security: patch rce and xss

[lukasjhan]

Security Vulnerabilities Patch

This pull request addresses critical security vulnerabilities found in our User Management System. The changes implemented in this PR significantly improve the overall security posture of our application.

Vulnerabilities Addressed

1. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerability

• Severity: High
• Description: The application was vulnerable to stored XSS attacks due to unescaped user input being rendered in the browser.
• Impact: Attackers could inject malicious scripts, potentially leading to session hijacking, defacement, or theft of sensitive information.

2. Remote Code Execution (RCE) Vulnerability

• Severity: Critical
• Description: A critical vulnerability in the EJS template rendering process allowed for arbitrary code execution on the server.
• Impact: Attackers could execute arbitrary commands on the server, potentially leading to complete system compromise.

3. SQL Injection Vulnerability

• Severity: High
• Description: The application was susceptible to SQL injection attacks due to improperly sanitized user inputs in database queries.
• Impact: Attackers could manipulate or retrieve unauthorized data from the database, potentially compromising data integrity and confidentiality.

Changes Implemented

1. EJS Template Security Enhancement

   • Updated EJS version to 3.1.7 to patch the RCE vulnerability.
   • Implemented proper output encoding in all EJS templates.

2. Input Validation and Sanitization

   • Added server-side input validation for all user inputs.
   • Implemented HTML encoding for user-supplied data before rendering.

3. Parameterized Queries

   • Replaced string concatenation in SQL queries with parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection.

4. Content Security Policy (CSP) Implementation

   • Added a strict Content Security Policy to mitigate XSS and other injection attacks.

5. HTTPS Enforcement

   • Updated server configuration to enforce HTTPS, preventing man-in-the-middle attacks.

6. Session Management Improvements

   • Implemented secure session handling with proper timeout and cookie security flags.

7. Error Handling

   • Improved error handling to prevent information leakage through detailed error messages.

Code Changes Overview

• package.json: Updated dependencies, particularly EJS to version 3.1.7.
• index.js: Implemented input validation, parameterized queries, and CSP.
• views/*.ejs: Updated all templates to use proper output encoding.
• config/security.js: Added new file for security configurations including CSP setup.
• middleware/inputSanitizer.js: Added new middleware for input sanitization.

Testing Performed

• Conducted thorough penetration testing to verify the effectiveness of the security patches.
• Performed regression testing to ensure that the changes do not negatively impact existing functionality.
• Validated that previous exploit vectors are no longer effective.

Future Recommendations

1. Implement regular security audits and penetration testing.
2. Consider integrating automated security scanning tools into the CI/CD pipeline.
3. Provide security awareness training for the development team.
4. Establish a vulnerability disclosure policy and bug bounty program.

Conclusion

These changes significantly enhance the security of our User Management System. However, security is an ongoing process, and we should continue to monitor and improve our application's security posture.

Please review these changes carefully. If you have any questions or need further clarification, don't hesitate to ask.

[ethan-james-miller]

Thank you very much for this comprehensive security patch and the detailed PR description. I really appreciate you taking the initiative to address these critical vulnerabilities in our User Management System.

I'm especially grateful that you sent an email to notify me about this important update beforehand. It helped me prioritize the review of these crucial changes.

Your thorough explanation of the vulnerabilities, the implemented fixes, and future recommendations is extremely valuable. This not only enhances our current security posture but also provides a great learning opportunity for the entire team.

I'll review the changes in detail and get back to you with any questions or comments as soon as possible.

Again, thank you for your diligence and proactive approach to our system's security.