API security for Seed-stage startups

Run the API security for Seed-stage startups check

What middleBrick covers

  • Black-box scanning with no agents or code access
  • Risk score A–F with prioritized findings
  • 12 OWASP API Top 10 aligned detection categories
  • Authenticated scanning with strict header allowlist
  • LLM adversarial probe testing across multiple tiers
  • Integrations for CLI, GitHub Actions, and MCP Server

Fast, black-box security for resource-constrained teams

Seed-stage teams need security that does not require dedicated staff or access to source code. This scanner is a self-service, black-box solution that accepts a URL and returns a risk grade from A to F with prioritized findings. Scan time stays under a minute, and only read-only methods such as GET and HEAD are used, with text-only POST allowed for LLM probes. There are no agents, SDKs, or code instrumentation, so it works with any language, framework, or cloud stack.

Coverage aligned to OWASP API Top 10 and key compliance frameworks

The scanner evaluates 12 security categories aligned to OWASP API Top 10 (2023), including authentication bypass, broken object level authorization, broken function level authorization, excessive property exposure, input validation issues, rate limiting weaknesses, data exposure, encryption misconfigurations, SSRF risks, inventory management gaps, unsafe consumption surfaces, and LLM/AI security probes. Findings map directly to OWASP API Top 10 controls. The tool also helps you prepare for compliance with PCI-DSS 4.0 and SOC 2 Type II by surfacing findings relevant to audit evidence and validating controls described in those frameworks.

Authenticated scanning and strict scope controls

With Starter tier and above, you can enable authenticated scanning using Bearer tokens, API keys, Basic auth, or cookies. Domain verification is enforced through a DNS TXT record or an HTTP well-known file, ensuring only the domain owner can submit credentials. The scanner forwards a strict header allowlist limited to Authorization, X-API-Key, Cookie, and X-Custom-* headers. Read-only methods are enforced, and destructive payloads are never sent. Private IPs, localhost, and cloud metadata endpoints are blocked at multiple layers.

Developer-friendly integrations and ongoing monitoring

The platform provides several integration options for modern development workflows. Use the CLI with middlebrick scan <url> to produce JSON or text output. A GitHub Action can gate CI/CD, failing the build when the score drops below your chosen threshold. The MCP Server enables scanning from AI coding assistants such as Claude or Cursor. For continuous monitoring, Pro tier supports scheduled rescans every 6 hours, daily, weekly, or monthly, with diff detection across scans and email alerts rate-limited to one per hour per API. HMAC-SHA256 signed webhooks are included, with auto-disable after 5 consecutive failures.

LLM security testing and data exposure detection

The scanner includes 18 adversarial probes for LLM/AI security across Quick, Standard, and Deep scan tiers. These cover system prompt extraction, instruction override, DAN and roleplay jailbreaks, data exfiltration attempts, cost exploitation, encoding bypasses such as base64 and ROT13, translation-embedded injection, few-shot poisoning, markdown injection, multi-turn manipulation, indirect prompt injection, token smuggling, tool abuse, nested instruction injection, and PII extraction. Data exposure checks identify PII patterns such as email addresses, Luhn-validated card numbers, context-aware SSN formats, API key formats for AWS, Stripe, GitHub, and Slack, as well as error and stack trace leakage.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I scan APIs behind authentication or internal networks?
Yes, authenticated scanning is available with Bearer, API key, Basic auth, and cookies after domain verification. Internal network endpoints are blocked, so only publicly reachable APIs should be submitted.
Does the scanner provide compliance certification?
The tool surfaces findings that help you prepare for PCI-DSS 4.0 and SOC 2 Type II. It does not issue certifications or guarantee compliance, and it is not a replacement for a human pentester for high-stakes audits.
What happens to my scan data after I cancel?
Customer scan data is deletable on demand and purged within 30 days of cancellation. Data is never sold and is not used for model training.
How are false positives handled?
The scanner reports detected conditions as observed findings. You should validate findings in your environment and use the included remediation guidance to investigate true positives.
Can the scanner test for business logic flaws or blind SSRF?
No. The tool does not detect business logic vulnerabilities or blind SSRF, as those require domain context and out-of-band infrastructure that are out of scope.