Addressing top 10 OWASP security concerns in Java EE and GlassFish

1. Java EE 6 Security
in practice with
GlassFish
Markus Eisele & Masoud Kalali

2. Agenda
• Introduction
• The Top 10 Most Critical Web Application
Security Risks
• Take Away

3. Masoud Kalali Markus Eisele
http://kalali.me http://blog.eisele.net
http://twitter.com/MasoudKalali http://twitter.com/myfear
Masoud.Kalali@oracle.com Markus.eisele@msg-systems.com
software engineer, Java EE 7 EG,
author, blogger, architect, husband, father of two,
climber and flute enthusiast photographer, speaker, writer

4. Java EE 6 & GlassFish
glassfish.org

5. Galleria Project
https://bitbucket.org/VineetReynolds/java-ee-6-galleria/

6. Galleria Project
?
http://blog.eisele.net/2012/03/java-ee-6-galleria-example-part-1.html

8. Galleria and Security
• Form based authentication
• JDBCRealm
• request.login(userId, new String(password));
• @RolesAllowed({ "RegisteredUsers" })
Enough? State-of-the-Art? Feeling-good-with-it™?

9. Motivation for this talk
• Seen a lot
• Providing a starting point
• Sharing something
• Making you aware
• Plus:
Finding out about “the security state of Galleria”

10. The Top 10 Most Critical Web
Application Security Risks
Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Aka OWASP Top-10* Source: http://owasptop10.googlecode.com

11. What is OWASP?
• Open Web Application Security Project
• Improving the security of (web) application software
– Not-for-profit organization since 2001
– Raise interest in secure development
• Documents
– Top 10
– Cheat Sheets
– Development Guides
• Solutions
– Enterprise Security API (ESAPI)
– WebScarab
– WebGoat

12. A1 - Injection

13. What is it?
• Sending unintended data to applications
• Manipulating and reading Data stores (e.g.
DB, LDAP)
• Java EE 6 affected:
– UI technology of choice (e.g. JSF, JSP)
– Database access (JPA, JDBC)

14. How to spot it
String id = "x'; DROP TABLE members; --"; // user-input
Query query = em.createNativeQuery("SELECT * FROM PHOTO
WHERE ID =" + id, Photo.class);
Query query2 = em.createNativeQuery("SELECT * FROM MAG
WHERE ID ?1", Magazine.class);
query2.setParameter(1, id);

15. Prevent Injection
• Sanitize the input
• Escape/Quotesafe the input
• Use bound parameters (the PREPARE statement)
• Limit database permissions and segregate users
• Use stored procedures for database access (might
work)
• Isolate the webserver
• Configure error reporting

16. A2 - Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

17. What is it?
• Inject malicious code into user interfaces
• Get access to browser information
– E.g. javascript:alert(document.cookie)
• Steal user’s session, steal sensitive data
• Rewrite web page or parts
• Redirect user to phishing or malware site
• Java EE 6 affected:
– UI technology of choice (e.g. JSF, JSP)

18. How to spot it
• Problems with sanitizing
<h:outputText value="#{user.content}" escape="false"/>
• Weird Input
<a
href="data:text/html;base64,PHNjcmlwdD5hbGVydCgvWFNTLyk8L3NjcmlwdD4=">T
est</a>

19. Prevent
• Sanitize the input
• Escape/Quotesafe the input
• Use Cookie flags:
– httpOnly (prevents XSS access)
https://code.google.com/p/owasp-esapi-java/

20. A3 - Broken Authentication and
Session Management

21. What is it?
• Container Security vs. own solution
• Session Binding / Session Renewal
• Passwords
– Strength (length/complexity)
– Plain text passwords (http/https)
– Recovery mechanisms
• Number of factors used for authentication
• Java EE 6 affected:
– JAAS / JASPIC
– Filter / PhaseListener
– Container and Web-App configuration

22. How to spot it
• Authentication over http
• Custom security filter
• Not using Container Functionality
• No password strength requirements
• No HttpSession binding
• Way of saving Passwords
• Not testing security

23. Best Practices
• Go with provided Standard Realms and
LoginModules whenever possible
• If you need custom ones: Test them extremely
carefully!
• Use transport layer encryption (TLS/SSL)
• Use Cookie flags:
– secure (avoid clear text transmission)

24. A4 – Insecure Direct Object References

25. What is it?
• Accessing domain objects with their PK
https://you.com/user/1 => https://you.com/user/21
• Opening opportunities for intruders
• Information hiding on the client
• Parameter value tampering
• Java EE 6 affected:
– All layers
– Especially data access

26. How to spot it
• Data separation for users (tenants)
• Request mode access for data (RUD)
• Query constraints

27. Best Practices
• Use AccessReferenceMaps
http://app?file=Report123.xls
http://app?file=1
http://app?id=9182374
http://app?id=7d3J93
• Validate object references
• Use data-driven security
• Always Perform additional data authorization
on the view

28. A5 - Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF)

29. What is it?
• Basically a capture-replay attack
• Malicious code executes functions on your
behalf while being authenticated
• Deep links make this easier
• JavaEE 6 affected:
– UI technology of choice (e.g. JSF, JSP)

30. How to spot it
• A “secret Cookie”
• Only POST requests
• Wizard like transactions
• Simple URL rewriting

31. Best Practices
• Add Unpredictability (tokens)
– Hidden Field, Single-Use URLs
– Request or Session Scope
• CSRFPreventionForm (JSF 1.2 & 2)
http://blog.eisele.net/2011/02/preventing-csrf-with-jsf-20.html
• Use OWASP ESAPI
http://www.jtmelton.com/2010/05/16/the-owasp-top-ten-and-esapi-part-6-cross-
site-request-forgery-csrf/

32. A6 - Security Misconfiguration

33. What is it?
• Applies to
– Operating System
– Application Server
– Databases
– Additional Services
• Includes (beside _many_ others)
– All security relevant configuration
– Missing Patches
– Default accounts

34. Worst Practices
• Not restricting GlassFish user nor enabling
security manager
• Network interfaces/sockets access control
• Relaxed File system access control
• Using any defaults like:
– Passwords: Admin, master password
– Network interface binding: Listening on 0.0.0.0
– Certificates: Self signed certificate
• Using a not hardened OS!

35. Policy Files location
• Global Policy File:
java.home/jre/lib/security/java.policy
• User Policy File: user.home/.java.policy
• Domain Policy File:
domain.home/config/server.policy
• Application Policy File:
domain.home/generated/policy/<app.name>/
<module.name>/granted.policy

36. Running GlassFish in a
Secure Environment
• Use the latest version (3.1.2.2)
• Enable secure admin (TLS/https)
• Use password aliasing
• Enable security manager and put forth a
proper security policy file
• Set correct file system permissions
http://blog.eisele.net/2011/05/securing-your-glassfish-hardening-guide.html
http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E18930_01/html/821-2435/gkscr.html

37. Review the *.policy files
• Policy files precedence order
• Remove unused grants
• Add extra permissions only to applications or
modules that require them, not to all
applications deployed to a domain.
• Document your changes!

38. A7 - Failure to Restrict URL Access

39. What is it?
• Presentation layer access control
• Related to A4 – Insecure Direct Object
References

40. Worst Practice
• Using home-grown security features instead
of container provided ones
• Assuming people wont know some URLs to try
them
• Assuming no one would misuse the extra
permission and access they have

41. Java EE 6
• What you do to prevent, A4 plus:
– Use Container security (security-constraint)
– Use programmatic login of Java EE 6 if needed.
– Properly configure security realms
– Accurately map roles to principal/groups (auth-
constraint / security-role-mapping)
– Only allow supported/required HTTP methods
– Accurately Categorize the URL patterns and permit
the relevant roles for each

42. Best Practices
• Any none public URL should be protected
• Use container authentication/authorization
features or extend on top of them
• If not enough use proven frameworks/
products to protect the resources
• If user can get /getpic?id=1x118uf it does not
mean you should show /getpic?id=1x22ug

43. A8 - Insecure Cryptographic Storage

44. What is it?
• Sensitive data kept unprotected
• Sensitive data exposed to wrong persons
• Could be:
– Passwords
– Financial/Health care data
– Credit cards

45. Worst Practices
• Storing sensitive data unencrypted
• Storing comparative data unhashed
(passwords/security question answer…)
• Keeping clear text copies of encrypted data
• Not keeping the keys/passwords well guarded

46. GlassFish
• Protect the keystore
• Protect GlassFish accounts
– Use aliasing to protect the password and keep the
master password safe to protect the aliases
• Ignoring digest authentication/hashed
password storage

47. Prevention
• Identify sensitive data
• Wisely encrypt sensitive data
– On every level (application, appserver, db)
– with the right algorithm and
– with the right mechanism
• Don’t keep clear text copies
• To decrypt and view clear text should be restricted to
authorized personnel
• Keep the keys as protected as possible (HSM)
• Keep offsite encrypted backups in addition to on-site
copies

48. A9- Insufficient Transport Layer Protection

49. What is it?

50. Worst Practice
• Using basic/form authentication without SSL
• Not using HTTPS for pages with private
information
• Using default self signed certificate
• Storing unencrypted cookies
• Not setting cookies to be securely transmitted
Cookie.setSecure(true)
• Forgetting about the rest of the
infrastructure

51. GlassFish
• Properly configure HTTPS listener/s (set the
right keystore)
• Install the right server certificates to be used
by SSL listeners
• Properly configure the ORB over SSL listeners
if needed (set the right keystore)
• Enable auditing under Security and access log
under HTTP Service

52. Java EE
• Group the resources in regard to transport
sensitivity using web-resource-collection
• Use user-data-constraint as widely as you
need for data integrity and encryption needs
• Ensure that login/logout pages (in case of
form auth-type) are protected by <transport-
guarantee>CONFIDENTIAL</transport-
guarantee>

53. Best Practice
• Use TLS on all connections with sensitive data
• Individually encrypt messages
• Sign messages before transmission
• Use standard strong algorithms
• Use proven mechanisms when sufficient

54. A10 - Unvalidated Redirects and Forwards

55. What is it?
• Redirecting to another URL computed by user
provided parameters
• Forward to another URL computed by user
provided parameters
http://www.java.net/external?url=http://www.adam-
bien.com/roller/abien/entry/conveniently_transactionally_a
nd_legally_starting

56. Worst Practices
• Not using a proper access control mechanism
(e.g container managed and proper security-
constraint )
• Redirecting to a user provided parameter, e.g
to an external website
• Not to validate/verify the target with user’s
access level before doing the forward

57. Java EE 6
• Don’t use redirect or forward as much as possible
• Accurately verify/validate the target URL before
forwarding or redirecting
• Redirects are safe when using container managed
authentication/authorization properly
• Forwards happen without authentication and
thus requires triple check to prevent
unauthorized access.

58. WRAP-UP

59. Galleria Wrap Up

60. Security isn‘t all candy..
… but you will love it in the end!

61. CC picture reference
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/2439494447/sizes/l/in/photostream/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/62983199@N04/7188112487/sizes/l/in/photostream/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/3466470709/sizes/l/in/photostream/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/lukemontague/187987292/sizes/l/in/photostream/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/082007/7108942911/sizes/l/in/photostream/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/ndrwfgg/140411433/sizes/l/in/photostream/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/gingerblokey/4130969725/sizes/l/in/photostream/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/bpc009/3328427457/sizes/l/in/photostream/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/marine_corps/6950409157/sizes/l/in/photostream/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/cindy47452/2898015652/sizes/l/in/photostream/