Kingdom: Encapsulation

Encapsulation is about drawing strong boundaries. In a web browser that might mean ensuring that your mobile code cannot be abused by other mobile code. On the server it might mean differentiation between validated data and unvalidated data, between one user's data and another's, or between data users are allowed to see and data that they are not.

HTML5: Overly Permissive Message Posting Policy

Java/JSP
JavaScript/TypeScript

Abstract

The program posts a cross-document message with an overly permissive target origin.

Explanation

One of the new features of HTML5 is cross-document messaging. The feature allows scripts to post messages to other windows. The corresponding API allows the user to specify the origin of the target window. However, caution should be taken when specifying the target origin because an overly permissive target origin will allow a malicious script to communicate with the victim window in an inappropriate way, leading to spoofing, data theft, relay, and other attacks.

Example 1: The following example uses a wildcard to programmatically specify the target origin of the message to be sent.


    WebMessage message = new WebMessage(WEBVIEW_MESSAGE);
    webview.postWebMessage(message, Uri.parse("*"));

Using the * as the value of the target origin indicates that the script is sending a message to a window regardless of its origin.

References

[1] Michael Schmidt HTML5 Web Security

[2] Philippe De Ryck, Lieven Desmet, Pieter Philippaerts, and Frank Piessens A Security Analysis of Next Generation Web Standards

[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 942

[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [24] CWE ID 863

[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [18] CWE ID 863

[6] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001368, CCI-001414

[7] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Access Violation

[8] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 AC-4 Information Flow Enforcement (P1)

[9] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 AC-4 Information Flow Enforcement

[10] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 14.4.6 HTTP Security Headers Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 14.5.3 Validate HTTP Request Header Requirements (L1 L2 L3)

[11] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M5 Poor Authorization and Authentication

[12] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M8 Security Misconfiguration

[13] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-AUTH-1

[14] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A5 Security Misconfiguration

[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A6 Security Misconfiguration

[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A05 Security Misconfiguration

[17] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.10

[18] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.8

[19] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.8

[20] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.8

[21] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.8

[22] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.8

[23] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4

[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4

[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control

[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control

[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control, Control Objective C.2.3 - Web Software Access Controls

[28] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-000480 CAT II, APSC-DV-000490 CAT II

[29] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-000480 CAT II, APSC-DV-000490 CAT II

[30] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-000480 CAT II, APSC-DV-000490 CAT II

[31] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-000480 CAT II, APSC-DV-000490 CAT II

[32] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-000480 CAT II, APSC-DV-000490 CAT II

[33] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-000480 CAT II, APSC-DV-000490 CAT II

[34] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-000480 CAT II, APSC-DV-000490 CAT II

[35] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-000480 CAT II, APSC-DV-000490 CAT II

[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-000480 CAT II, APSC-DV-000490 CAT II

[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-000480 CAT II, APSC-DV-000490 CAT II

[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-000480 CAT II, APSC-DV-000490 CAT II

[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-000480 CAT II, APSC-DV-000490 CAT II

[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-000480 CAT II, APSC-DV-000490 CAT II

[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-000480 CAT II, APSC-DV-000490 CAT II

[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-000480 CAT II, APSC-DV-000490 CAT II

desc.controlflow.java.html5_overly_permissive_message_posting_policy

Abstract

The program posts a cross-document message with an overly permissive target origin.

Explanation


  o.contentWindow.postMessage(message, '*');