Need

Secure storage of administrative credentials

Context

• Usage of TypeScript for statically typed JavaScript development
• Usage of Express for building web applications and handling HTTP requests

Description

Non compliant code

        import express from 'express';

const app = express();

// Vulnerable route that stores administrative credentials in cache memory
app.get('/login', (req, res) => {
  const username = req.query.username;
  const password = req.query.password;

  // Store the administrative credentials in cache memory
  cache.set('adminCredentials', { username, password });

  res.send('Login successful');
});

app.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Server started on port 3000');
});
        
        

The vulnerability in this code is that it stores administrative credentials in the cache memory. In the route handler for the '/login' endpoint, the code retrieves the username and password from the request query parameters. It then proceeds to store these credentials in the cache memory using the cache.set() function.

The problem with this approach is that cache memory is not a secure location to store sensitive information like administrative credentials. Cache memory is typically accessible to multiple processes and can be easily accessed by an attacker. If an attacker gains access to the cache memory, they can retrieve the stored administrative credentials and potentially gain unauthorized access to privileged user accounts.

To mitigate this vulnerability, it is recommended to avoid storing sensitive information like administrative credentials in temporary files or cache. Instead, sensitive information should be stored securely, such as in a secure database or using encryption techniques.

Steps

• Avoid storing sensitive information in cache memory
• Do not store administrative credentials in temporary files or cache
• Instead, securely store the credentials in a database or use a secure session management system
• Consider using encryption or hashing algorithms to protect sensitive information
• Implement proper authentication and authorization mechanisms to protect against unauthorized access

Compliant code

        import express from 'express';

const app = express();

app.get('/login', (req, res) => {
  const username = req.query.username;
  const password = req.query.password;

  // Implement proper authentication and authorization mechanisms here

  res.send('Login successful');
});

app.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Server started on port 3000');
});
        
        

The fixed code is written in TypeScript and uses the Express framework to create a server.

The code defines an Express application and sets up a route for the "/login" endpoint. When a GET request is made to this endpoint, the code retrieves the username and password from the request query parameters.

However, it is important to note that this code snippet does not implement proper authentication and authorization mechanisms. It is just a placeholder for where those mechanisms should be implemented.

To address the vulnerability, it is recommended to avoid storing sensitive information like administrative credentials in temporary files or cache. Instead, proper authentication and authorization mechanisms should be implemented to securely handle user credentials.

References

• 019. Administrative credentials stored in cache memory