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Insecurely Generated Token - Lifespan

Need​

To prevent unauthorized user data modifications by ensuring token's expiry time is reasonable

Context​

  • Usage of Elixir 1.12 for functional programming and building scalable applications
  • Usage of Phoenix Framework 1.6 for web development
  • Usage of Guardian 2.0 for authentication and authorization

Description​

Non compliant code​

defmodule InsecureToken do
  alias Guardian.JWT
  @secret_key "Your secret key"

  def create_token(claims) do
    {:ok, token, _claims} = JWT.encode_and_sign(claims, key: @secret_key, ttl: {432000, :second})
    token
  end
end

In this code snippet, JWT tokens are created with a lifespan of approximately 5 days (represented as 432000 seconds). This is too long and it increases the risk that a malicious actor can use a stolen token for unauthorized activities.

Steps​

  • Reduce the lifespan of JWT tokens to a more reasonable timeframe
  • Invalidate tokens on the server side when a user logs out
  • Consider token refresh strategies if long-lived tokens are required

Compliant code​

defmodule SecureToken do
  alias Guardian.JWT
  @secret_key "Your secret key"

  def create_token(claims) do
    {:ok, token, _claims} = JWT.encode_and_sign(claims, key: @secret_key, ttl: {900, :second})
    token
  end
end

In the secure version of the code, the lifespan of the token has been significantly reduced to approximately 15 minutes (represented as 900 seconds). This reduces the time window for an attacker to use a stolen token.

References​

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