Flask API Hosting Vulnerabilities & Fixes
1. API Key Exposure
If API keys are placed in frontend code, users can easily inspect and misuse them.
Fix: Store API keys in Flask backend as environment variables and access them using os.getenv(). Route all
API calls through the Flask server.
2. Lack of Authentication & Authorization
Without user verification, any request can access or manipulate data.
Fix: Implement JWT or OAuth to ensure each request is authenticated. Protect sensitive routes with
decorators like @jwt_required().
3. DDoS / DoS Attacks
Attackers can overwhelm the API with too many requests, crashing the server.
Fix: Use Flask-Limiter to rate-limit traffic. Deploy WAF (like Cloudflare or AWS WAF). Implement autoscaling
and load balancers in cloud deployments.
4. Input Injection Attacks (Command / SQL)
Unsanitized input can lead to command execution or database manipulation.
Fix: Sanitize all user input. Use parameterized queries and avoid unsafe commands like os.system with user
data.
5. CORS Misconfiguration
Allowing all origins can let malicious websites misuse your API.
Fix: Configure CORS to allow only trusted origins using flask-cors with specific domain names.
6. Debug Mode Exposure
Flask API Hosting Vulnerabilities & Fixes
Running Flask in debug mode exposes internal errors and stack traces.
Fix: Always set debug=False in production.
7. No HTTPS (SSL/TLS)
HTTP allows attackers to intercept and modify traffic.
Fix: Enforce HTTPS using SSL certificates. Use tools like Let's Encrypt or services like Cloudflare for TLS
termination.
8. Open File Upload Vulnerabilities
Unvalidated uploads can lead to malicious file execution.
Fix: Validate file types, size, and save files outside static directories. Rename files before saving.
9. Excessive Data in Error Responses
Raw tracebacks reveal internal server details to users.
Fix: Use custom error handlers to return generic error messages to users and log detailed ones internally.
10. No Logging or Monitoring
Without logging, attacks or issues can go undetected.
Fix: Use Flask?s logging module and integrate with external tools like CloudWatch, Prometheus, or Sentry for
monitoring.
