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Security controls bypass or absence - Fingerprint

Need​

Enhancement of security controls for fingerprint identification

Context​

  • Usage of Python 3 for developing applications and scripts
  • Usage of Django for building web applications in Python

Description​

Non compliant code​

from django.contrib.auth import authenticate, login

def login_request(request):
    username = request.POST['username']
    password = request.POST['password']
    user = authenticate(request, username=username, password=password)

    if user is not None:
        login(request, user)
        return redirect('home')
    else:
        return render(request, 'login.html', {'error': 'Invalid login credentials'})

In the above Django view, a user is authenticated based on a username and password. Once authenticated, the user is logged in and redirected to a home page.

The vulnerability in this code lies in the absence of a secondary authentication factor. In this case, the fingerprint is not being used as an additional security measure. This means that if an attacker is able to obtain a user's username and password (through methods such as phishing, brute force attacks, or data breaches), they would be able to bypass the security controls and gain access to the user's account.

This vulnerability is classified as a Security controls bypass or absence - Fingerprint vulnerability, as it allows for the circumvention of customer identification via fingerprint. It is crucial to implement multi-factor authentication in order to provide an additional layer of security and protect users' accounts from unauthorized access.

Steps​

  • Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) to enhance security. This could include fingerprint authentication as an additional layer of security.
  • Use Django's built-in support for MFA or integrate with a third-party service that provides MFA.
  • Ensure that the fingerprint data is securely stored and transmitted. Use encryption for storing and transmitting fingerprint data.
  • Handle exceptions and errors properly to prevent information leakage that could be exploited by an attacker.
  • Regularly update and patch the authentication system to protect against known vulnerabilities.

Compliant code​

from django.contrib.auth import authenticate, login
from django_otp.plugins.otp_totp.models import TOTPDevice
from django_otp import user_has_device

def login_request(request):
    username = request.POST['username']
    password = request.POST['password']
    user = authenticate(request, username=username, password=password)

    if user is not None:
        if user_has_device(user):
            device = user.totpdevice_set.first()
            if device.verify_token(request.POST['token']):
                login(request, user)
                return redirect('home')
            else:
                return render(request, 'login.html', {'error': 'Invalid MFA token'})
        else:
            return render(request, 'login.html', {'error': 'MFA device not set up'})
    else:
        return render(request, 'login.html', {'error': 'Invalid login credentials'})

The updated code now includes multi-factor authentication (MFA) using Django's built-in OTP (One-Time Password) framework.

In the updated code, after the user is authenticated with their username and password, the system checks if the user has a MFA device set up. If the user has a MFA device, the system then verifies the token from the MFA device. If the token is valid, the user is logged in. If the token is not valid, an error message is displayed. If the user does not have a MFA device set up, an error message is displayed.

This code assumes that you have set up Django's OTP framework and that the user has a TOTP (Time-Based One-Time Password) device set up. The TOTP device could be a mobile app like Google Authenticator or a hardware device.

This code enhances security by requiring two factors for authentication: something the user knows (their password) and something the user has (their MFA device). This makes it much harder for an attacker to gain unauthorized access to the system.

Please note that this code does not include the handling of the fingerprint data. The handling of the fingerprint data would depend on the specific fingerprint authentication system you are using. You would need to ensure that the fingerprint data is securely stored and transmitted, using encryption for storing and transmitting the fingerprint data.

References​

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