GraphQL API Penetration Testing
Expose and fix vulnerabilities across your GraphQL API endpoints.
What this assessment covers.
GraphQL APIs offer flexibility and efficiency, but their dynamic query structure introduces unique security risks. DERISK’s GraphQL API Penetration Testing service provides a thorough assessment of your GraphQL API security posture, identifying vulnerabilities that could expose sensitive data or enable unauthorised access to backend services.
Our testing covers schema introspection, authentication and authorisation controls, input validation, business logic flaws, query depth and complexity analysis, and security configuration reviews. We test queries, mutations, and subscriptions, ensuring comprehensive coverage with findings validated by experts and delivered through the DERISK PTaaS platform.
How we test.
A structured, expert-led methodology from initial reconnaissance through to real-time reporting and remediation guidance.
- 01
Schema Discovery & Introspection
We enumerate the GraphQL schema — types, queries, mutations, subscriptions, and custom directives — including through introspection and leaked schema files, to establish the full scope of testing.
- 02
Authentication & Authorisation Assessment
We test token-based authentication, API keys, and field-level access control to ensure users can’t bypass permissions or access another user’s data through GraphQL queries.
- 03
Business Logic & Input Validation Testing
We probe input validation, query complexity, and application-specific logic to uncover flaws like batch attacks, aliasing abuse, and parameter tampering in GraphQL operations.
- 04
Attack Simulation across queries and mutations
We simulate real-world attacks — injection, broken object-level authorisation, introspection abuse, and excessive data exposure — across GraphQL queries, mutations, and subscriptions.
- 05
Real-time findings published to the DERISK PTaaS portal
Confirmed vulnerabilities appear on the PTaaS portal as they are discovered, with proof-of-concept and remediation guidance for fast action.
- 06
Reporting & Remediation guidance
You receive a comprehensive report with risk-rated findings, CVSS scores, and GraphQL API-specific remediation steps aligned with OWASP API Security Top 10.
Why teams choose us.
Expert-led, manually validated, and delivered through the DERISK PTaaS platform for continuous visibility and rapid remediation.
Outstanding Features
- ✓Assessment aligned with the latest OWASP API Security Top 10
- ✓Real-time visibility into discovered GraphQL API vulnerabilities and remediation progress through the DERISK PTaaS platform
- ✓Testing across queries, mutations, subscriptions, and schema introspection
- ✓Query depth, complexity, and aliasing abuse testing beyond automated scanning
Why Choose Our Service?
- ▸Preventive detection: Discover GraphQL API weaknesses before they become entry points for attackers
- ▸Realistic simulation: Validate security using attack scenarios targeting exposed GraphQL services
- ▸Continuous visibility: Track findings, remediation, and retesting through a centralised PTaaS portal
- ▸Proactive fortification: Strengthen GraphQL API security with practical recommendations tailored to your development lifecycle
Frameworks & standards.
Testing is aligned with industry-recognised frameworks and standards to ensure comprehensive, repeatable coverage.
What you receive.
Everything you need to understand, prioritise, and remediate findings — delivered through the platform with ongoing validation.
GraphQL API Pentest questions.
What makes GraphQL testing different?
GraphQL moves query construction to the client, which creates problems REST does not have: introspection leaking the full schema, deeply nested or batched queries exhausting resources, and authorisation that must be enforced per resolver rather than per endpoint.
Should introspection be disabled in production?
Generally yes — it hands an attacker your complete schema. It is not a vulnerability by itself, but it removes the reconnaissance step, and we test what becomes reachable with and without it.
How do you test for authorisation flaws?
By exercising each resolver across every role. GraphQL authorisation is enforced resolver by resolver, so a single unguarded field can expose data that the equivalent REST endpoint would have protected.
How are findings delivered?
Every engagement runs through the DERISK PTaaS platform, so findings appear live rather than in a PDF weeks later. You get real-time results, collaborative remediation, on-demand retesting, remediation tracking and native Jira and Slack integration.
Often scoped together.
API Pentest
Expose and fix vulnerabilities across your API endpoints.
REST API Pentest
Expose and fix vulnerabilities across your REST API endpoints.
Web App Pentest
Identify vulnerabilities in your web applications before attackers do.
SOAP API Pentest
Expose and fix vulnerabilities across your SOAP API services.
Ready to secure your assets with GraphQL API Pentest?
Get in touch with DERISK to schedule an assessment or learn more about how our expert-led testing can strengthen your security posture.
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