In-Depth Code Security Analysis Vulnerabilities In Vanderbilt REDCap's Cross-Project Piping Module

by Axel Sørensen 99 views

Hey guys! Let's dive into the code security report for the Vanderbilt REDCap's cross-project piping module. This report, generated on July 30, 2025, highlights potential vulnerabilities that need our attention. We've got a mix of findings, so let's break it down and see what's what.

Scan Metadata

First things first, let's look at the scan metadata. This gives us a high-level overview of the report:

  • Latest Scan: July 30, 2025, 09:27 PM
  • Total Findings: 3
  • New Findings: 0
  • Resolved Findings: 0
  • Tested Project Files: 6
  • Detected Programming Languages: PHP, JavaScript / TypeScript

We can see that the latest scan was conducted recently, identifying a total of three findings. None of these are new, and no findings have been resolved yet. The scan covered six project files and detected PHP and JavaScript/TypeScript as the primary programming languages. This gives us a good starting point to understand the scope of the report.

Also, there's a handy checkbox to manually trigger a scan. This is super useful for ensuring we can run security checks whenever we need to, keeping our code in tip-top shape.

Finding Details

Now, let's get into the nitty-gritty of the findings. We'll go through each one, looking at the severity, vulnerability type, affected file, and more. This is where we'll really understand the potential risks and how to address them.

High Severity: Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerability

Alright, the first finding is a high-severity Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability. This is a big deal, so let's break it down:

What is XSS? Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities occur when an application includes untrusted data in its output without proper validation or escaping. Attackers can exploit this by injecting malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. This can lead to a range of nasty outcomes, like stealing session cookies, redirecting users to phishing sites, or even defacing the website.

The Vulnerable Code: The issue lies in CrossprojectpipingExternalModule.php at line 27. Let's take a closer look at the vulnerable code snippet:

https://github.com/vanderbilt-redcap/cross-project-piping-module/blob/be6712e7ecf1b106747f09fec215dcd166d563b8/CrossprojectpipingExternalModule.php#L22-L27

Data Flow Analysis: There's one data flow detected:

  1. https://github.com/vanderbilt-redcap/cross-project-piping-module/blob/be6712e7ecf1b106747f09fec215dcd166d563b8/CrossprojectpipingExternalModule.php#L24
  2. https://github.com/vanderbilt-redcap/cross-project-piping-module/blob/be6712e7ecf1b106747f09fec215dcd166d563b8/CrossprojectpipingExternalModule.php#L25
  3. https://github.com/vanderbilt-redcap/cross-project-piping-module/blob/be6712e7ecf1b106747f09fec215dcd166d563b8/CrossprojectpipingExternalModule.php#L27

This data flow indicates how the input data is processed and used, highlighting the path where the vulnerability occurs. By tracing the flow, we can pinpoint the exact location where malicious input can sneak in.

Secure Code Warrior Training Material: To help us understand and address this vulnerability, there are some great training resources from Secure Code Warrior:

These resources are super useful for understanding the ins and outs of XSS vulnerabilities and how to prevent them. Definitely worth checking out!

Suppressing the Finding: There's also an option to suppress the finding if we determine it's a false alarm or an acceptable risk. However, we should only do this after careful consideration and a thorough review. We don't want to sweep a real vulnerability under the rug!

Medium Severity: Regex Denial of Service (ReDoS) Vulnerabilities

Next up, we have two medium-severity vulnerabilities related to Regex Denial of Service (ReDoS). Let's take a look at each one.

ReDoS Vulnerability 1

What is ReDoS? Regex Denial of Service (ReDoS) vulnerabilities occur when a poorly written regular expression (regex) can cause a program to consume excessive resources, leading to a denial of service. This happens when the regex has exponential time complexity for certain inputs, causing the application to hang or crash.

The Vulnerable Code: The issue is in getValue.php at line 79. Here’s the vulnerable code snippet:

https://github.com/vanderbilt-redcap/cross-project-piping-module/blob/be6712e7ecf1b106747f09fec215dcd166d563b8/getValue.php#L74-L79

Data Flow Analysis: There's one data flow detected:

  1. https://github.com/vanderbilt-redcap/cross-project-piping-module/blob/be6712e7ecf1b106747f09fec215dcd166d563b8/getValue.php#L11
  2. https://github.com/vanderbilt-redcap/cross-project-piping-module/blob/be6712e7ecf1b106747f09fec215dcd166d563b8/getValue.php#L12
  3. https://github.com/vanderbilt-redcap/cross-project-piping-module/blob/be6712e7ecf1b106747f09fec215dcd166d563b8/getValue.php#L18
  4. https://github.com/vanderbilt-redcap/cross-project-piping-module/blob/be6712e7ecf1b106747f09fec215dcd166d563b8/getValue.php#L72
  5. https://github.com/vanderbilt-redcap/cross-project-piping-module/blob/be6712e7ecf1b106747f09fec215dcd166d563b8/getValue.php#L79

Secure Code Warrior Training Material: Secure Code Warrior has some training material to help us tackle ReDoS vulnerabilities:

This training will give us the knowledge and skills to identify and prevent ReDoS issues in our code.

ReDoS Vulnerability 2

The Vulnerable Code: This ReDoS vulnerability is also in getValue.php, but this time at line 87. Let's see the code:

https://github.com/vanderbilt-redcap/cross-project-piping-module/blob/be6712e7ecf1b106747f09fec215dcd166d563b8/getValue.php#L82-L87

Data Flow Analysis: The data flow is as follows:

  1. https://github.com/vanderbilt-redcap/cross-project-piping-module/blob/be6712e7ecf1b106747f09fec215dcd166d563b8/getValue.php#L11
  2. https://github.com/vanderbilt-redcap/cross-project-piping-module/blob/be6712e7ecf1b106747f09fec215dcd166d563b8/getValue.php#L12
  3. https://github.com/vanderbilt-redcap/cross-project-piping-module/blob/be6712e7ecf1b106747f09fec215dcd166d563b8/getValue.php#L18
  4. https://github.com/vanderbilt-redcap/cross-project-piping-module/blob/be6712e7ecf1b106747f09fec215dcd166d563b8/getValue.php#L73
  5. https://github.com/vanderbilt-redcap/cross-project-piping-module/blob/be6712e7ecf1b106747f09fec215dcd166d563b8/getValue.php#L87

Secure Code Warrior Training Material: Just like with the first ReDoS vulnerability, Secure Code Warrior has us covered:

Same training, double the impact! We can use these resources to ensure our regex patterns are efficient and safe.

Wrapping Up

Okay, guys, that's the breakdown of the code security report for the Vanderbilt REDCap's cross-project piping module. We've identified a high-severity XSS vulnerability and two medium-severity ReDoS vulnerabilities. It's crucial to address these issues to ensure the security and stability of the module. Let's use the provided training materials and code snippets to dig in and get these vulnerabilities patched up. Happy coding, and stay secure!