What are Authentication Failures?
Authentication failures occur when application functions related to authentication and session management are implemented incorrectly, allowing attackers to compromise passwords, keys, or session tokens.
Common Issues:
- No brute force protection - unlimited login attempts
- Predictable session IDs (sequential numbers)
- Weak password policies
- Plaintext password storage in logs
- No multi-factor authentication
Before WAF: Vulnerable
Without Cloudflare WAF, authentication is easily bypassed
Step 1: Brute Force Attack
# Try unlimited login attempts - no rate limiting
/api/auth-failures?action=brute-force&username=admin&password=password123
# View predictable session IDs
/api/auth-failures?action=session&user_id=1Vulnerability: No rate limiting, predictable session IDs, passwords logged in plaintext.
After WAF: Protected
With Cloudflare WAF, brute force and automated attacks are blocked
Enable Cloudflare Protection:
- Go to Cloudflare Dashboard → Security → WAF
- Configure Rate Limiting on /api/login (5 requests per minute)
- Enable "Bot Fight Mode" to detect automated attacks
- Turn on "Super Bot Fight Mode" for advanced protection
Result: Brute force attempts are rate-limited and blocked. CAPTCHA challenges for suspicious traffic.
Cloudflare Protection
- ✓Rate Limiting: Block brute force attempts
- ✓Bot Fight Mode: Detect and block automated attacks
- ✓Turnstile: Invisible CAPTCHA for suspicious requests