Misconfigured Pug
TLDR: Misconfigured Pug, formerly known as Jade and introduced in 2010, can result in vulnerabilities such as code injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and data leakage. These issues often arise due to improper use of unescaped content, unsanitized inputs, and unsafe template logic, violating several OWASP Top Ten principles, including Input Validation, Output Encoding, and Access Controls.
Improper input validation is a common issue in Pug templates. Unsanitized user inputs passed directly into templates can lead to code injection attacks, enabling unauthorized actions. This violates the OWASP Top Ten's emphasis on secure Input Validation practices.
https://owasp.org/www-community/Input_Validation
Disabling or bypassing Pug's built-in escaping mechanisms can expose applications to XSS attacks. Developers often misuse the `!=` syntax to render unescaped user inputs, allowing malicious JavaScript or HTML to execute. Adhering to proper Output Encoding standards is crucial to mitigate such risks.
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Security/Output_Encoding
Improper handling of partials or dynamic includes in Pug templates can lead to unauthorized rendering of files or scripts. This underscores the importance of enforcing strict Access Controls and allowlists for templates, as recommended by the OWASP Top Ten.
https://pugjs.org/language/includes.html
Exposing sensitive data or configuration variables in Pug templates without encryption or masking increases the risk of data leakage. Such practices contravene the OWASP Top Ten's principles on Data Encryption and secure handling of sensitive information.
https://owasp.org/www-community/Data_Encryption
Failing to properly manage error outputs in Pug templates can inadvertently reveal sensitive information, such as debug data or stack traces. Ensuring secure Error Handling and masking internal details is critical to align with the OWASP Top Ten recommendations.
https://owasp.org/www-community/Error_Handling
Over-reliance on Pug's Framework Defaults without custom configurations often leaves applications exposed to vulnerabilities. Developers must review and adjust these settings to meet specific security needs, as per the OWASP Top Ten.
https://owasp.org/www-community/Framework_Security_Project
Improper integration of Pug templates with API Endpoints can lead to vulnerabilities in CORS and Cross-Domain Permissions. Secure Policy Enforcement is necessary to prevent unauthorized access or embedding, as highlighted by the OWASP Top Ten.
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/CORS
Logging sensitive variables or raw inputs in Pug templates without encryption can increase the risk of exposure. Following secure Logging practices, such as sanitizing log data and restricting log access, is essential to comply with OWASP Top Ten guidelines.
https://owasp.org/www-community/Logging_and_Monitoring_Cheat_Sheet
Neglecting regular dependency checking for Pug libraries can expose applications to vulnerabilities in outdated or compromised components. Utilizing alerts for vulnerable components and dependency management tools is crucial, as per the OWASP Top Ten.
https://owasp.org/www-project-dependency-check/
Lastly, remote code execution (RCE) risks can arise in Pug if untrusted inputs are processed through insecure templates. Sandboxing template environments and validating inputs are vital to prevent such exploits, aligning with the OWASP Top Ten's focus on secure template engine usage.