Need

Disabling debugging mode in production environment

Context

• Usage of Python 3 for scripting and software development
• Usage of Django for building web applications in Python

Description

Non compliant code

        # settings.py
from django.conf import settings

DEBUG = True
ALLOWED_HOSTS = ['*']
        
        

The above code snippet represents a Django settings file where the DEBUG flag is set to True. This is a common configuration for Django applications during the development phase as it provides detailed error pages with much useful debugging information whenever an error occurs. However, these error pages can also include sensitive information such as server file paths, installed packages and their versions, middleware, etc.

The ALLOWED_HOSTS variable is set to ['*'], which means the application can be hosted on any domain. This can also be a security risk if the application is accessible over the internet.

However, having DEBUG set to True in a production environment is a serious security risk. When DEBUG is True, Django will display detailed error pages if something goes wrong in your application. These pages are useful for developers, but they should never be exposed to the public, as they can reveal a lot of information about your application and server. This can be used by an attacker to gain unauthorized access or to exploit other vulnerabilities in the application.

In addition, when DEBUG is True, Django will also keep track of every SQL query that has been executed. This can consume a lot of memory and can lead to performance issues in your application.

Therefore, it's crucial to ensure that DEBUG is set to False in any production environment to prevent information leakage and potential security breaches.

Steps

• Turn off the debug mode by setting the DEBUG variable to False in the settings.py file.
• Configure the ALLOWED_HOSTS variable to include only the hosts that should be allowed to connect to your application, instead of using a wildcard '*'.
• Ensure that any sensitive information is not being logged or printed to the console, as this could be exposed if debug mode is accidentally enabled.
• Consider using environment variables or a separate configuration file to manage your settings for different environments (development, staging, production). This can help prevent accidentally enabling debug mode in production.
• Regularly review your application's configuration and settings to ensure that debug mode remains disabled in production.

Compliant code

        # settings.py
from django.conf import settings

DEBUG = False
ALLOWED_HOSTS = ['your-domain.com', 'www.your-domain.com']
        
        

In the updated code, the DEBUG variable is set to False. This disables the debug mode in the Django application, preventing the exposure of any sensitive information through error messages or logs.

The ALLOWED_HOSTS variable is also updated to include only the specific domains that should be allowed to connect to your application. This replaces the wildcard '*' which would allow any host to connect. In this example, replace 'your-domain.com' and 'www.your-domain.com' with your actual domain names.

Remember, it's important to avoid hardcoding sensitive information directly into your settings file. Consider using environment variables or a separate configuration file to manage your settings for different environments (development, staging, production). This can help prevent accidentally enabling debug mode in production.

Regularly review your application's configuration and settings to ensure that debug mode remains disabled in production. This is a crucial step in maintaining the security of your application.

References

• 183. Debugging enabled in production