, Cookie, and X-Custom-* headers, reducing exposure risk. These controls help align assessment scope with organizational policies and regulatory guidance.

Deployment, Monitoring, and Reporting

The scanner integrates into existing workflows through a web dashboard, CLI, GitHub Action, and MCP Server for AI-assisted development. Continuous monitoring options on Pro and Enterprise tiers provide scheduled rescans, diff detection for score drift, and email or webhook alerts. Reporting features include branded compliance PDFs and signed webhooks, enabling organized tracking of findings over time without implying certification or compliance guarantees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this tool replace a government penetration test?

No. The scanner detects and reports findings with remediation guidance but does not replace human-led penetration tests required for high-stakes audits.

Does the tool perform active exploit testing?

No. Only read-only methods are used, and destructive payloads are never sent.

How are false positives handled during scans?

Findings are correlated against runtime behavior and OpenAPI definitions to reduce noise, though manual review remains necessary for validation.

Is scan data stored or used for model training?

Customer data is never sold or used for model training. Data is deletable on demand and purged within 30 days of cancellation.