Enterprise Edition
Adding new API definitions
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Last updated: July 16, 2024
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Read time: 4 Minutes
Burp Suite Enterprise Edition enables you to upload an OpenAPI definition to run a specific API scan. You can add new API definitions at any time.
API definitions are managed in the Sites menu. Each site can have only one API definition, but you can create unlimited sites to accommodate multiple definitions.
API definition format
Burp Suite Enterprise Edition enables you to provide API definitions as a JSON or YAML file in either OpenAPI 2.0.x or 3.0.x format.
You can add API definitions by either uploading a file or providing a URL. This choice impacts how Burp Suite Enterprise Edition handles authentication and updates.
Authentication
When you upload an API definition file, Burp Suite Enterprise Edition automatically parses it and adds any detected authentication schemes to the Authentication tab. You can then add the necessary credentials.
If you link to the definition with a URL, you need to add both the authentication schemes and their associated credentials in the Authentication tab manually.
Updates
When you upload an API definition file, it is used for every scan until you update it by uploading a new version.
If you link to the definition with a URL, Burp Suite Enterprise Edition uses the latest version of the file each time it scans.
Adding an API definition
To add an API definition:
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Select Sites > Add a new site to display the Create a new site page.
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Select API from the Site type panel.
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Enter a unique Site name.
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To add the API to an existing folder, select from the Site folder drop-down menu. If you leave this field blank then the API is created at the top level of the site tree.
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Select how you will provide the API definition. You can either supply a URL or Upload file.
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If you selected URL, enter the Host URL. This must be a live link to your definition file.
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If you selected Upload file, click the Upload file button and select the definition file from the dialog. Burp Suite Enterprise Edition parses the file and identifies the authentication schemes used in it.
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If required, configure optional settings for your API. There are a wide range of available settings, including scan configurations, proxy, and cookie settings. For more information on the settings available, see Configuring site settings.
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Click Save.
Burp Suite Enterprise Edition adds the new API to the site tree and prompts you to schedule a scan.
Configuring API authentication
You can configure endpoint authentication for API scans. This enables Burp Suite Enterprise Edition to access authenticated endpoints, increasing your scanning coverage.
Burp Suite Enterprise Edition supports Basic, Bearer Token, and API Key authentication. You can manage API authentication via the Authentication tab, which lists schemes from uploaded definitions and manually added credentials.
Note
For security reasons, API definitions should include authentication schemes but not the associated credentials. For example, a definition can define that a particular API key is needed, but it must not provide the API key.
This means that you need to add credentials for any detected schemes manually. Schemes that have been detected but not yet populated with credentials have a red notification dot next to them. To add a credential to a scheme, click its pencil icon.
To add new API credentials:
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Click Add API credentials to display the Add Authentication dialog.
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Select the Authentication type and add credentials. All fields are mandatory:
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For Basic, enter the Username and Password.
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For Bearer Token, enter a Format and the Token.
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For API Key, select where the key should be added. The options are Query parameter, Cookie, or Header. Then enter a Name and the Key.
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Enter a Label. This is a unique identifier for this set of credentials.
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Click Save to save your changes and close the dialog.
To edit an existing authentication method, click its pencil icon.
To delete an existing authentication method, click its trash icon.
Note
In order to modify authentication details for an API site after the site has been saved, you need both the View site application login details
and Edit site application logins
permissions. This includes changing the specification upload method from a URL to a local file or vice versa. Note that admin users do not have these permissions by default.
Users who have the Edit site application logins
permission but not the View site application login details
permission can see details of the authentication methods used in the specification but cannot see any details of the credentials provided.
Optional settings for your API
When you add a new API site, you can configure the following additional settings:
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Scan configuration
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Connections
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Headers and cookies
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Extensions
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Scanning pool
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Notifications
For more information on configuring the optional settings for your API, see Configuring site settings.
Note
Although you can add as many APIs as you like to Burp Suite Enterprise Edition, you need to configure your network and firewall settings for scans to work correctly. For more information, see Configuring network and firewall settings for a site.
Related pages
- Managing scheduled scans - explains how to schedule scans for your new site.
- Defining scan configuration for a site - explains how to create and work with scan configurations.
- Configuring site settings - explains the optional scan settings you can configure for a site.
- Configuring your environment network and firewall settings.
- Burp Scanner built-in configurations - reference information on Burp Scanner's built-in scan configurations.