This reduction in header size could suggest that certain essential information or metadata is missing from the requests or responses, potentially affecting the functionality of the API or causing unintended behavior. Headers in HTTP requests and responses typically contain crucial data such as authentication tokens, content types, and other metadata needed for proper communication and processing between clients and servers.
A significant reduction in header size could indicate a man-in-the-middle (MitM) attack, where an attacker intercepts and modifies the headers being sent between the client and server. In a MitM attack, the attacker might strip out or alter critical information from the headers, such as authentication tokens, session identifiers, or security headers. This would not only impact the functionality of the API but could also expose the system to additional vulnerabilities, such as session hijacking or unauthorized access.
