Enforce secure connections (HTTPS) for all communication between the application and external servers
import UIKit
@UIApplicationMain
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {
func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) -> Bool {
// Override point for customization after application launch.
return true
}
func applicationWillResignActive(_ application: UIApplication) {
}
func applicationDidEnterBackground(_ application: UIApplication) {
}
func applicationWillEnterForeground(_ application: UIApplication) {
}
func applicationDidBecomeActive(_ application: UIApplication) {
}
func applicationWillTerminate(_ application: UIApplication) {
}
}
In the code above, the
info.plist file contains a dictionary with a key
NSAppTransportSecurity. This key is used to specify how the app interacts with the servers over a network. The dictionary contains another key
NSAllowsArbitraryLoads which is set to
true. This means that the app is allowed to make insecure connections to servers.
The
NSAllowsArbitraryLoads key is a part of the App Transport Security (ATS) settings. When set to
true, it allows the app to bypass the secure connections that are usually enforced by the ATS. This means that the app can make connections over HTTP, which is not secure, instead of HTTPS, which is secure. This can lead to various security issues such as data interception and manipulation by attackers.
Good security practices recommend that all connections made by the app to servers should be secure. This means that the
NSAllowsArbitraryLoads key should be set to
false or should be removed entirely to enforce the use of secure connections.
import UIKit
@UIApplicationMain
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {
func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) -> Bool {
// Override point for customization after application launch.
return true
}
func applicationWillResignActive(_ application: UIApplication) {
}
func applicationDidEnterBackground(_ application: UIApplication) {
}
func applicationWillEnterForeground(_ application: UIApplication) {
}
func applicationDidBecomeActive(_ application: UIApplication) {
}
func applicationWillTerminate(_ application: UIApplication) {
}
}
The above code is a standard AppDelegate.swift file in a Swift iOS application. However, it has a security vulnerability related to the App Transport Security (ATS) settings. The NSAppTransportSecurity function has the NSAllowsArbitraryLoads option enabled, which allows insecure HTTP connections to the application. This is a security risk as it exposes the application to potential man-in-the-middle attacks.
To fix this vulnerability, we need to disable the NSAllowsArbitraryLoads option in the NSAppTransportSecurity function. This can be done by modifying the application's Info.plist file.
Here is the fixed code:
<key>NSAppTransportSecurity</key>
<dict>
<key>NSAllowsArbitraryLoads</key>
<false/>
<key>NSExceptionDomains</key>
<dict>
<key>yourserver.com</key>
<dict>
<key>NSIncludesSubdomains</key>
<true/>
<key>NSTemporaryExceptionAllowsInsecureHTTPLoads</key>
<true/>
<key>NSTemporaryExceptionMinimumTLSVersion</key>
<string>TLSv1.2</string>
</dict>
</dict>
</dict>