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Insecure object reference - Personal information

Need​

Secure access control and user authentication mechanisms

Context​

  • Usage of Scala for building scalable and functional applications
  • Usage of play.api.mvc._ for handling HTTP requests and responses in Play Framework
  • Usage of global execution context for Scala concurrent programming

Description​

Non compliant code​

import play.api.mvc._
import scala.concurrent.ExecutionContext.Implicits.global

class UserController @Inject()(cc: ControllerComponents) extends AbstractController(cc) {

  def updateUser(id: String) = Action.async { implicit request: Request[AnyContent] =>
    val body: AnyContent = request.body
    val jsonBody: Option[JsValue] = body.asJson

    jsonBody.map { json =>
      val name = (json \\ "name").as[String]
      val email = (json \\ "email").as[String]
      
      UserService.updateUser(id, name, email).map { user =>
        Ok(Json.toJson(user))
      }
    }.getOrElse {
      Future.successful(BadRequest("Invalid JSON"))
    }
  }
}

This code is a controller method in Play Framework that updates a user's data. It receives a user ID as a parameter and a JSON body with the new data to update.

The vulnerability lies in the fact that the ID parameter is directly used to find the user in the database and perform the update operation without any kind of validation or access control check. This means that an attacker could easily manipulate the ID in the request to modify data of other users.

For instance, if an attacker knows or guesses the ID of another user, they can send a request to this endpoint with that ID and their own data. The system will then update the data of the victim user with the attacker's data, effectively allowing the attacker to take over the victim's account. This is a clear example of an Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) vulnerability.

Steps​

  • Implement proper authentication and authorization mechanisms to ensure that only authenticated and authorized users can access and modify user information.
  • Validate the user's identity and authorization before allowing any updates to user information.
  • Use a secure and unique identifier for each user that cannot be easily guessed or manipulated.
  • Ensure that the user making the request has the necessary permissions to update the specified user's information.
  • Implement input validation to prevent any malicious or unexpected data from being processed.
  • Sanitize and validate the input data to prevent any potential injection attacks or data corruption.
  • Encrypt sensitive user information, such as email addresses, to protect it from unauthorized access.
  • Regularly review and update the application's security measures to address any new vulnerabilities or threats.

Compliant code​

import play.api.mvc._
import scala.concurrent.ExecutionContext.Implicits.global

class UserController @Inject()(cc: ControllerComponents, authService: AuthService) extends AbstractController(cc) {

  def updateUser(id: String) = Action.async { implicit request: Request[AnyContent] =>
    val body: AnyContent = request.body
    val jsonBody: Option[JsValue] = body.asJson

    jsonBody.flatMap { json =>
      val name = (json \\ "name").as[String]
      val email = (json \\ "email").as[String]
      
      authService.authenticateRequest(request).flatMap { authenticated =>
        if (authenticated && authService.authorizeRequest(id)) {
          UserService.updateUser(id, name, email).map { user =>
            Ok(Json.toJson(user))
          }
        } else {
          Future.successful(Forbidden("You are not authorized to perform this action"))
        }
      }
    }.getOrElse {
      Future.successful(BadRequest("Invalid JSON"))
    }
  }
}

The updated code now includes an AuthService that is used to authenticate and authorize requests.

The authenticateRequest method of the AuthService is used to authenticate the request. This method should contain the logic to verify the identity of the user making the request. This could be done by checking a session, a token, or any other authentication mechanism your application uses.

The authorizeRequest method of the AuthService is used to authorize the request. This method should contain the logic to verify that the authenticated user has the necessary permissions to update the user information for the specified user ID. This could be done by checking the user's roles, permissions, or any other authorization mechanism your application uses.

If the request is both authenticated and authorized, the user information is updated as before. If the request is not authenticated or not authorized, a Forbidden response is returned.

This updated code ensures that only authenticated and authorized users can update user information, which fixes the insecure object reference vulnerability.

References​

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