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So now we have a panel about security. I will hand things over to the gentlemen here.
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If you would be so kind, please introduce yourselves.
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I'm Richard Schneeman. I work for Heroku, and I just gave a talk on security. Nice to meet you all.
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I'm Arne Brasseur. You might know me from the lightning talk about security from yesterday.
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If you ask me, I will be minimal about what we can do in Ruby.
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Last year, I participated in creating a scanning tool for security.
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I'm Bryan Helmkamp, the founder of Code Climate. I also gave a lightning talk about security.
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Alright, I would like to start with the topic of security principles, how they relate to Ruby and Rails, and maybe what Rails gives us by default that we sometimes take for granted.
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For example, Rails helps prevent SQL injections when we use it in the proper way with method helpers.
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Rails is a web framework that addresses two structural problems with web applications: cross-site request forgery and cross-site scripting.
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Rails tries hard to ensure that you do the right thing with security tokens.
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Additionally, escaping in views is now enabled by default, which goes a long way in preventing cross-site scripting issues.
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However, developers still need to know what they are doing. I appreciate that Rails is mostly secure by default unless serious mistakes are made.
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I've been using Rails for five or six years, and if there is a generalizable fix for something, they implement it. That reliability is commendable.
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Steve is famous for pointing out that every time I use Sinatra, I end up building an impromptu copy of Rails, which lacks CSRF protection by default. It doesn't provide encrypted cookies either.
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Rails does a lot for developers without them having to worry about numerous security measures.
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However, one thing I've been emphasizing recently is the insecure default concerning the secret token in your Rails application.
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Most developers don’t realize that the secret token in the config file is essentially a root key to the entire application. Rails provides numerous security measures but including a root key that is easily checked into version control is risky.
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We've been discussing ways to improve this situation so that it remains easy for developers to use, but also discourages committing the same secret token for production and development environments.
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In production, the secret token should be configured using environment variables.
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Moreover, there is another aspect that Rails currently doesn't manage. It's crucial to recognize when your CSRF protection token is not being checked during GET requests, which is a common situation.
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Often, GET requests are considered safe, but mistakes occur when you have controller actions that are not resourceful, leading to potential vulnerabilities.
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Rails 4 will tackle this issue by requiring explicit method definitions for routes. This is a helpful development that increases security.
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Rails does a fantastic job of defining security defaults, but once you go beyond those defaults, you can easily lose track of vital security principles.
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When discussing security with developers, I find the principles to be the most compelling aspect, as technology is ever-evolving.
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Rails will continually introduce new security measures, and vulnerabilities in web applications will keep evolving; however, it is crucial to focus on underlying security principles.
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For instance, the concept of defense in depth: we shouldn’t hinge the entire security on a single measure since if that measure fails, vulnerabilities emerge.
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Securing applications requires a mindset focused on defense, privilege management, and understanding attack vectors.
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Now, it's also important to watch out for string interpolation. Using interpolated strings can pose security risks, especially when they carry different semantics like HTML, SQL, CSS, or JavaScript.
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That's why there are various methods for escaping strings; many security issues arise from improper handling in these interpolated strings.
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For example, if you are developing a single-page application with lots of JavaScript, ensure that the JSON data is properly escaped to avoid vulnerabilities.
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Rails, being a complex framework, might require developers to navigate a lot of strings carefully.
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Mass assignment has been a significant topic in Rails security, as tools for whitelisting and blacklisting attributes must be implemented correctly by developers.
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While Rails 4 introduces controller-level assignments, programmers must remain vigilant as they can still implement insecure practices.
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Security is an emergent property of a system; issues often surface at boundaries between different layers of an application.
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For example, if data is transferred improperly between the application and the database or from the application to the browser, vulnerabilities may arise.
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Thus, examining these interlayer interactions provides insight when assessing application security, especially concerning shell injections.
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Regarding security tools that can help identify potential vulnerabilities in code, tools like Brakeman can assist in manual code reviews.
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Brakeman is a security scanning solution that analyzes your application's code to track data flow and detect vulnerabilities.
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Another important point is to sanitize input not merely at the outer layer of an application but also at every internal layer.
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This layered approach promotes better security by stopping vulnerabilities from spreading, thereby making your system more robust.
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Moreover, cultural tools such as education and code reviews are absolutely crucial. In larger teams, employing practices like Github flow with pull requests for code reviews goes a long way.
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While security vulnerabilities will always exist, establishing a support network can help ensure continuous scrutiny over code and practices.
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The recent vulnerabilities in the Ruby community have sparked dialogue about how to approach and mitigate these security challenges.
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Understanding attack surfaces is vital; while you can't predict future vulnerabilities, you can minimize risk by limiting what's publicly available, such as unused gems.
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For instance, disabling XML parsing libraries if they're unnecessary can effectively shrink your application's attack surface.
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Learning from past security mistakes from other communities equips us to develop more secure software.
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However, recognizing that specific issues may be different, the overarching lesson is to minimize surface area and complexity to limit potential vulnerabilities.
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We're now aware of the need for structured communication around vulnerabilities, especially when discussing upgrade strategies.
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The Ruby community has learned the importance of having a robust upgrade plan for eliminating vulnerabilities when shifting from one version of Rails to another.
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One particular lesson learned relates to cryptography and the necessity of having proper key management to ensure trust in the system.
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The RubyGems.org issue demonstrated the importance of solid cryptographic practices and adequate infrastructure to prevent trust issues.
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We need to look towards other ecosystems, particularly in terms of creating signed packages with verifiable signatures.
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Recent improvements in security, such as Content Security Policies (CSP), have provided developers with better tools to protect their applications.
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CSPs allow developers to define where scripts can be sourced from, significantly aiding in preventing cross-site scripting attacks.
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By setting these policies in headers, developers can control script execution, ensuring only trusted sources are allowed.
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In terms of staying updated about security issues, subscribing to mailing lists is critical.
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When vulnerabilities arise, companies should reach out to their users fervently, as Heroku did during the YAML vulnerability incident.
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Having contingency plans prepared for potential compromises is another key element in managing security threats effectively.
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Prompt communication and awareness can lead the way for immediate action, safeguarding systems and data.
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The Rails community executes structured approaches to vulnerability disclosures, which significantly helps to manage security concerns.
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However, many gems lack formal processes for security disclosures, creating uncertainty for developers relying on those dependencies.
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Efforts are underway to document all vulnerabilities related to Ruby gems in a single database, which aims to better inform developers.
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As gem authors deal with vulnerabilities, the dilemma between yanking affected versions or continuing to support users relying on those versions becomes critical.
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When developers streamline their deployment processes, they can manage issues proactively, avoiding situations like the ones witnessed with rapid exploitations.
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Faster deployments enhance an organization's ability to respond to vulnerabilities efficiently.
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Maintaining strong versioning discipline is also essential; using semantic versioning allows developers to manage bug fixes and security updates without substantial risk.
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Active participation in version control systems can help keep track of updates and maintain valuable security practices.
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Discussions around the importance of LTS (Long Term Support) in libraries can also help communities create long-lasting secure practices, potentially inspired by successful models from other languages.
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Active discussions regarding semantic versioning, upgrade strategies, and error handling in collaborative coding practices are also essential.
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Improving education and awareness among community members is vital to helping developers create more secure applications.
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By fostering a culture that emphasizes security as a fundamental aspect of software development, the Rails community can empower future developers to write more secure code.
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It is crucial for the community to collaborate on crafting educational resources and best practices that reflect evolving security challenges.
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In this way, developers will be better prepared to address security challenges as they arise.
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Thank you all for participating in this important discussion on security.
