Security Implementation Analysis¶

Overview¶

This document analyzes the current security implementations across Playcast's communication channels, data protection measures, and identifies areas for standardization and improvement. The analysis covers WebSocket security, WebRTC peer-to-peer encryption, input validation, and data protection mechanisms.

Communication Channel Security¶

1. WebSocket Security¶

Current Implementation¶

WebSocket Server Configuration (apps/realtime-api/src/servers/realtimeServer.ts):

const wss = new WebSocketServer({ 
  port, 
  path: '/ws', 
  handleProtocols: () => 'websocket' 
});

Security Measures: - Protocol Enforcement: WebSocket connections use the 'websocket' protocol - Path-based Routing: Connections restricted to /ws path - Connection Management: Centralized connection handling through connectionManager

Security Gaps: - No WSS (Secure WebSocket): Current implementation doesn't enforce encrypted connections - Missing Origin Validation: No origin header validation for cross-origin requests - No Rate Limiting: WebSocket connections lack rate limiting mechanisms - No Connection Limits: No per-IP connection limits implemented

WebSocket Authentication Security¶

Authentication Flow:

// JWT token verification for WebSocket connections
const authResult = await verifyJwt(message.tokenJwt);
if (!authResult.user.id) {
  sendAuthError(websocketId, 'INVALID_TOKEN', 'Invalid token');
  return;
}

Security Features: - JWT Token Verification: All authenticated connections require valid JWT tokens - Token Expiration Checking: Tokens validated for expiration - Client Type Validation: Different authentication requirements per client type - Session Token Support: Service connections support session tokens with TTL

Security Concerns: - Token Transmission: JWT tokens sent over potentially unencrypted WebSocket connections - No Token Revocation: No mechanism for immediate token revocation - Session Management: Limited session invalidation capabilities

2. WebRTC Peer-to-Peer Security¶

ICE Server Configuration¶

STUN/TURN Server Setup (libs/Peer/src/lib/defaultConfigs.ts):

const stunServers: IceServer[] = shuffleArray(generateRange(1, 4)).map((num) => ({
  urls: `stun:stun${num}.playcast.io:5349`,
  username: 'stunadmin',
  credential: 'm7te8VLHjDi4sA6KTG8g',
}));

const turnServers: IceServer[] = shuffleArray(generateRange(1, 24)).map((num) => ({
  urls: `turn:turn${num}.playcast.io:5349`,
  username: 'stunadmin',
  credential: 'm7te8VLHjDi4sA6KTG8g',
}));

Security Features: - Authenticated STUN/TURN: Servers require username/password authentication - Server Randomization: ICE servers shuffled to distribute load - Fallback Mechanisms: Google STUN servers as fallback - Transport Policy Control: Configurable ICE transport policy (all/relay)

Security Concerns: - Hardcoded Credentials: STUN/TURN credentials embedded in client code - Credential Rotation: No mechanism for credential rotation - Server Trust: Reliance on external STUN servers for fallback

WebRTC Connection Security¶

Peer Connection Configuration:

config: {
  bundlePolicy: 'max-bundle',
  iceTransportPolicy: 'all', // or 'relay' for forced TURN
  iceCandidatePoolSize: 2,
  rtcpMuxPolicy: 'require',
}

Security Measures: - Bundle Policy: 'max-bundle' reduces attack surface by bundling media - RTCP Multiplexing: Required RTCP mux reduces port usage - ICE Candidate Pooling: Limited candidate pool size - Transport Encryption: WebRTC provides built-in DTLS encryption

Security Features: - DTLS Encryption: All WebRTC data channels encrypted with DTLS - SRTP: Media streams encrypted with SRTP - Key Exchange: Automatic key exchange through DTLS handshake - Perfect Forward Secrecy: New keys generated for each session

3. HTTP/HTTPS Communication¶

Current State Analysis¶

URL Configuration (pipelines/_util/routes.ts):

export const productionApiUrl = 'https://api.gibber.com/';
export const prereleaseApiUrl = 'https://prerelease.api.gibber.com/';
export const developmentApiUrl = 'https://dev.api.gibber.com/';

Security Features: - HTTPS Enforcement: Production and prerelease environments use HTTPS - Environment Separation: Different URLs for different environments - SSL/TLS: Encrypted communication for API endpoints

Security Gaps: - Development Environment: Development may use HTTP (needs verification) - Mixed Content: Potential mixed content issues in development - Certificate Management: No explicit certificate pinning

4. CORS Configuration¶

Current Implementation Status¶

Analysis Results: Limited CORS configuration found in codebase - Package Dependencies: cors package included in dependencies - Implementation Gap: No explicit CORS middleware configuration found - Security Risk: Potential for unrestricted cross-origin requests

Recommended CORS Configuration:

// Missing implementation - should be added
app.use(cors({
  origin: [
    'https://playcast.io',
    'https://dev.playcast.io',
    'https://prerelease.playcast.io'
  ],
  credentials: true,
  methods: ['GET', 'POST', 'PUT', 'DELETE'],
  allowedHeaders: ['Content-Type', 'Authorization']
}));

Data Protection and Validation¶

1. Input Validation¶

Current Validation Patterns¶

Message Validation (libs/Messaging):

const validMessage = validators.validatePlaycastMessage(parsedMessage);
if (!validMessage) {
  log('Invalid message received', parsedMessage);
  return;
}

Security Features: - Message Schema Validation: Structured message validation - Type Safety: TypeScript provides compile-time type checking - Validation Libraries: Use of validation frameworks

Security Gaps: - Limited Sanitization: No explicit input sanitization found - XSS Prevention: Limited XSS protection mechanisms - SQL Injection: Database query parameterization needs verification

Authentication Input Validation¶

JWT Token Validation:

const decoded = jwt.verify(token, clerkCert, { algorithms: ['RS256'] });
const currentTime = Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000);
if (decoded.exp && currentTime > decoded.exp) {
  return { auth: { error: 'Token expired' } };
}

Security Features: - Algorithm Specification: Explicit RS256 algorithm requirement - Expiration Validation: Token expiration checking - Signature Verification: Cryptographic signature validation

2. Data Encryption¶

At-Rest Encryption¶

Current State: Limited explicit at-rest encryption implementation found - Database: Encryption depends on database provider configuration - File Storage: S3 bucket encryption configuration not explicit - Logs: Log encryption not explicitly configured

In-Transit Encryption¶

WebRTC Media Encryption: - SRTP: Secure Real-time Transport Protocol for media streams - DTLS: Datagram Transport Layer Security for data channels - Key Management: Automatic key exchange and rotation

WebSocket Encryption: - Current Gap: WebSocket connections may not be encrypted - Recommendation: Implement WSS (WebSocket Secure) connections

3. Authentication Token Security¶

JWT Token Handling¶

Token Storage Patterns:

// Client-side token storage
const profile: LoginProfile = {
  accessToken: token,
  expiresAt: expiresAt,
  // ... other profile data
};
loginProfileState.updateState(profile);

Security Concerns: - Client-Side Storage: Tokens stored in application state - Memory Exposure: Tokens potentially exposed in memory dumps - Token Lifetime: Long-lived tokens increase exposure risk

Session Token Management¶

Service Session Tokens:

const sessionTokenData = await serviceSessionTokenService.createSessionToken(
  authId, machineId);
const sessionTokenData = await serviceSessionTokenService.extendSessionTokenTTL(
  sessionToken);

Security Features: - TTL Management: Time-to-live for session tokens - Machine Binding: Tokens bound to specific machine IDs - Token Extension: Secure token lifetime extension

Security Patterns and Standardization¶

1. Authentication Patterns¶

Current Patterns¶

Clerk Integration Pattern:

// Repeated across multiple applications
const { isSignedIn, isLoaded } = useAuth();
const { session } = useSession();
const { user } = useUser();

const token = await session?.getToken({ template: 'host-token' });

Standardization Opportunities: - Authentication Hooks: Centralized authentication hook library - Token Management: Unified token refresh and validation - Error Handling: Consistent authentication error handling

2. Authorization Patterns¶

Current Implementation¶

Role-Based Access:

authOut.auth.roles = decoded.metadata?.roles || [];
if (!authOut.auth.hasRoles && decoded?.email?.endsWith('@playcast.io')) {
  authOut.auth.hasRoles = true;
  authOut.auth.authorized = true;
}

Security Features: - Role Extraction: JWT token role extraction - Domain-Based Authorization: Special handling for @playcast.io emails - Authorization Flags: Boolean authorization indicators

Standardization Needs: - Permission System: Granular permission management - Role Hierarchy: Structured role inheritance - Resource-Based Access: Resource-specific authorization

3. Error Handling Patterns¶

Security Error Handling¶

Authentication Errors:

const sendAuthError = (websocketId: WebSocketId, code: string, message: string) => {
  const ws = connectionManager.getSocket(websocketId);
  if (ws) {
    ws.send(websocket.generators.auth(AuthMessageType.AUTH_ERROR, 
      { error: { code, message } }));
  }
};

Security Considerations: - Error Information Disclosure: Error messages may reveal system information - Rate Limiting: No rate limiting on authentication errors - Logging: Security events need comprehensive logging

Security Improvements and Recommendations¶

1. Immediate Security Improvements¶

WebSocket Security Enhancements¶

// Recommended WebSocket security configuration
const wss = new WebSocketServer({
  port,
  path: '/ws',
  handleProtocols: () => 'websocket',
  // Add security enhancements
  perMessageDeflate: false, // Prevent compression attacks
  maxPayload: 1024 * 1024,  // Limit message size
  clientTracking: true,     // Enable connection tracking
});

// Add origin validation
wss.on('connection', (ws, request) => {
  const origin = request.headers.origin;
  if (!isAllowedOrigin(origin)) {
    ws.close(1008, 'Origin not allowed');
    return;
  }
});

Rate Limiting Implementation¶

// Recommended rate limiting for authentication
const authRateLimit = {
  windowMs: 15 * 60 * 1000, // 15 minutes
  max: 5, // 5 attempts per window
  message: 'Too many authentication attempts',
  standardHeaders: true,
  legacyHeaders: false,
};

2. Data Protection Enhancements¶

Input Sanitization¶

// Recommended input sanitization
import DOMPurify from 'dompurify';
import validator from 'validator';

const sanitizeInput = (input: string): string => {
  return DOMPurify.sanitize(validator.escape(input));
};

Encryption at Rest¶

// Recommended encryption configuration
const encryptionConfig = {
  algorithm: 'aes-256-gcm',
  keyDerivation: 'pbkdf2',
  iterations: 100000,
  saltLength: 32,
  tagLength: 16
};

3. Security Monitoring and Logging¶

Security Event Logging¶

// Recommended security logging
const securityLogger = {
  logAuthAttempt: (userId: string, success: boolean, ip: string) => {
    logger.info('Authentication attempt', {
      userId, success, ip, timestamp: Date.now()
    });
  },
  logSuspiciousActivity: (event: string, details: any) => {
    logger.warn('Suspicious activity', { event, details });
  }
};

Intrusion Detection¶

// Recommended intrusion detection patterns
const intrusionDetection = {
  detectBruteForce: (ip: string, attempts: number) => {
    if (attempts > 10) {
      blockIP(ip, '1h');
      alertSecurity('Brute force detected', { ip, attempts });
    }
  }
};

4. Compliance and Standards¶

Security Headers¶

// Recommended security headers
app.use((req, res, next) => {
  res.setHeader('X-Content-Type-Options', 'nosniff');
  res.setHeader('X-Frame-Options', 'DENY');
  res.setHeader('X-XSS-Protection', '1; mode=block');
  res.setHeader('Strict-Transport-Security', 
    'max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains');
  res.setHeader('Content-Security-Policy', 
    "default-src 'self'; script-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline'");
  next();
});

Certificate Management¶

// Recommended certificate pinning
const certificatePinning = {
  pins: [
    'sha256/AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA=',
    'sha256/BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB='
  ],
  maxAge: 5184000, // 60 days
  includeSubdomains: true
};

Security Testing Recommendations¶

1. Automated Security Testing¶

Vulnerability Scanning¶

Dependency Scanning: Regular npm audit and vulnerability scanning
SAST: Static Application Security Testing integration
DAST: Dynamic Application Security Testing for APIs

Penetration Testing¶

WebSocket Security: Test WebSocket authentication and authorization
WebRTC Security: Validate peer-to-peer connection security
API Security: Test REST API endpoints for vulnerabilities

2. Security Monitoring¶

Real-time Monitoring¶

Authentication Failures: Monitor and alert on authentication failures
Unusual Traffic: Detect unusual traffic patterns
Security Events: Centralized security event logging

Compliance Monitoring¶

Data Protection: Monitor data handling compliance
Access Controls: Audit access control effectiveness
Encryption: Verify encryption implementation

Conclusion¶

The Playcast platform implements several security measures including JWT authentication, WebRTC encryption, and structured message validation. However, there are significant opportunities for improvement in areas such as WebSocket security, input validation, rate limiting, and security monitoring.

Key priorities for security enhancement include: 1. Implementing WSS for encrypted WebSocket connections 2. Adding comprehensive rate limiting and CORS configuration 3. Enhancing input validation and sanitization 4. Implementing security monitoring and logging 5. Standardizing security patterns across applications

These improvements will significantly strengthen the platform's security posture and provide better protection against common web application vulnerabilities.