- Do not treat the database as the ultimate source of truth for API authentication, as it creates a dangerous vulnerability that can lead to full-system breaches.
- SQL injection can bypass API security by allowing attackers to copy and replace API key hashes, granting unauthorized access across tenants.
- Use cryptographic binding with a server-side pepper to sign API keys, tying them to structural context like key ID, rotation version, and organization ID to prevent hash swapping attacks.
- Implement rollback resistance by including a rotation version in the hash and using database triggers to enforce a one-way ratchet on version increments.