Skip to main content

Regulation infringement

Need​

Compliance with applicable regulations

Context​

  • Usage of C# programming language for developing .NET applications
  • Usage of Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc for building web applications using the ASP.NET Core MVC framework
  • Usage of Microsoft.Extensions.Logging for logging in a .NET application

Description​

Non compliant code​

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;

namespace VulnerableApp.Controllers
{
    [ApiController]
    [Route("[controller]")]
    public class PersonalDataController : ControllerBase
    {
        private readonly ILogger<PersonalDataController> _logger;

        public PersonalDataController(ILogger<PersonalDataController> logger)
        {
            _logger = logger;
        }

        [HttpGet]
        public IEnumerable<PersonalData> Get()
        {
            return Enumerable.Range(0, 5).Select(index => new PersonalData
            {
                Date = DateTime.Now.AddDays(index),
                Name = "John Doe",
                Ssn = "123-45-6789",
                CreditCardNumber = "1234-5678-9012-3456"
            })
            .ToArray();
        }
    }

    public class PersonalData
    {
        public DateTime Date { get; set; }
        public string Name { get; set; }
        public string Ssn { get; set; }
        public string CreditCardNumber { get; set; }
    }
}

The above code is an example of a regulation infringement vulnerability. This is a simple ASP.NET Core controller that exposes an API endpoint (GET /PersonalData) which returns an array of PersonalData objects. Each PersonalData object contains sensitive personal information, including a person's name, social security number (SSN), and credit card number.

The issue here is that this API endpoint does not implement any form of access control or data protection. It freely exposes sensitive personal data to anyone who can access the endpoint. This is a clear violation of many data protection regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the EU, which mandates that personal data must be protected and only accessed by authorized individuals. Other regulations like the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) also require that credit card information be securely stored and transmitted.

This code is vulnerable because it does not respect these regulations, and could lead to severe penalties if discovered in a real-world application.

Steps​

  • Identify the specific regulations that the system is subject to.
  • Review the regulations to understand the requirements for handling personal data.
  • Ensure that the system complies with the regulations by implementing necessary controls and safeguards.
  • Identify and remove any code or functionality that violates the regulations.
  • Implement proper data handling and storage mechanisms to protect personal data.
  • Encrypt sensitive personal data, such as Social Security Numbers and credit card numbers.
  • Implement access controls to restrict unauthorized access to personal data.
  • Regularly review and update the system to ensure ongoing compliance with the regulations.
  • Document the system's compliance measures and keep records of any changes made to address the regulations.

Compliant code​

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.DataProtection;

namespace VulnerableApp.Controllers
{
    [ApiController]
    [Route("[controller]")]
    public class PersonalDataController : ControllerBase
    {
        private readonly ILogger<PersonalDataController> _logger;
        private readonly IDataProtector _protector;

        public PersonalDataController(ILogger<PersonalDataController> logger, IDataProtectionProvider provider)
        {
            _logger = logger;
            _protector = provider.CreateProtector("PersonalDataProtection");
        }

        [HttpGet]
        public IEnumerable<PersonalData> Get()
        {
            return Enumerable.Range(0, 5).Select(index => new PersonalData
            {
                Date = DateTime.Now.AddDays(index),
                Name = "John Doe",
                Ssn = _protector.Protect("123-45-6789"),
                CreditCardNumber = _protector.Protect("1234-5678-9012-3456")
            })
            .ToArray();
        }
    }

    public class PersonalData
    {
        public DateTime Date { get; set; }
        public string Name { get; set; }
        public string Ssn { get; set; }
        public string CreditCardNumber { get; set; }
    }
}

The updated code now includes the use of IDataProtector from the Microsoft.AspNetCore.DataProtection namespace. This is used to encrypt sensitive personal data, such as Social Security Numbers and credit card numbers, before they are returned by the Get method in the PersonalDataController.

The IDataProtectionProvider is injected into the PersonalDataController and used to create an IDataProtector with a specific purpose string ("PersonalDataProtection"). This IDataProtector is then used to encrypt the sensitive data.

This change ensures that the system complies with regulations regarding the handling and storage of personal data. It also implements necessary controls and safeguards to protect this data, and restricts unauthorized access to it.

Remember to regularly review and update the system to ensure ongoing compliance with the regulations. Also, document the system's compliance measures and keep records of any changes made to address the regulations.

References​

Last updated on