sharp-edges

Security footguns are API or configuration designs where the easiest implementation path leads to vulnerabilities, such as exposing weak algorithms or insecure defaults. This Skill analyzes your designs to pinpoint these error-prone interfaces.

You audit configuration schemas by analyzing the design against misuse-resistant principles to detect dangerous configuration options. This identifies configuration cliffs and silent failures that could accidentally enable security mistakes.

Checking cryptographic library ergonomics involves analyzing primitive versus semantic APIs to ensure secure-by-default behavior. This review targets algorithm selection and stringly-typed security parameters to find designs that enable mistakes.

Yes, reviewing new authentication libraries is a primary use case. You evaluate the API design to ensure developers cannot accidentally implement it insecurely by exposing weak algorithms or allowing insecure defaults.

Common API security anti-patterns include stringly-typed security, silent failures, configuration cliffs, and insecure algorithm defaults. Identifying these helps prioritize secure-by-default designs and prevents accidental misuse.

You should analyze APIs for sharp edges during the design phase before implementation, or when auditing existing configurations. This prevents common developer mistakes by ensuring the easy path does not lead to insecurity.