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Authentication mechanism absence or evasion - Admin Console

Need​

Implementation of a robust and secure authentication mechanism for the Admin Console

Context​

  • Usage of PHP 7.0 for server-side scripting and web development
  • Usage of Laravel framework for PHP web development
  • Usage of Illuminate/Support for providing foundational support classes and utilities in Laravel framework
  • Usage of illuminate/http for HTTP request handling in Laravel
  • Usage of Illuminate Routing for handling URL routing in a PHP application
  • Usage of illuminate/session for managing session data in a Laravel application
  • Usage of Illuminate/View for Templating and Rendering Views
  • Usage of Illuminate/Database for database management and query execution
  • Usage of Illuminate Validation for data validation in Laravel applications

Description​

Non compliant code​

Route::get('/admin', function () {
    return view('admin.dashboard');
});

Route::post('/admin/update', function (Request $request) {
    $user = User::find($request->id);
    $user->name = $request->name;
    $user->email = $request->email;
    $user->save();
    return redirect('/admin');
});

In the code snippet above, we have two routes: /admin and /admin/update.

The /admin route returns a view of the admin dashboard. This is a GET request and does not require any form of authentication before it can be accessed. This means that any user, authenticated or not, can access the admin dashboard. This is a security vulnerability as it exposes sensitive admin data to unauthorized users.

The /admin/update route is a POST request that updates a user's information. This route also does not require any form of authentication. This means that an attacker can send a POST request to this route with manipulated data, and the server will update the database with this manipulated data. This is a serious security vulnerability as it allows unauthorized users to alter data in the database.

Both routes lack an authentication mechanism, meaning they can be accessed or manipulated without the need for a user to be logged in. This is a clear violation of the principle of least privilege, which states that a user should only have access to the resources and information they need to perform their tasks.

Steps​

  • Implement an authentication middleware that checks if a user is logged in before accessing the admin dashboard or update routes.
  • Apply this middleware to the '/admin' and '/admin/update' routes to ensure only authenticated users can access these routes.
  • For additional security, implement role-based access control. This will ensure that only users with the appropriate permissions (e.g., admin role) can access these routes.
  • Ensure that the update function validates the incoming request data before processing it to prevent unauthorized changes.

Compliant code​

php artisan make:middleware EnsureUserIsAdmin

The code above fixes the vulnerability by implementing an authentication middleware that checks if a user is logged in and if the user has the 'admin' role before accessing the admin dashboard or update routes. This middleware is then applied to the '/admin' and '/admin/update' routes to ensure only authenticated users can access these routes.

In addition, the update function now validates the incoming request data before processing it. This prevents unauthorized changes by ensuring that the 'id', 'name', and 'email' fields are present and in the correct format. If the validation fails, Laravel will automatically redirect the user back to their previous location and flash the error messages in the session.

References​

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