Client-Side Security Audit for EveryPoll Application

[eloeverything2-butler[bot]]

Issue created by @MentatSupervisorBot for @eloeverything2-butler:

Client-Side Security Audit

Please conduct a comprehensive security audit of the client-side code for the EveryPoll application. This is a React application using TypeScript, Redux for state management, React Query for data fetching, and Material UI for components.

Audit Scope

Analyze the client code with a focus on security vulnerabilities and best practices in the following areas:

1. Authentication & Authorization

   • Token storage and handling
   • Authentication state management
   • Protection of authenticated routes

2. Data Handling & Validation

   • Input validation and sanitization
   • Form handling security (using React Hook Form)
   • XSS vulnerability prevention

3. State Management

   • Redux store security
   • Sensitive data handling in state
   • Redux Toolkit implementation

4. API Communication

   • React Query implementation
   • API request security
   • Error handling

5. Third-Party Dependencies

   • Review of major dependencies
   • Potential vulnerabilities

Deliverables

Please provide a comprehensive security audit report with:

1. An executive summary of findings
2. Detailed analysis of each area above
3. Severity classification for each vulnerability (Critical, High, Medium, Low)
4. Specific recommendations for remediation
5. Code examples where appropriate

You can use tools, manual code review, and best practices to conduct this audit. The report should be detailed and actionable.

---

🤖 See my steps and cost here ✨

This issue was created from another conversation

• [x] Wake on any new activity.

[eloeverything2-butler[bot]]

Client-Side Security Audit Report for EveryPoll

Executive Summary

I've conducted a comprehensive security audit of the EveryPoll client-side codebase. The application is still in early development, with many key components not yet implemented. However, the existing code structure and configured dependencies reveal several security considerations that should be addressed as development progresses.

The most significant findings relate to token storage methods, incomplete authentication flow implementation, and limited input validation. Most of these issues are expected in an early-stage project and can be easily addressed during development.

Detailed Analysis

1. Authentication & Authorization

Findings:

Issue	Severity	Description
Token storage in localStorage	High	The application retrieves tokens from localStorage, which is vulnerable to XSS attacks
Incomplete authentication flow	Medium	Authentication structure is defined but implementation is incomplete
Missing route protection	Medium	No mechanism to protect routes based on authentication status
No CSRF protection	Medium	No visible CSRF token handling for authenticated requests

Code Examples:

// client/src/api/axios.ts
api.interceptors.request.use(
  (config) => {
    const token = localStorage.getItem('token');
    if (token) {
      config.headers.Authorization = `Bearer ${token}`;
    }
    return config;
  },
  (error) => Promise.reject(error)
);

Recommendations:

1. Replace localStorage with httpOnly cookies for token storage
2. Implement a React Router setup with protected route components
3. Add CSRF token validation for sensitive operations
4. Implement token refresh logic to handle token expiration

2. Data Handling & Validation

Findings:

Issue	Severity	Description
Missing input validation	Medium	No client-side validation implementation visible
No data sanitization	Medium	No explicit sanitization of user inputs
Incomplete form handling	Low	React Hook Form is configured but not implemented

Recommendations:

1. Implement Zod schemas for form validation (already in backend dependencies)
2. Add sanitization logic for user-generated content
3. Complete React Hook Form implementation with validation rules

3. State Management

Findings:

Issue	Severity	Description
Sensitive data in Redux store	Medium	User data stored in Redux could be accessible via Redux DevTools
No Redux DevTools configuration for production	Low	Missing configuration to disable DevTools in production

Code Examples:

// client/src/store/slices/authSlice.ts
const initialState: AuthState = {
  isAuthenticated: false,
  user: null,  // Will contain sensitive user information
  loading: false,
  error: null,
};

Recommendations:

1. Implement proper Redux DevTools configuration for production environments
2. Minimize sensitive data stored in Redux state
3. Consider using Redux Persist with encryption if storing sensitive data

4. API Communication

Findings:

Issue	Severity	Description
Limited error handling	Medium	Basic error handling in API calls could be more robust
No API response validation	Medium	No runtime validation of API responses
Potential cache leakage	Low	React Query cache could store sensitive data

Code Examples:

// client/src/api/query-client.ts
export const queryClient = new QueryClient({
  defaultOptions: {
    queries: {
      staleTime: 5 * 60 * 1000, // 5 minutes
      gcTime: 10 * 60 * 1000, // 10 minutes
      retry: 1,
      refetchOnWindowFocus: false,
    },
  },
});

Recommendations:

1. Implement consistent error handling across all API calls
2. Add response validation using Zod or similar
3. Configure React Query's cache policies for sensitive data
4. Add request/response interceptors for global error handling

5. Third-Party Dependencies

Findings:

Issue	Severity	Description
Modern dependencies	Low	Most dependencies are recent versions with no known critical vulnerabilities
No dependency analysis	Low	No evidence of regular dependency scanning

Recommendations:

1. Implement regular dependency scanning with tools like npm audit
2. Consider implementing a more strict CSP to mitigate potential issues from third-party code
3. Review dependencies for security implications before adding new ones

Summary of Recommendations

Based on the findings, I recommend the following actions in order of priority:

1. High Priority:

   • Move token storage from localStorage to httpOnly cookies
   • Implement proper route protection for authenticated areas

2. Medium Priority:

   • Add form validation and input sanitization
   • Implement CSRF protection
   • Enhance error handling for API calls
   • Configure Redux DevTools for production

3. Low Priority:

   • Implement dependency scanning
   • Optimize React Query cache policies
   • Review dependencies regularly

Most of these issues are common in early-stage applications and should be addressed as development continues. The application has a solid foundation with modern tools and approaches that will make implementing these security measures straightforward.