Upgrade to a secure encryption algorithm
import express from 'express';
import crypto from 'crypto';
const app = express();
app.get('/login', (req, res) => {
const username = req.query.username;
const password = req.query.password;
// Insecure encryption using SHA1
const hash = crypto.createHash('sha1').update(password).digest('hex');
// Check if the hashed password matches the stored password
if (hash === '5baa61e4c9b93f3f0682250b6cf8331b7ee68fd8') {
res.send('Login successful');
} else {
res.send('Login failed');
}
});
app.listen(3000, () => {
console.log('Server is running on port 3000');
});
The vulnerability in the provided code is the use of an insecure encryption algorithm, specifically SHA1.
In the code, the password provided by the user is hashed using the SHA1 algorithm. However, SHA1 is considered to be insecure for cryptographic purposes due to its vulnerability to collision attacks. This means that an attacker could potentially reverse engineer the hashed password and obtain the original password.
Using an insecure encryption algorithm like SHA1 puts sensitive information, such as user passwords, at risk. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to user accounts or obtain other sensitive information.
To address this vulnerability, it is recommended to use algorithms that are considered cryptographically secure, such as SHA256 or bcrypt, which are designed to withstand various attacks and provide better protection for sensitive data.
import express from 'express';
import crypto from 'crypto';
const app = express();
app.get('/login', (req, res) => {
const username = req.query.username;
const password = req.query.password;
// Secure encryption using SHA256
const hash = crypto.createHash('sha256').update(password).digest('hex');
// Check if the hashed password matches the stored password
if (hash === '5baa61e4c9b93f3f0682250b6cf8331b7ee68fd8') {
res.send('Login successful');
} else {
res.send('Login failed');
}
});
app.listen(3000, () => {
console.log('Server is running on port 3000');
});
The fixed code addresses the vulnerability by using a secure encryption algorithm, specifically SHA256, instead of the insecure SHA1 algorithm.
Here's a breakdown of the changes made:
1. Importing the necessary modules:
- The code imports the
express module to create the server.
- The code also imports the
crypto module to access cryptographic functions.
2. Creating the Express server:
- The code creates an instance of the Express server using
express() and assigns it to the
app variable.
3. Handling the login route:
- The code defines a route handler for the
/login endpoint using
app.get().
- Inside the route handler, it retrieves the
username and
password from the request query parameters.
4. Secure encryption using SHA256:
- The code uses
crypto.createHash() to create a hash object with the SHA256 algorithm.
- It then updates the hash object with the password using
update(password).
- Finally, it generates the hash value in hexadecimal format using
digest('hex') and assigns it to the
hash variable.
5. Checking the hashed password:
- The code compares the generated hash with a stored hash value.
- If the hashes match, it sends the response 'Login successful'.
- Otherwise, it sends the response 'Login failed'.
6. Starting the server:
- The code starts the server on port 3000 using
app.listen().
- It also logs a message to the console indicating that the server is running.
By using the secure SHA256 algorithm for encryption, the fixed code ensures that sensitive information is protected and reduces the risk of unauthorized access.