Fix Insecure API Management in AdonisJS

AdonisJS is robust, but out-of-the-box configurations often leave APIs exposed to mass assignment, broken object-level authorization (BOLA), and brute-force exhaustion. Insecure API management in Adonis stems from neglecting the middleware stack and failing to validate the shape of incoming data, effectively handing the keys to the kingdom to any script kiddie with Postman.

The Vulnerable Pattern

// start/routes.ts
Route.post('/api/user/update/:id', 'UsersController.update')
// app/Controllers/Http/UsersController.ts
export default class UsersController {
public async update({ request, params }) {
const user = await User.findOrFail(params.id)
// VULNERABILITY: Mass assignment via request.all() and lack of Auth middleware
// An attacker can change their ‘role’ or ‘is_admin’ status by passing it in the body
user.merge(request.all())
await user.save()
return user
}
}

The Secure Implementation

The fix addresses three critical vectors: 1. Authentication & Authorization: By moving from a param-based ID to `auth.user`, we eliminate BOLA vulnerabilities where an attacker modifies other users' data. 2. Mass Assignment: Replacing `request.all()` with a strict `request.validate()` schema ensures only non-sensitive fields (email, bio) are mutated, preventing privilege escalation. 3. Rate Limiting: Applying the `throttle` middleware mitigates DoS and brute-force attempts against the API endpoint.

// start/routes.ts
Route.patch('/api/user/profile', 'UsersController.update').middleware(['auth', 'throttle:global'])
// app/Controllers/Http/UsersController.ts
import { schema, rules } from ‘@ioc:Adonis/Core/Validator’
export default class UsersController {
public async update({ auth, request, response }) {
const user = auth.user!
// FIX: Define strict validation schema to prevent mass assignment
const profileSchema = schema.create({
  email: schema.string.optional({ trim: true }, [rules.email()]),
  bio: schema.string.optional()
})

const payload = await request.validate({ schema: profileSchema })

// FIX: Only update the authenticated user's record (BOLA protection)
user.merge(payload)
await user.save()

return response.ok({ message: 'Profile updated', data: user })
}
}

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The Vulnerable Pattern

The Secure Implementation

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Verified by Ghost Labs Security Team