picpeak/backend/AUTH_FLAWS_ANALYSIS.md

Authentication & Authorization Flaws Analysis

Already Fixed ✅

1. Missing Token Type Validation ✅

   • Fixed in auth-enhanced.js line 31
   • Checks decoded.type !== 'admin'
   • Prevents gallery tokens from accessing admin endpoints

2. No Audit Logging ✅

   • Added login_attempts table
   • Tracks all login attempts with IP, user agent, timestamp
   • Automatic cleanup of old records

3. Account Lockout Protection ✅

   • Lockout after 5 failed attempts
   • 30-minute lockout duration
   • Prevents brute force attacks

4. Basic Session Management ✅

   • Added session timeout middleware
   • Tracks active sessions
   • Can invalidate sessions

Still Needs Fixing ❌

1. Weak Password Requirements 🔴

• Current: No minimum length validation
• Required: Minimum 12 characters + complexity
• Risk: Vulnerable to brute force

2. Rate Limiting Bypass 🔴

• Current: Invalid JWT bypasses rate limiting
• Location: server.js:64-71
• Risk: Attackers can spam with invalid tokens

3. No Password Complexity 🟡

• Current: Any 6+ character password accepted
• Required: Upper, lower, number, special char
• Risk: Weak passwords

4. No Token Revocation 🟡

• Current: Tokens valid until expiration
• Required: Blacklist/revocation mechanism
• Risk: Can't invalidate compromised tokens

5. Fixed Bcrypt Rounds 🟡

• Current: Hardcoded to 10 rounds
• Required: Configurable (12-14 recommended)
• Risk: May become insufficient over time

6. In-Memory Session Storage 🟡

• Current: Sessions stored in memory
• Required: Redis or database storage
• Risk: Lost on restart, not scalable

Priority Fixes

1. Rate Limiting Bypass (Critical)
2. Password Requirements (High)
3. Password Complexity (High)
4. Token Revocation (Medium)
5. Bcrypt Rounds (Medium)
6. Session Storage (Low - for scalability)