Alternatives to 42Crunch on Strapi

What middleBrick covers

  • Black-box scanning requiring no agents or SDK integration
  • Risk scoring from A to F with prioritized findings
  • Detection aligned to OWASP API Top 10, PCI-DSS, and SOC 2
  • OpenAPI 3.x and Swagger 2.0 contract analysis
  • Authenticated scans with strict header allowlists
  • Continuous monitoring and compliance reporting options

Black-box scanning for any framework

middleBrick is a self-service API security scanner that operates as a black-box solution. Submit any public URL and receive a risk score from A to F with prioritized findings. It works independently of language, framework, or cloud provider, so Strapi, Node.js, or custom backends are treated identically. Scan duration is under one minute using read-only methods (GET and HEAD) and text-only POST for LLM probes.

Detection aligned to OWASP API Top 10 and related standards

The scanner maps findings to OWASP API Top 10 (2023), covering common risks in API implementations regardless of framework. It also aligns with security controls described in PCI-DSS 4.0 and SOC 2 Type II for audit evidence purposes. Detection categories include authentication bypass, broken object level authorization (BOLA), broken function level authorization (BFLA), sensitive data exposure, injection risks, SSRF indicators, and unsafe consumption patterns, including LLM-specific adversarial probes across multiple scan tiers.

OpenAPI contract analysis and runtime correlation

middleBrick parses OpenAPI 3.0, 3.1, and Swagger 2.0 definitions with recursive $ref resolution. The spec is cross-referenced against runtime behavior to highlight undefined security schemes, sensitive fields, deprecated operations, and missing pagination. This helps teams validate that documented behavior matches actual endpoints, which is useful when evaluating tools for frameworks such as Strapi.

Authenticated scanning and strict header controls

Authenticated scanning is available in the Starter tier and above, supporting Bearer tokens, API keys, Basic auth, and cookies. Domain verification is enforced through DNS TXT records or an HTTP well-known file, ensuring only the domain owner can scan with credentials. The scanner forwards a strict allowlist of headers: Authorization, X-API-Key, Cookie, and X-Custom-*.

Limitations and responsible disclosure guidance

The tool does not perform active SQL injection or command injection testing, as those require intrusive payloads outside its scope. It does not detect business logic vulnerabilities, which require domain context best handled by human experts. It also does not replace a human pentester for high-stakes audits. Findings include remediation guidance, but the scanner does not fix, patch, block, or remediate issues directly.

Compliance, safety, and integrations

Continuous monitoring is available in Pro tiers with scheduled rescans, diff detection, and email or webhook alerts. Customer data is deletable on demand and purged within 30 days of cancellation. The product integrates with a web dashboard, CLI, GitHub Action, MCP Server, and a programmatic API client. Safety measures include blocking private IPs, localhost, and cloud metadata endpoints at multiple layers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does middleBrick fix vulnerabilities in Strapi APIs?
No. The scanner detects and reports issues with remediation guidance, but it does not fix, patch, block, or remediate vulnerabilities.
Can authenticated scans validate Strapi endpoints securely?
Yes. Authenticated scans enforce domain verification and a strict header allowlist, ensuring only designated domains with credentials can test protected endpoints.
Which frameworks are supported for API scanning?
The scanner is framework-agnostic and supports any language or framework, including Strapi, because it operates as a black-box tester against live endpoints.
Is compliance certification provided for HIPAA or GDPR?
No compliance certification is provided. The tool may help you prepare for audits and aligns with security controls described in standards such as PCI-DSS and SOC 2.
How are false positives handled in scan results?
Findings include evidence and context to help triage false positives. Risk scores and prioritization are based on runtime behavior and spec validation rather than static assumptions.