All About React Security Vulnerabilities That You Must Know

React is a popular front-end web library for app development. Though React is considered to be quite secure, there are some vulnerabilities that you should know while developing an application. React.js vulnerabilities can occur when you think that you’re using protective mechanisms of this library. It is necessary to remember what React can and can’t handle for you. 

Why You Should Not Ignore React Security Vulnerabilities?

If React.js is an important component of your tech stack, then there can be risk and implications  for your business regarding security leak. Developing react apps for web platforms and single page applications connects business with various information. This allows business to become competitive in the market. Nearly two out of three apps cause security flaws and sometimes developers ignore them which results in security issues with the app. A security breach in web apps could lead to unexpected consequences. So no one should ignore the react security vulnerabilities.

Common Security Issues In React Applications-

1. Securing React Application Against DDoS Attacks-

DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) can be a malicious attacks launched by unauthorized users who make certain services of an application unavailable or inaccessible to users. It is essential to keep protection  against DDoS attacks under control. Generally this security issue occurs due to your insecure web app or it had loopholes in masking the IPs of all application services it provides. 

DDoS attacks restricts the application from interacting with the host server leading to the suspension of the targeted online services. With some cases, DDoS attacks might flood your React project with malicious traffic rather than spending an existing service. Know the common DDoS React security attacks and their damages:

• HTTP flooding- Spoofing online services that leads to the permanent shutdown of app services 
• SYN flooding- misuse of the application services 
• ICMP flooding- Slowing down of the React application
• UDP flooding- It leads to inaccessibility of host services
• Ping of Death (POD)- Overflow of memory buffers

How To Handle DDoS Attacks?

• To capture all multi-type DDoS attacks, scrub the react application during development and post full development. 
• Install visitor identification to block malicious traffic from racing the internal codes.
• Captcha or JS tests helps to secure web app layer

2. Securing React’s HTTP Basic Authentication-

Securing the connection between the web client and the server ensures the security of HTTP and its authentication protocols. When you build an application it is necessary to check if the domain www header has a realm attribute. This attribute connects User ID and password. One of the most common security pitfall that many people forget  is providing a realm attribute which authenticates various users with separate code variables to avoid mismatch in authentication of various IDs and passwords.

A small mismatch between server response mechanism and the realm attribute will result in unauthorized users accessing any authentication information. It is necessary that if an authorized user makes a server request, the authentication of the web app should display a 401 status error page.

3. Investigating React’s API Security Concerns-

React APIs set up connections between the application and other platforms. These APIs allows controlling of other devices or the particular device in which the application has been installed.

Generally, these APIs automatically document information and self-implement them to execute necessary commands within the application.  Lack of authentication or business logic issues leads to React API vulnerability. MITM(Man In The Middle) or Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) and SQL injection( SQLi) are common React API attacks. Know, how to reduce or eliminate React API security failure:

• Execute timely schema validations to prevent malicious code injections and security parser attacks
• Ensure that your application is secured with SSL/TLS encryptions
• Validate API call commands against respective API schemas

Know the optimization techniques in react development at- 6 optimization techniques in React.

How To Secure React Web Application?

1. Injection-

React security issue occurs because of the untrusted data transmission between user and server as a part of the command line in your application. One of the common injection flaws is SQLi. Prevent injection related security flaws by using command queries in parametrized format and write customized whitelisted validation codes.

2. Sensitive Data Exposure-

Sensitive data exposure from react web app and mismatch of APIs with app can prompt to unintended decryption of stored data. Know the following ways to secure app from data exposure:

• Ensure the encrypted algorithms version
• Disable automated form caching and auto-filling features which may get data from users

3. Broken Access Control-

Inadequate limitations on authenticated users lead to access and misuse of unauthorized data and functionality of your React web application. In most of the cases of access control failures, unauthorized users might even be able to change the primary key of any functionality or app data. You can control back full access by-

• Developing role-based authentication mechanisms
• Disabling functionality access to secure app.

4. Cross-Site Scripting-

This vulnerability can lead to serious problems. XSS attacks occur when an attacker  can trick a website and force it to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in users browsers. You can overcome XSS by creating automated overseeing features that can sanitize user input and avoiding invalid and malicious user input from being rendered into browser.

5. Insufficient Logging & Monitoring-

Common React security failure which results as a reason for the monitor lacking the application periodically ignoring upgrades, and security issues that might be existing. You must ensure all server-side validation data input failures are logged with sufficient identification, and provide trail to all data within the app to avoid suspicious data access or data deletion.

6. Insecure Deserialization-

Data serialization may lead to some react security failures. However, deserialization of objects injected by unauthorized user or an attacker prompts remote execution of codes that may change app behavior. Avoid app security issues by:

• Conducting integrating checks to avoid injection of hostile objects
• Enforcing strict deserialization restrictions before unauthorized creation of code objects.

7. Using Components With Known Vulnerabilities-

Use of libraries, components, modules, APIs, and so on have their own set of vulnerabilities. While easing them as a functionality for your React web application, their own set of security defects may prompt the crumbling down of the security defenses. You can secure this vulnerability by ensuring the components used and their dependencies do not have any security issue prior to incorporating into your app, conducting manual updates, ensuring the old version of any component or library is patched with new versions.

Know the 10 Best React component libraries at- 10 Best React component libraries you should know in 2020.