Implementation of a more secure and effective protection mechanism against clickjacking
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
public void setHeader(HttpServletResponse response) {
response.addHeader("X-Frame-Options", "SAMEORIGIN");
}
In the above code snippet, the application is setting the HTTP header 'X-Frame-Options' to 'SAMEORIGIN'. This means that the application is allowing the browser to render the page in a
,
</code> or
<code style="background-color: #f6f8fa; padding: 2px 4px;
border-radius: 4px;"><object></code> only if the domain is the same as the one serving the page. This is a mechanism to protect against clickjacking attacks.<br><br>However, this method of protection is considered deprecated because it can be bypassed using several iframe layers. If an attacker is able to load the application within an iframe on a malicious website, they could trick the user into clicking on invisible buttons or links, leading to unintended actions being performed on the application.<br><br>Therefore, relying solely on the 'X-Frame-Options' header for clickjacking protection exposes the application to potential security vulnerabilities. It's recommended to use more modern security mechanisms, such as Content Security Policy (CSP), in addition to 'X-Frame-Options' to ensure robust protection against clickjacking attacks.</p>
<h3>Steps</h3>
<ul>
<li>Replace the use of X-Frame-Options header with Content-Security-Policy header.</li>
<li>Set the Content-Security-Policy header to include the 'frame-ancestors' directive with the 'self' value.</li>
<li>Ensure that the Content-Security-Policy header is set on all server responses.</li>
<li>Test the application to ensure that the clickjacking vulnerability is mitigated.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Compliant code</h3>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f6f8fa; padding: 16px; border-radius: 6px; overflow: auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px;">
<pre style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0; padding: 0; background-color: inherit;">
<code style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: inherit; border: none; font: inherit; float: left; min-width: 100%;"
>import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
public void setHeader(HttpServletResponse response) {
response.addHeader("Content-Security-Policy", "frame-ancestors 'self'");
}
</code>
</pre>
</div>
<p>The previous code was vulnerable to clickjacking attacks because it was using the deprecated
<code style="background-color: #f6f8fa; padding: 2px 4px;
border-radius: 4px;">X-Frame-Options</code> header as the only protection mechanism. This header can be bypassed using several iframe layers, making it an insecure method of protection.<br><br>The updated code replaces the
<code style="background-color: #f6f8fa; padding: 2px 4px;
border-radius: 4px;">X-Frame-Options</code> header with the
<code style="background-color: #f6f8fa; padding: 2px 4px;
border-radius: 4px;">Content-Security-Policy</code> header. This header is more secure and cannot be bypassed in the same way. The
<code style="background-color: #f6f8fa; padding: 2px 4px;
border-radius: 4px;">Content-Security-Policy</code> header is set to include the
<code style="background-color: #f6f8fa; padding: 2px 4px;
border-radius: 4px;">frame-ancestors</code> directive with the
<code style="background-color: #f6f8fa; padding: 2px 4px;
border-radius: 4px;">'self'</code> value. This means that the page can only be embedded by a page of the same origin, effectively preventing clickjacking attacks.<br><br>It's important to ensure that the
<code style="background-color: #f6f8fa; padding: 2px 4px;
border-radius: 4px;">Content-Security-Policy</code> header is set on all server responses to provide consistent protection across the application.<br><br>After implementing these changes, it's recommended to test the application to ensure that the clickjacking vulnerability is effectively mitigated.</p>
<h2>References</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="criteria-vulnerabilities-152">152. Insecure or unset HTTP headers - X-Frame Options</a></li>
</ul>