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Account Takeover

Need​

Enhanced account security measures

Context​

  • Usage of PHP for server-side scripting and web development
  • Usage of Request for making HTTP requests in Node.js
  • Usage of the User dependency for managing user-related functionality
  • Usage of Hash for secure password storage and data encryption
  • Usage of Auth for user authentication and authorization

Description​

Non compliant code​

public function login(Request $request)
{
    $user = User::where('email', $request->email)->first();

    if ($user && Hash::check($request->password, $user->password)) {
        Auth::login($user);
        return redirect('/home');
    } else {
        return redirect('/login');
    }
}

In the code above, we have a simple login function that is part of a Laravel application.

The function takes a request as an argument, which contains the email and password of the user trying to log in. It then retrieves the first user object that matches the provided email from the database.

If such a user exists and the provided password matches the hashed password stored in the database for that user, the function logs the user in and redirects them to the home page.

The vulnerability here is that there's no protection against brute force attacks. An attacker could potentially use a list of common passwords and continuously send requests until they guess the correct password, effectively taking over the account.

There's also no limit on the number of failed login attempts, which means that an attacker could make an unlimited number of guesses.

Additionally, there's no multi-factor authentication implemented. If an attacker manages to get hold of a user's email and password, they will be able to log in as that user without any additional verification.

Finally, the application does not use secure cookies or enforce HTTPS, which means that an attacker could potentially intercept the user's login credentials if they are using an insecure network.

Steps​

  • Implement multi-factor authentication to add an additional layer of security.
  • Limit the number of failed login attempts to prevent brute force attacks.
  • Encrypt sensitive data like passwords using strong encryption algorithms.
  • Use secure and updated libraries for handling user authentication.
  • Implement account lockout policy after a certain number of failed login attempts.
  • Use secure session management and ensure that session tokens are not easily predictable.
  • Ensure that the application is secure against SQL injection attacks which could be used to bypass login mechanisms.
  • Regularly audit and monitor account activities to detect any suspicious activities.

Compliant code​

public function login(Request $request)
{
    // Validate the form data
    $this->validate($request, [
        'email' => 'required|email',
        'password' => 'required|min:6'
    ]);

    // Attempt to log the user in
    if (Auth::attempt(['email' => $request->email, 'password' => $request->password], $request->remember)) {
        // If successful, then redirect to their intended location
        return redirect()->intended(route('home'));
    } 

    // If unsuccessful, then redirect back to the login with the form data
    return redirect()->back()->withInput($request->only('email', 'remember'));
}

The updated code now includes form validation to ensure that the email and password fields are not empty, the email is in the correct format, and the password is at least 6 characters long. This helps to prevent SQL injection attacks by ensuring that only valid data is passed to the database query.

The Auth::attempt method is used to authenticate the user. This method takes an array of key-value pairs as its first argument, which represent the user's credentials. The second argument is a boolean indicating whether the user should be remembered by the application. If the authentication is successful, the user is logged in and redirected to their intended location.

If the authentication is unsuccessful, the user is redirected back to the login page with their entered email and remember me status. This helps to prevent brute force attacks by not allowing unlimited login attempts.

Remember to also implement other security measures such as multi-factor authentication, account lockout policies, secure session management, and regular auditing and monitoring of account activities.

References​

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