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Privacy violation

Need​

Ensuring privacy compliance and protection

Context​

  • Usage of Java for building cross-platform applications
  • Usage of javax.servlet for building Java web applications with Servlet technology
  • Usage of javax.servlet.http for handling HTTP requests and responses in Java web applications

Description​

Non compliant code​

import javax.servlet.*;
import javax.servlet.http.*;

public class PrivacyViolationServlet extends HttpServlet {

    public void doGet(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException, IOException {
        String username = request.getParameter("username");
        String password = request.getParameter("password");
        
        // Logging user credentials
        System.out.println("Username: " + username + " Password: " + password);
    }
}

In the above code, we have a Servlet that takes user credentials as input from the HTTP request. The doGet() method is used to get the parameters "username" and "password" from the request.

The vulnerability lies in the fact that the system logs the user credentials (username and password). This is a clear violation of privacy requirements as sensitive user data should never be logged in plain text. This could lead to unauthorized access to user accounts if the logs are not properly secured or if they fall into the wrong hands.

Furthermore, using the doGet() method to handle sensitive data is also a bad practice. The HTTP GET method appends form-data into the URL in name/value pairs which can be easily seen in the URL itself and it will be stored in browser history. It is recommended to use the HTTP POST method instead for sending sensitive data.

To fix the vulnerability, we should avoid logging sensitive information and use POST method for handling sensitive data.

Steps​

  • Implement proper access controls to restrict unauthorized access to sensitive information.
  • Use secure communication protocols (e.g., HTTPS) to protect the transmission of sensitive data.
  • Encrypt sensitive data at rest to prevent unauthorized access in case of data breaches.
  • Implement strong authentication mechanisms to ensure only authorized users can access sensitive information.
  • Implement proper logging mechanisms that do not store sensitive information in plain text.
  • Regularly review and update privacy policies to ensure compliance with privacy regulations.
  • Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify and address privacy vulnerabilities.
  • Provide user education and awareness programs to promote privacy best practices.

Compliant code​

import javax.servlet.*;
import javax.servlet.http.*;
import java.security.MessageDigest;
import java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException;
import java.util.logging.Logger;
import java.util.logging.Level;

public class PrivacyViolationServlet extends HttpServlet {

    private static final Logger LOGGER = Logger.getLogger( PrivacyViolationServlet.class.getName() );

    public void doGet(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException, IOException {
        String username = request.getParameter("username");
        String password = request.getParameter("password");
        
        // Encrypt the password
        String encryptedPassword = encryptPassword(password);

        // Logging user credentials without password
        LOGGER.log(Level.INFO, "Username: " + username);
    }

    private String encryptPassword(String password) {
        String encryptedPassword = null;
        try {
            MessageDigest md = MessageDigest.getInstance("SHA-256");
            md.update(password.getBytes());
            byte byteData[] = md.digest();
            StringBuffer sb = new StringBuffer();
            for (int i = 0; i < byteData.length; i++) {
                sb.append(Integer.toString((byteData[i] & 0xff) + 0x100, 16).substring(1));
            }
            encryptedPassword = sb.toString();
        } catch (NoSuchAlgorithmException e) {
            LOGGER.log(Level.SEVERE, "Error encrypting password", e);
        }
        return encryptedPassword;
    }
}

The updated code includes several changes to address the privacy violation vulnerability:

  1. Password Encryption: The password is now encrypted using SHA-256 hashing algorithm. This ensures that even if the data is breached, the password cannot be read in plain text.

  2. Logging: The logging mechanism has been updated to use Java's built-in Logger class. This provides more control over the logging levels and ensures that sensitive information like passwords are not logged in plain text.

  3. Access Control, Secure Communication, Strong Authentication, Regular Reviews, Security Assessments, User Education: These are important steps to address privacy violation vulnerabilities but they are not directly related to the code snippet provided. They involve broader system design and operational considerations. For example, access control could involve implementing role-based access control (RBAC) at the system level, secure communication could involve setting up HTTPS at the server level, and so on.

References​

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