Clickjacking (X-Frame-Options Header) security patch fix on file doubtfire-web-webnginx.conf

[epineto]

Summary

This PR applies a patch to address the A01 Broken Access Control vulnerability by adding the X-Frame-Options header to Nginx server responses. This fix ensures that the application is protected against clickjacking attacks.

---

Changes Made

File: doubtfire-web/nginx.conf

Description: The X-Frame-Options header has been added to the Nginx configuration to prevent the application from being embedded in iframes.

Changes:

worker_processes 1;

events { }

http {
    include /etc/nginx/mime.types;

    sendfile on;

    # Server block for port 80
    server {
        root /usr/share/nginx/html/;
        index index.html;
        listen 80;

        add_header Content-Security-Policy "default-src https: 'unsafe-inline' 'unsafe-eval' blob: data:" always;
        add_header Feature-Policy "microphone 'self';speaker 'self';fullscreen 'self';payment none;" always;
        add_header Permissions-Policy "microphone=(self), fullscreen=(self), payment=()" always;

        # X-Frame-Options header for clickjacking protection
        add_header X-Frame-Options "DENY" always;
    }

    # Server block for port 4200
    server {
        root /usr/share/nginx/html/;
        index index.html;
        listen 4200;

        add_header Content-Security-Policy "default-src https: 'unsafe-inline' 'unsafe-eval' blob: data:" always;
        add_header Feature-Policy "microphone 'self';speaker 'self';fullscreen 'self';payment none;" always;
        add_header Permissions-Policy "microphone=(self), fullscreen=(self), payment=()" always;

        # X-Frame-Options header for clickjacking protection
        add_header X-Frame-Options "DENY" always;
    }

    # Server block for port 443
    server {
        root /usr/share/nginx/html/;
        index index.html;
        listen 443;

        add_header Content-Security-Policy "default-src https: 'unsafe-inline' 'unsafe-eval' blob: data:" always;
        add_header Feature-Policy "microphone 'self';speaker 'self';fullscreen 'self';payment none;" always;
        add_header Permissions-Policy "microphone=(self), fullscreen=(self), payment=()" always;

        # X-Frame-Options header for clickjacking protection
        add_header X-Frame-Options "DENY" always;
    }
  
    gzip on;
    gzip_types text/css application/javascript;
    gzip_proxied any;
    gzip_buffers 32 8k;
}

---

Testing Plan

Functional Testing

1. Verify that the X-Frame-Options header is present in all HTTP responses using the following command:

   curl -I http://localhost:4200/

   Expected Output:

   HTTP/1.1 200 OK
   X-Frame-Options: DENY
   

2. Ensure that the application continues to function normally after the changes.

Security Testing

1. Create a test HTML page that attempts to embed the application in an iframe:

   <iframe src="http://localhost:4200/" width="600" height="400"></iframe>

2. Open the test page in a browser and confirm the iframe is blocked.

Regression Testing

1. Validate that adding the X-Frame-Options header does not affect existing functionality, such as asset loading and API responses.

---

References

• OWASP: Clickjacking
• Mozilla Developer Network: X-Frame-Options

[aditya993388]

PR Review Comment

Review Summary

This pull request addresses the A01 Broken Access Control vulnerability by adding the X-Frame-Options header to the Nginx server responses. The patch effectively mitigates clickjacking attacks by preventing the application from being embedded in iframes. I have reviewed the changes and verified that they align with the intended security requirements.

---

Review Comments

Positive Aspects

• The addition of the X-Frame-Options header in the Nginx configuration is a critical improvement that adheres to OWASP best practices for mitigating clickjacking vulnerabilities.
• The configuration is consistent across server blocks (80 and 4200), ensuring protection for these HTTP requests.
• Detailed testing plan provided to verify the effectiveness of the patch and avoid regressions.

Suggestions

• Add Configuration for Port 443 (HTTPS):
  While this pull request improves security for HTTP traffic, it would be beneficial to include a server block for port 443 to handle HTTPS requests in the future. This should include SSL/TLS configuration, such as:

  server {
      listen 443 ssl;
      ssl_certificate /path/to/certificate.pem;
      ssl_certificate_key /path/to/private.key;
  
      add_header X-Frame-Options "DENY" always;
      add_header X-Content-Type-Options "nosniff" always;
      add_header X-XSS-Protection "1; mode=block" always;
      ...
  }

  Adding this ensures consistency across all protocols and prepares the application for secure HTTPS traffic.

---

Change Request

This pull request is close to being approved. However, I recommend adding a server block for port 443 to ensure future support for HTTPS traffic and secure communication. Once this is added, the pull request can be reviewed again for approval.

[epineto]

Hi @aditya993388 , I have also added port 443 on the nginx.conf file. Thanks for this additional port for HTTPS.

[aditya993388]

Review Summary

This pull request addresses the A01 Broken Access Control vulnerability by adding the X-Frame-Options header to the Nginx server responses. The patch effectively mitigates clickjacking attacks by preventing the application from being embedded in iframes. I have reviewed the changes and verified that they align with the intended security requirements.

---

Review Comments

Positive Aspects

• The addition of the X-Frame-Options header in the Nginx configuration is a critical improvement that adheres to OWASP best practices for mitigating clickjacking vulnerabilities.
• The configuration is consistent across all server blocks (80, 4200, 443), ensuring comprehensive protection.
• Detailed testing plan provided to verify the effectiveness of the patch and avoid regressions.

Suggestions

No further suggestions. The changes are clear and address the security vulnerability directly. Good job ensuring uniformity across server blocks and providing a structured testing plan.

---

Test Evidence

Functional Testing

Command:

aditya@faux-machine:~/doubtfire-deploy/doubtfire-web$ curl -I http://localhost:4200/

Output:

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
X-Frame-Options: DENY
Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8
Content-Length: 2511
Connection: keep-alive

Result:

• Verified that the X-Frame-Options header is present in the HTTP response.

---

Approval

I approve this pull request as it addresses the identified vulnerability effectively without introducing regressions. This is a critical improvement to the security posture of the application.

[XinHuang1112]

PR Code Review: Adding X-Frame-Options Header for Clickjacking Protection

1. Summary of Changes

This PR addresses the A01 Broken Access Control vulnerability by adding the X-Frame-Options header to prevent clickjacking attacks. It ensures that the application cannot be embedded in an iframe across all server blocks in the nginx.conf file.

2. Review of Changes

Code Quality

• The X-Frame-Options: DENY header is correctly added to the server blocks for ports 80, 4200, and 443.
• The placement of add_header in each server block is clear and consistent.
• Good use of always to ensure the header is applied to all responses.

Configuration Consistency

• The PR maintains consistency across all server configurations:
  • Ports 80, 4200, and 443 have identical headers for Content-Security-Policy, Feature-Policy, and Permissions-Policy.
  • Adding the gzip configurations ensures existing optimization settings remain unaffected.

Code Quality

The nginx.conf file changes are clean, with proper indentation and logical grouping of headers.

3. Testing Plan Review

Functional Testing:

• Command Validation:
  The curl -I http://localhost:4200/ test is a simple and effective way to verify that the X-Frame-Options header is being served.
  Expected Output: X-Frame-Options: DENY.

• Iframe Blocking Test:
  Creating an HTML file with an <iframe> tag is a solid method to validate clickjacking protection.
  Confirming the iframe fails to load the application ensures the fix works.

Security Testing:

• The iframe test directly aligns with validating clickjacking prevention.
  Regression Testing:

• The PR considers regression testing by ensuring that other functionality like asset loading and API responses remains unaffected.

4.Testing results:

Command Validation:
Running the command curl -I http://localhost:4200/ verifies the presence of the X-Frame-Options header.

Output:

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
X-Frame-Options: DENY
Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8
Content-Length: 2511
Connection: keep-alive

Iframe Blocking Test:
A test HTML file using an <iframe> tag effectively validates the clickjacking protection.

<iframe src="http://localhost:4200/" width="600" height="400"></iframe>
Confirming the iframe fails to load ensures the fix works.

Security Testing
The iframe test successfully verifies that the X-Frame-Options: DENY header prevents embedding.

Result:
Verified that the X-Frame-Options header is present in the HTTP response.

4. Approval

I approve this pull request as it effectively addresses the clickjacking vulnerability by adding the X-Frame-Options header, and the testing plan confirms the changes work as expected.

[epineto]

Hi @XinHuang1112, thanks for your comment but you need to commit your review and approval.

[aNebula]

Hi @epineto - the changes look good to me, well done. To make lasting contributions, please open upstream pull request with these changes against doubtfire-lsm/doubtfire-web, 8.0.x branch

[epineto]

Hi @aNebula, will do! Thanks

[epineto]

Hi @epineto - the changes look good to me, well done. To make lasting contributions, please open upstream pull request with these changes against doubtfire-lsm/doubtfire-web, 8.0.x branch

Hi @aNebula , PR submitted as requested: doubtfire-lms#906

Thanks, Epi