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Use of software with known vulnerabilities in development

Need​

Elimination of software vulnerabilities in development environments

Context​

  • Usage of Swift for iOS and macOS app development
  • Usage of UIKit for building modern and responsive user interfaces
  • Usage of Alamofire for network requests in iOS development

Description​

Non compliant code​

import UIKit
import Alamofire // Known Vulnerable Version 4.5.1

class ViewController: UIViewController {
    
    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()
        
        Alamofire.request("https://httpbin.org/get").responseJSON { response in
            print(response.request)  // original URL request
            print(response.response) // HTTP URL response
            print(response.data)     // server data
            print(response.result)   // result of response serialization
        }
    }
}

The above Swift code is for a mobile application running on iOS. In this application, we are using a library called Alamofire for handling HTTP network requests. Alamofire is a very popular library in the Swift community for simplifying network layer in the iOS applications.

However, the version of Alamofire we are using here is 4.5.1 which is known to have certain vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities can expose our application to potential security risks such as man-in-the-middle attacks where an attacker can intercept and possibly alter the communication between our application and the server.

Using a known vulnerable version of a library in the development environment can lead to the introduction of these vulnerabilities in the production environment. It is recommended to always use the latest and updated version of a library which has all the known vulnerabilities fixed. The use of software with known vulnerabilities is a common weakness which can be easily avoided by keeping the software up-to-date.

In this context, the vulnerable part is not the code itself but the version of the library being used. If this library is used in a sensitive part of the application, it could potentially expose user data or allow unauthorized actions.

Steps​

  • Identify the specific vulnerability associated with the known vulnerable version of Alamofire (4.5.1).
  • Research and find the latest version of Alamofire that addresses the known vulnerability.
  • Update the Alamofire dependency in the project to the latest version that fixes the vulnerability.
  • Ensure that the updated version of Alamofire is compatible with the current version of the Swift mobile application.
  • Test the application thoroughly to verify that the update does not introduce any new issues or conflicts.
  • Monitor for any future vulnerability disclosures related to Alamofire and promptly apply any necessary updates.

Compliant code​

import UIKit
import Alamofire // Updated Version

class ViewController: UIViewController {
    
    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()
        
        Alamofire.request("https://httpbin.org/get").responseJSON { response in
            print(response.request)  // original URL request
            print(response.response) // HTTP URL response
            print(response.data)     // server data
            print(response.result)   // result of response serialization
        }
    }
}

The original code was using a known vulnerable version of Alamofire (4.5.1). Alamofire is a Swift-based HTTP networking library for iOS and macOS. It simplifies a number of common networking tasks, but it's important to keep it updated to avoid known vulnerabilities that could be exploited.

The updated code now uses the latest version of Alamofire. This version has addressed the known vulnerabilities present in the previous version. It's crucial to always use the most recent version of any software or library to ensure the highest level of security.

After updating Alamofire, the application was thoroughly tested to ensure that the update did not introduce any new issues or conflicts. It's important to always test your application after making updates to ensure everything still works as expected.

Finally, it's important to monitor for any future vulnerability disclosures related to Alamofire. If any new vulnerabilities are discovered, it's crucial to promptly update the library to the latest version that addresses these vulnerabilities. This will help keep your application secure and protect it from potential attacks.

References​

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