Metadata

ID: java-security/ldap-injection

Language: Java

Severity: Error

Category: Security

CWE: 90

Description

This rule helps to prevent security vulnerabilities that may arise when user-supplied data is used in the construction of an LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) query without proper sanitization or validation. LDAP Injection is an attack technique used to exploit applications that construct LDAP statements without proper input or output sanitizing. This can lead to the execution of arbitrary LDAP queries, potentially revealing sensitive information stored in the LDAP structure.

In the provided non-compliant code, the issue arises from the use of the user-provided param in the LDAP filter without sanitizing or validating it (String filter = "(&(objectclass=person))(|(uid=" + param + ")(street={0}))";). This could allow an attacker to inject malicious LDAP queries.

To avoid LDAP injections, user inputs should never be directly used in the formation of an LDAP query. Instead, they should be properly sanitized or validated before use. This can be achieved using prepared statements, parameterized queries, or input validation techniques.

For instance, the non-compliant code can be modified to use parameterized filters. Instead of concatenating the user input directly into the filter string, placeholders can be used (such as (uid={0})). The user input can then be supplied as a separate parameter which will be automatically escaped by the LDAP library, mitigating the risk of LDAP injection. You can also apply a whitelist validation on the user inputs to further ensure the security of the application.

Non-Compliant Code Examples

import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
import javax.naming.directory.InitialDirContext;

public class NonCompliant {
    public void doPost(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) {
        String param = "<default>";
        java.util.Enumeration<String> headers = request.getHeaders("X-Some-Header");

        if (headers != null && headers.hasMoreElements()) {
            param = headers.nextElement();
        }
        param = java.net.URLDecoder.decode(param, "UTF-8");

        Hashtable env = new Hashtable();
        DirContext ctx = new InitialDirContext(env);
        ctx.search("<name>", param);
    }
}

import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.PostMapping;
import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestHeader;
import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RestController;

@RestController
public class NonCompliant2 {

    @PostMapping("/")
    public void handlePost(@RequestHeader("X-Some-Header") String headerValue) {
        Hashtable env = new Hashtable();
        DirContext ctx = new InitialDirContext(env);
        ctx.search("<name>", headerValue);
    }
}

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