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AutoBotSolutions edited this page Apr 29, 2026 · 1 revision

NEXUS Security Documentation

This document provides comprehensive information about the security features and best practices for the NEXUS Support Ticket System.

Security Features Overview

NEXUS implements multiple layers of security to protect against common web vulnerabilities and attacks.

Authentication & Authorization

  • JWT Authentication: Token-based authentication with 1-hour expiration
  • Password Hashing: Bcrypt with salt rounds of 10
  • Password Complexity Requirements:
    • Minimum 8 characters
    • Maximum 128 characters
    • At least one uppercase letter
    • At least one lowercase letter
    • At least one number
    • At least one special character (!@#$%^&*(),.?":{}|<>)
  • Login Rate Limiting: 5 login attempts per 15 minutes per IP

Input Validation & Sanitization

  • NoSQL Injection Protection: express-mongo-sanitize middleware
  • XSS Protection: xss-clean middleware
  • Parameter Pollution Prevention: hpp middleware with whitelisted parameters
  • Email Validation: validator library for email format checking
  • Body Size Limits: 10kb limit on request bodies
  • Mongoose Schema Validation: Comprehensive field validation on all models

Transport Layer Security

  • HTTPS Enforcement: Automatic redirect to HTTPS in production mode
  • HSTS: HTTP Strict Transport Security with 1-year max age
  • MongoDB SSL/TLS: Configurable encrypted database connections
  • CORS Configuration: Configurable origin restrictions

Security Headers

  • Helmet: Security headers for Express
  • Content Security Policy: Explicit CSP directives:
    • defaultSrc: 'self'
    • styleSrc: 'self', 'unsafe-inline'
    • scriptSrc: 'self'
    • imgSrc: 'self', data:, https:
    • connectSrc: 'self'
    • fontSrc: 'self'
    • objectSrc: 'none'
    • mediaSrc: 'self'
    • frameSrc: 'none'

Rate Limiting

  • General Rate Limiting: 100 requests per 15 minutes per IP
  • Login Rate Limiting: 5 login attempts per 15 minutes per IP
  • Rate Limit Messages: Custom error messages for exceeded limits

Audit Logging

  • Security Event Logging: Logs to logs/security.log
  • Logged Events:
    • Failed login attempts
    • Successful logins
    • User registrations
    • Rate limit violations
    • Suspicious input patterns
  • Log Format: JSON with timestamp, IP, user agent, event type

Environment Variable Security

  • Required Variables: JWT_SECRET, MONGODB_URI
  • GitHub Integration: GITHUB_WEBHOOK_SECRET, GITHUB_TOKEN
  • MongoDB Security: SSL/TLS configuration options
  • CORS Configuration: CORS_ORIGIN for origin restrictions

Environment Variables

Required Variables

# Server Configuration
PORT=3000
NODE_ENV=development

# Database Configuration
MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/nexus-support

# Authentication
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret_here_change_this_in_production

# GitHub Integration
GITHUB_WEBHOOK_SECRET=your_webhook_secret_here
GITHUB_TOKEN=your_github_personal_access_token_here
GITHUB_REPO_OWNER=your_github_username
GITHUB_REPO_NAME=your_repository_name

Optional Security Variables

# CORS Configuration
CORS_ORIGIN=*

# MongoDB SSL/TLS Configuration (for production)
MONGODB_SSL=false
MONGODB_TLS=false
MONGODB_TLS_ALLOW_INVALID_CERTS=false
MONGODB_TLS_CA_FILE=
MONGODB_TLS_CERT_KEY_FILE=
MONGODB_TLS_CERT_KEY_PASSWORD=

Security Best Practices

Production Deployment

  1. Environment Variables

    • Set NODE_ENV=production
    • Use strong, random secrets for JWT_SECRET and GITHUB_WEBHOOK_SECRET
    • Configure CORS_ORIGIN to specific allowed domains
    • Enable MongoDB SSL/TLS for encrypted connections

  2. HTTPS Configuration

    • Use a reverse proxy (Nginx/Apache) with SSL certificates
    • Configure HSTS preload
    • Use Let's Encrypt or a commercial certificate authority

  3. Database Security

    • Enable MongoDB authentication
    • Use strong database passwords
    • Enable SSL/TLS for database connections
    • Restrict database access to specific IPs
    • Regular database backups

  4. Monitoring

    • Monitor security logs regularly
    • Set up alerts for suspicious activities
    • Review failed login attempts
    • Monitor rate limit violations

Password Security

  • Enforce strong password policies
  • Implement password expiration (optional)
  • Consider implementing password history
  • Educate users on password security
  • Never store passwords in plain text

API Security

  • Use HTTPS for all API calls
  • Implement proper error handling without exposing sensitive information
  • Validate all input on both client and server
  • Use parameterized queries (Mongoose provides this)
  • Implement proper authentication and authorization

Dependency Management

  • Regularly update dependencies
  • Use npm audit to check for vulnerabilities
  • Review security advisories
  • Keep Node.js version up to date

Security Testing

Testing Checklist

  • Test authentication flows
  • Test rate limiting
  • Test input validation
  • Test XSS protection
  • Test NoSQL injection protection
  • Test CSRF protection (if implemented)
  • Test HTTPS enforcement
  • Test security logging
  • Review security headers
  • Test password complexity requirements

Security Tools

  • npm audit: Check for vulnerable dependencies
  • OWASP ZAP: Web application security scanner
  • Burp Suite: Web application security testing
  • Postman: API security testing

Common Security Issues & Solutions

Issue: Weak Passwords

Solution: The system enforces strong password requirements with complexity validation.

Issue: Brute Force Attacks

Solution: Login rate limiting (5 attempts per 15 minutes per IP) prevents brute force attacks.

Issue: XSS Attacks

Solution: xss-clean middleware sanitizes user input to prevent XSS attacks.

Issue: NoSQL Injection

Solution: express-mongo-sanitize middleware removes MongoDB operators from user input.

Issue: CSRF Attacks

Note: The application uses stateless JWT authentication, making CSRF less critical. CSP and input sanitization provide sufficient protection for this architecture.

Issue: Information Disclosure

Solution: Generic error messages prevent sensitive information disclosure. Security logs capture detailed information for administrators.

Incident Response

Security Incident Response Plan

  1. Detection: Monitor security logs for suspicious activities
  2. Containment: Isolate affected systems if necessary
  3. Eradication: Remove the threat (e.g., revoke compromised tokens)
  4. Recovery: Restore systems from backups if needed
  5. Lessons Learned: Document the incident and improve security measures

Emergency Contacts

  • System Administrator: [contact information]
  • Security Team: [contact information]
  • Incident Response Team: [contact information]

Compliance

GDPR Considerations

  • User data protection
  • Right to be forgotten (implement data deletion)
  • Data breach notification
  • Privacy policy compliance

SOC 2 Considerations

  • Access controls
  • Change management
  • Incident response
  • Monitoring and logging

Additional Resources

Security Updates

Stay informed about security updates by:

  • Following security advisories
  • Subscribing to security mailing lists
  • Regularly reviewing dependency updates
  • Attending security conferences and training

Reporting Security Issues

If you discover a security vulnerability, please report it responsibly:

  • Do not publicly disclose the vulnerability
  • Email security@yourdomain.com with details
  • Allow time for the issue to be fixed before disclosure
  • Follow responsible disclosure practices

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