Security Vulnerabilities Detected On 2025-11-25

by Alex Johnson 48 views

In this comprehensive report, we'll delve into the security vulnerabilities detected on November 25, 2025, providing a detailed analysis of the issues identified by both Bandit and Semgrep security scans. This report is crucial for understanding the current security posture of our systems and taking the necessary steps to mitigate potential risks. We will explore each vulnerability, its potential impact, and recommended actions to ensure the ongoing security and integrity of our applications and infrastructure. This is especially important in the context of the UniversalStandards and the New-Government-agency-banking-Program where security is of paramount importance.

🔒 Security Scan Results

The security scan results from November 25, 2025, reveal a number of vulnerabilities identified by Bandit and Semgrep. Bandit flagged 142 issues, while Semgrep detected 30. These findings underscore the importance of continuous security monitoring and proactive vulnerability management. Let's dive into the specifics of these security issues.

Bandit Security Issues (142)

The Bandit scan identified a range of security issues, from medium-risk vulnerabilities related to request timeouts to low-risk concerns about the use of assert statements in test code. Understanding these issues is the first step in addressing them effectively. Below, we'll categorize and discuss some of the most pertinent findings.

1. Request Without Timeout (MEDIUM)

One of the most frequently occurring issues flagged by Bandit is the "request_without_timeout" vulnerability. This medium-risk issue appears in multiple files, including:

  • ./modern_treasury/modern_treasury_helpers.py (lines 426, 439, 450)
  • ./services/modern_treasury/modern_treasury.py (lines 39, 68, 89, 110)
  • ./services/paypal/paypal.py (lines 46, 71, 107, 133)

The issue stems from making HTTP requests without setting a timeout. Timeouts are crucial for preventing denial-of-service (DoS) attacks and ensuring that resources are not held indefinitely. Without a timeout, a request that hangs can tie up server resources, potentially leading to performance degradation or even service unavailability. The confidence level for this issue is LOW, but the repeated occurrence across different modules makes it a significant concern. To remediate this, it is essential to implement timeouts for all HTTP requests. This can be done by adding a timeout parameter to the requests library calls, specifying a reasonable duration in seconds. For example, requests.get(url, timeout=10) sets a 10-second timeout for the request.

2. Subprocess Module Implications (LOW)

In the scripts/health-check.py file (line 8), Bandit flags a "blacklist" issue related to the subprocess module. The message highlights the "Consider possible security implications associated with the subprocess module." The confidence for this issue is HIGH, indicating a serious concern. The subprocess module allows Python code to run external commands, which can be a powerful feature but also a significant security risk if not handled carefully. If user input or external data is used to construct subprocess commands, it can lead to command injection vulnerabilities, where an attacker can execute arbitrary commands on the system. To mitigate this risk, it is recommended to avoid using shell=True in subprocess calls and to sanitize any input used in constructing commands. Employing the subprocess.run() method with a list of arguments is generally safer than passing a string command.

3. Subprocess Call with Untrusted Input (LOW)

Another issue in scripts/health-check.py (line 18) is "subprocess_without_shell_equals_true". This LOW severity issue with HIGH confidence warns about checking for the execution of untrusted input in subprocess calls. Similar to the previous issue, this highlights the dangers of using the subprocess module without proper input validation. The key here is to ensure that any data passed to the subprocess is strictly controlled and validated. Avoid direct concatenation of user-provided strings into commands. Instead, use parameterized commands or other safe methods to prevent injection attacks.

4. Try, Except, Continue (LOW)

Bandit also flags a "try_except_continue" issue in scripts/health-check.py (line 195). This LOW severity issue with HIGH confidence indicates the presence of a try, except, continue block, which can mask errors and lead to unexpected behavior. While not directly a security vulnerability, it can obscure underlying issues that might have security implications. It is generally better to log exceptions and handle them explicitly rather than using continue, which can hide errors and make debugging difficult. Reviewing this code block and implementing more robust error handling is crucial for maintaining the application's reliability and security.

5. Use of Assert Detected (LOW)

A large number of "assert_used" issues were found across various test files (e.g., test_main.py, tests/test_api.py, tests/test_models.py). This LOW severity issue with HIGH confidence indicates the use of assert statements, which are removed when compiling to optimized bytecode (i.e., when running in production mode with the -O flag). While assert statements are useful for debugging and testing, they should not be used for production code because they can be disabled. Replace assert statements with proper error handling mechanisms, such as raising exceptions or logging errors, to ensure that checks are performed in all environments.

6. Hardcoded Password String (LOW)

Bandit flags a "hardcoded_password_string" issue in tests/test_models.py (line 29), indicating a possible hardcoded password: 'test-secret-key'. This LOW severity issue with MEDIUM confidence is a critical finding. Hardcoding passwords or secret keys directly in the code is a severe security risk. If this key were to be exposed, it could allow unauthorized access to sensitive resources. The solution is to never hardcode secrets in the code. Instead, use environment variables, configuration files, or secure storage mechanisms (e.g., Vault, AWS Secrets Manager) to manage secrets. Ensure that the test-secret-key is replaced with a secure, randomly generated key and stored securely.

Semgrep Security Issues (30)

The Semgrep scan results reveal a different set of security concerns, including issues related to GitHub Actions workflows, Flask and Django applications, Docker configurations, and JavaScript code. Semgrep's findings often highlight potential misconfigurations and coding practices that could lead to vulnerabilities. Let's examine some of the key Semgrep findings.

1. GitHub Actions Workflow Vulnerability (WARNING)

Semgrep identified a WARNING in .github/workflows/frogbot-scan-pr.yml (line 41) related to the use of pull_request_target and code checkout. The message warns about the risk of executing arbitrary code from an incoming pull request with access to repository secrets. This is a critical vulnerability because it could allow an attacker to steal repository secrets by submitting a malicious pull request. The recommended mitigation is to audit the workflow file to ensure that no code from the incoming PR is executed directly. Follow the guidance provided in the linked GitHub Security Lab research article for additional mitigations. Specifically, avoid running build scripts or dependency installation scripts from the incoming PR without careful inspection.

2. Flask Application Vulnerabilities

Semgrep flagged several issues in the Flask application code:

  • Avoid Using app.run Directly (WARNING): In app.py (line 3), Semgrep advises against using app.run(...) at the top level, suggesting it be placed behind a guard, like inside a function. This is because Flask ignores top-level app.run(...) calls. While this isn't a direct security vulnerability, it's a misconfiguration that can lead to unexpected behavior.
  • NaN Injection Vulnerability (ERROR): In auth.py (line 37), Semgrep detected user input going directly into typecasts for bool(), float(), or complex(), which allows for Python's not-a-number (NaN) injection. This ERROR severity issue can lead to undefined behavior, especially during comparisons. To remediate, either cast to a different type or add a guard checking for all capitalizations of the string 'nan'. Proper input validation is crucial to prevent this vulnerability.
  • Open Redirect Vulnerability (ERROR): In auth.py (line 50), Semgrep found that data from a request is being passed to redirect(), creating an open redirect vulnerability. This ERROR severity issue can be exploited by attackers to redirect users to malicious sites. The recommendation is to use url_for() to generate links to known locations. If using URLs to unknown pages is necessary, validate the netloc property using urlparse() to ensure it matches your site's hostname.

3. Django Application Vulnerabilities

Semgrep identified several issues related to password validation in the Django application:

  • Unvalidated Password (WARNING): Multiple instances of this issue were found in auth.py (lines 110, 162), init_db.py (lines 56, 68), and main.py (line 278). The message indicates that passwords are being set without validation. Django provides a password validation framework that should be used to enforce password policies. To fix this, call django.contrib.auth.password_validation.validate_password() with validation functions before setting the password. Refer to the Django documentation for more information on password validation.

4. Docker Configuration Vulnerabilities

Semgrep identified several potential security issues in the docker-compose.yml file:

  • Privilege Escalation (WARNING): For services db, redis, and nginx (lines 24, 37, 45), Semgrep warns about privilege escalation via setuid or setgid binaries. To prevent this, add no-new-privileges: true in the security_opt section of each service.
  • Writable Root Filesystem (WARNING): For the same services (db, redis, and nginx), Semgrep notes that they are running with a writable root filesystem. This can allow malicious applications to download and run additional payloads or modify container files. To mitigate this, add read_only: true to each service. If temporary storage is needed, consider using a tmpfs.

5. Performance and Coding Practice Issues

  • Batch Import (WARNING): In init_db.py (lines 41, 125), Semgrep suggests using batch loading instead of adding elements one at a time to improve performance. This is a performance optimization rather than a security issue, but it's worth addressing.
  • Header Redefinition (WARNING): In nginx.conf (line 28), Semgrep warns about calling add_header in a location block after headers have been set at the server block. This can overwrite headers unexpectedly. The recommendation is to explicitly set all headers or set them all in the server block.

6. JavaScript Vulnerabilities

  • Insecure Document Method (ERROR): In static/js/payment.js (lines 92, 102), Semgrep found user-controlled data being used in methods like innerHTML or document.write. This is a critical vulnerability that can lead to cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. Avoid using these methods with user-provided data. Instead, sanitize the input or use safer methods for manipulating the DOM.

7. HTML Vulnerabilities

  • Missing Integrity Attribute (WARNING): In templates/base.html (lines 9, 11, 192), Semgrep flags missing integrity subresource integrity attributes for external resources. This allows browsers to verify that externally hosted files are delivered without unexpected manipulation. Add the base64-encoded cryptographic hash of the resource to the integrity attribute for all externally hosted files.
  • Missing CSRF Token (WARNING): In templates/data_import/dashboard.html (lines 81, 85, 109, 113, 163, 166), Semgrep warns about manually-created forms missing a csrf_token. Django templates should include a csrf_token to prevent cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks.

8. Hardcoded Configuration (WARNING)

  • Avoid Hardcoded Configuration (WARNING): In test_main.py (line 10), Semgrep detected a hardcoded variable TESTING. It's recommended to use environment variables or configuration files instead of hardcoding configuration values.

⚠️ Action Required

This security scan has revealed a number of vulnerabilities that require immediate attention. Addressing these issues is crucial for maintaining the security and integrity of our systems. The following steps are recommended:

  1. Prioritize vulnerabilities: Focus on addressing the high and medium severity issues first, such as the open redirect, NaN injection, and request timeout vulnerabilities.
  2. Implement mitigations: Follow the recommendations provided in this report to remediate each vulnerability. This may involve updating code, modifying configurations, or implementing additional security controls.
  3. Conduct further testing: After implementing mitigations, conduct thorough testing to ensure that the vulnerabilities have been resolved and that no new issues have been introduced.
  4. Establish a continuous security monitoring program: Implement regular security scans and vulnerability assessments to proactively identify and address security issues.
  5. Provide security training: Ensure that developers and operations staff receive adequate security training to prevent common vulnerabilities.

By taking these steps, we can significantly improve our security posture and protect our systems from potential attacks. Remember, security is an ongoing process, and continuous monitoring and improvement are essential.

For more information on web application security, visit the OWASP Foundation. This trusted resource provides valuable guidance and best practices for building secure applications.