stevedunn / stringlytyped

Security Considerations

This section explores the security aspects of the Value Object implementation, focusing on potential vulnerabilities and mitigating factors.

Value Objects and Security

Value Objects, as implemented in this package, inherently promote security through:

  • Immutability: Value Objects are immutable, preventing accidental or malicious modification of their internal state.
  • Validation Encapsulation: Validation logic is encapsulated within the Value Object, ensuring consistent and correct data throughout the application.
  • Strong Typing: Value Objects enforce strong typing, eliminating the risk of type-related errors, which can be exploited in certain security scenarios.

Potential Vulnerabilities

  • Serialization: Improper serialization of Value Objects could expose sensitive information if used directly in an API or public data exchange.
  • Validation Bypass: Care must be taken to prevent potential validation bypass vulnerabilities, especially during object creation or deserialization.

Mitigating Factors

  • Serialization Security: Utilize secure serialization libraries or techniques to protect sensitive data.
  • Validation Rigor: Thoroughly test validation logic to prevent bypasses and ensure comprehensive checks on all input.
  • Input Sanitization: Implement input sanitization practices to prevent malicious data injection during object creation.
  • Code Review: Regular code reviews help identify potential vulnerabilities and ensure secure implementation of Value Objects.

Example

Consider a CustomerId Value Object:

public class CustomerId : ValueObject<int>
          {
              public override Validation Validate() => Value > 0 
                  ? Validation.Ok 
                  : Validation.Invalid("Customer IDs cannot be zero or negative.");
          }
  • Secure Serialization: Utilize a secure serialization library like Newtonsoft.Json with appropriate settings to prevent the exposure of sensitive data when serializing CustomerId objects.
  • Validation Robustness: Ensure the validation logic within Validate() method is robust and handles all potential edge cases and malicious input.

References

Top-Level Directory Explanations

samples/ - This directory contains example projects demonstrating the usage of StringlyTyped library.

src/ - This directory contains the source code of the StringlyTyped library.

tests/ - This directory contains unit tests for the StringlyTyped library. It includes benchmark tests and small tests.