Security is a critical aspect of web application success in the competitive world. It is important that all the transactions, comprising customer details, are secured from possible online threats. ReactJS is one of the top-rated frameworks, having the latest security features to eliminate possible security threats. The built-in tools of the framework are powerful enough to eliminate possible threats trying to access the user details in a malicious manner. However, with new threats arising each passing day, a ReactJS web application development company or developer must ensure that the web applications they develop are safe and secure from attackers.
As a reputed ReactJS development company India, we have discussed some of the best security tips that will help in building a secure web application for users. Considering the end-user requirements and business necessities an array of remarkable security tips are mentioned below.
Tips to Boost Security of ReactJS Web Applications
1. Secure HTTP Authentication
If your web application includes an authentication feature, it is important to make sure it’s secure because the client-side authentication and authorization are usually exposed to multiple security flaws which later damage the application’s reputation.
Make sure to keep the token payload small. Higher payload > higher the token size > larger the request when they hit the endpoint > more bandwidth power > the less performing your app.
Make sure to implement HTTPS and NOT HTTP. This will ensure your web app has a valid certificate and sends the data over the secure SSL connection.
2. Safety against DDoS Attacks
Usually, this security threat happens when the web application isn’t secure enough or has some loopholes. Due to this, it is tough to interact with the server causing some functionality to stop. Here are some ways to address this situation during ReactJS Web Application Development:
• Simply limit the number of requests to a given IP from a specific source.
• Integrate app-level restrictions to the API.
• Just make calls on the server and NOT on the client-side.
• Integrate some tests to secure the app layer.
3. Stop Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Attacks
XSS has a severe impact as the injected code sent by the hacker will be executed as a genuine app code, giving them full access to the application running in the user’s web browser. It can look simple like:
• I’m just an innocent code!
Now the same code with some security from XSS:
• I’m just an innocent code!<script>alert(“Unless I’m not 😈”)</script>
As you might know, < and < are interpreted as < and > respectively thus the browser will not confuse the data for code this time. Some more ways to protect are:
• Using the createElement() API.
• Using JSX auto escape feature.
• Using dangerouslySetInnerHTML to set HTML straight from React instead of using the error-prone innerHTML.
4. Block Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) Attacks
Such attacks happen through unauthorized cookies placed within your web application by the hacker. It forces an end user to remove unwanted actions on a web application in which they’re at present authenticated. Get some crucial points to not allow it to happen:
• Implement JWT tokens for session management.
• Verify application reads only the stored CSRF tokens.
• Create relevant token headers by applying an authenticated server request.
5. Secure against Broken Authentication
Once a user enters its authentication details and instantly the app crashes leading to exploitation of credential details. Make sure to integrate the following stuff to not allow it:
• Apply multi-factor and 2-step authorization.
• Apply cloud-based authentication for secure access.
6. Security against Libraries and Components
You can hire React developers to avoid any sort of risk involved whenever third-party library, modules, or APIs is used in your web application. Sure, this third-party helps a lot in the rapid development of application features but their security flaws might destroy your own app.
• Always manually update libraries to their newest secure and stable versions.
• Likewise, fix old versions of the components with the latest ones.
• Before adding libraries to your web application, make a brief check on the security vulnerabilities.
7. Use Allowlist/Blocklist and Validation while Parsing URLs
When you use the anchor tag and URLs for linking content, you must be cautious about cyberattackers adding payloads prefixed with JS.
You can prevent URL-based malicious script injection by validating the URL using the HTTP/HTTPS protocols.
function validateURL(url) {
const parsed = new URL(url)
return [‘https:’, ‘http:’].includes(parsed.protocol)
}
You can also protect your ReactJS web application by using the allowlist/blocklist method. Allowlisting is having a list of all the safe and accessible links. Blocklisting is when you have a list of all potential security threats that will be blocked when access is requested.
As it is difficult to track all the potential malicious links, it is good to allowlist known sites and block everything else.
URL validation can help you avoid broken authentication, SQL injection, XSS, and arbitrary code execution.
8. Use the Principle of Least Privilege When You Allow a Connection to a Database
Make sure to always use the principle of least privilege in your ReactJS web application. This will allow every user and process to access only the information and resources which are necessary for their purpose.
It is risky to permit everyone to insert, update, or delete when connecting to your app’s database. Therefore, you must assign the right database roles to different users.
Do NOT give admin privileges for your app’s database to anyone unless it is very important. This will make your application secure and less vulnerable to SQL injection attacks.
9. Make Your React APIs Secure
The benefit and drawback of React APIs are that they allow connections between your application and other services. These can save the information and run commands, which make your application vulnerable to XSS and SQL injection.
You can mitigate this security vulnerability by validating all the API functions with respect to their API schemas. Also, make sure to schedule timely schema validations and apply SSL/TLS encryption for all interactions.
For additional security, you can use benign characters instead of < when transmitting data through APIs. window.__PRELOADED_STATE__ = ${JSON.stringify(preloadedState).replace( /10. Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF)
A Web Application Firewall (WAF) is an application filter that identifies and blocks harmful content by monitoring, analyzing, and filtering two-way traffic.
A WAF can be implemented in 3 ways:
• The network-based firewall on the hardware level
• Host-based firewall integrated into the software
• Cloud-based Web Application Firewall
It is very effective to use signature-based filtering of WAF to avoid XSS, SQL injection, arbitrary code execution, and zip slip.
11. Set Up File Management Properly
In your ReactJS web application, always make sure to follow proper file management practices to mitigate zip slip and other similar risks.
• Ensure that file names are standard and do not contain any special characters.
• Every time the files are uploaded as zipping, make sure to rename them before extracting and using the files.
• Keep all files of one component together in a single folder to discover any suspicious files quickly.
12. Do NOT Serialize Sensitive Data
Your ReactJS application might use JSON to set the initial state of your app. This can be quite dangerous as JSON.stringify() is a function that converts any data into a string without identifying malicious values. A cyber attacker can use this opportunity to manipulate data like username and password by injecting a JavaScript object that can change valid data.
script>window.__STATE__ = ${JSON.stringify({ data })}
This vulnerability can be fixed by either using the serialize-javascript NPM module that will easily escape the rendered JSON or using complex JSON formats that will prevent serialization. However, an ideal way to avoid any mishap is to omit sensitive data from the serialized form.
Wrapping Up
So, here are the best practices to keep your ReactJS web application safe and secure. If your application is not secured, it can be compromised by malicious attacks which can result in financial loss, legal issues, breaches of trust, and wasted time.
As new cyber threats emerge every day and attackers are constantly looking for loopholes to exploit them, making your React application security can be quite challenging.
You can either hire React developers specializing in application security or outsource the development to ReactJS India, a leading ReactJS development company in India. When it comes to application security, make sure you have the support of professional ReactJS developers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.1. Why is ReactJS so popular?
The core objective of ReactJS is to provide the best possible rendering performance. Its strength comes from the focus on individual components. Instead of working on the entire web app, ReactJS allows a developer to break down the complex UI into simpler components.
Q.2. Is it worth learning React in 2020?
ReactJS is very easy to learn and more focused than some other JavaScript frameworks. Many businesses are shifting or adopting the React library because of the simplicity it provides and ease of use. Ease of Learning React is the best advantage as compared to other popular front-end frameworks like Angular and Vue.
Q.3. Is ReactJS better than AngularJS?
Prompt rendering is among the best features of React that gives a significant edge over Angular. The core difference between ReactJS and AngularJS is that React is JS-centric, while Angular 2 remains HTML-centric. JavaScript is far more robust than HTML that makes ReactJS far more simple, focused and consistent.
Q.4. Do you assure about the security & confidentiality of the idea?
Yes, we sign a strict NDA to protect your application idea & data. Hence, we ensure the complete security and privacy of your application development project.
Q.5. What is your pricing model for ReactJS web application development projects?
Hire React Developers with ReactJS India to bring a touch of security for your target audience. We offer diverse development models including monthly, part-time, & fixed cost hiring for you to choose from.
Have More Questions? Feel Free to Ask Our ReactJS Experts Right Away!