L7 DELETE

HTTP DELETE flood

Delete-method traffic targeting removal endpoints. Exercises authorization checks and soft-delete/archive backends.

How it works

  1. Each DELETE may trigger audit logs and cascade rules.
  2. Authorization failures should dominate if ACLs are correct.
  3. Destructive paths need strict rate limits.

Packet flow (illustrative)

DELETE request to a resource identifier.

Illustrative flow — not a live capture.

Focus Auth + delete path
Engarde DELETE mode
Layer L7

What to watch in Engarde

  • 401/403 vs. unexpected 200 under flood.
  • Audit pipeline backlog.

Running this simulation

Use DELETE simulation only on disposable staging data with explicit approval.

Mitigation perspective

Strong auth, method allowlists, and aggressive rate limits on destructive routes.