1. Code Purpose and Behavior
The provided code simulates a browser-based form submission by:
- Mimicking headers of a real browser session (
user-agent,referer,sec-ch-uaetc.) - Using hardcoded cookies to replicate a valid session (
JSESSIONID,SERVERID) - Sending the mobile number to the
enterOtpendpoint via a POST request.
This mirrors what a user would do when they input their mobile number on the official National ID portal to receive an OTP.
2. Endpoint Functionality
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Endpoint | |
| Method | POST |
| Purpose | Initiates an OTP flow by accepting a mobile number |
| Request Body | mobileNumber (in form-urlencoded format) |
| Expected Output | An OTP is sent to the entered number, and the UI proceeds to the OTP verification screen. |
3. What the Code Is Doing Under the Hood
- It bypasses the UI and directly interacts with the backend endpoint.
- Sends a static mobile number repeatedly, which may trigger SMS OTPs to the same number.
- The session and headers mimic a legitimate user, possibly avoiding frontend-level protections.
4. Potential Risks and Misuse
| Type of Risk | Description |
|---|---|
| Abuse of SMS Gateway | Repeated calls can consume server resources and SMS credits. |
| Denial of Service (DoS) | Automated, repeated submissions may prevent real users from accessing the service. |
| Spam Targeting | If run with a script rotating mobile numbers, it could flood many users with OTPs. |
| Bypassing CAPTCHA/Rate Limiting | If protections are frontend-based only, this script avoids them entirely. |
| Session Hijacking | Hardcoding multiple JSESSIONID values could confuse session tracking or exploit vulnerabilities. |
5. Recommendations to Platform Developers
To harden the system against such abuse:
| Area | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Rate Limiting | Add server-side rate limits per IP and per mobile number. |
| Tokenized Sessions | Tie the OTP request to a valid anti-CSRF token/session that expires quickly. |
| CAPTCHA Enforcement | Ensure CAPTCHA verification is validated on the backend. |
| Monitoring & Alerts | Log and flag excessive requests by the same session/IP/user-agent. |
| OTP Cooldown | Prevent multiple OTPs to the same number within a short time frame. |
6. Ethical & Legal Consideration
This script can easily be weaponized for malicious purposes. Key ethical concerns:
- Unauthorized Use: It interacts with a government digital service without permission.
- Privacy Violation: It can spam users’ personal mobile numbers with unsolicited OTPs.
- Service Disruption: Repeated abuse can slow down or block access for legitimate users.
- Legal Exposure: Depending on jurisdiction, this can be considered unauthorized access, service disruption, or digital harassment.
Conclusion
This code demonstrates a realistic exploitation path for public APIs that lack server-side protections. It is vital for organizations, especially government digital systems, to validate all requests at the backend, implement rate-limiting, user verification, and OTP abuse prevention mechanisms.
IMPORTANT: Do not use such scripts against any live or production system without explicit authorization. It may be illegal and unethical.
Would you like help writing a responsible disclosure report to the concerned authority or advice on how to test such endpoints safely in a sandbox environment?