In the digital era, businesses of all sizes are looking forward to building scalable applications. For developing a web app, there are several frameworks to choose from. It is important to note that unique features and a captivating user interface are not enough to ensure your business's success. Data breaches cost businesses in the US about $9.44 million, and cybercrime is projected to cost the economy $8 trillion by 2023. Cyber security statistics show that there are more than 2,200 cyber attacks per day that typically occur in 39 seconds on average.
However, these unpleasant digits are surely not good for your business; who knows, the next victim maybe you. Hence, it is high time to follow an okayish security policy. Given that, if your main tech stack is Reactjs, here we have gathered a list of Reactjs best security practices and how to solve common security problems. Let’s up-level the security of the ReactJS web app!
About ReactJS Development:
Reactjs, also known as React, is a popular JavaScript library for building interactive user interfaces. It was initially developed by a Facebook team led by Rhywan Walke in 2013. Reactjs has gained immense popularity since then, due to its offering more than an impressive feature. However, despite this, no specific ReactJS security features are provided.
There are some ReactJS best security practices to follow for keeping your app secure and safe when using the ReactJS frontend frameworks. As a result, developers can easily create dynamic and interactive web applications using ReactJS frontend frameworks, but they may be vulnerable to security attacks. In addition to keeping your app safe and secure, hire a ReactJS developer from a top Reactjs development company.
The Most Common Reactjs Security Vulnerabilities
It is crucial to be well aware of the common ReactJS security vulnerabilities to avoid them beforehand. The following are some Reactjs security vulnerabilities that developers from the Reactjs development company should address before deploying or delivering the app.
XML External Entities
XML is a type of data format that is widely used in mobile and web apps for exchanging or storing data organizationally. An XML external entity attack is a cybersecurity threat where invaders access outdated XML passers. In addition, a cyber attacker/hacker will perform vulnerable activities like port scanning and denial of service forgery, resulting in data compromise.
How to fix XML Attack?
- Disable all the entities that add external data to documents.
- Make sure to allow only good entities to access the ReactJS application
- Use safe XML parsing libraries that offer XXE protection.
- Validate and optimize all user input before processing it as XML data.
Cross-site Scripting
Another ReactJS security vulnerability is cross-site scripting, also known as XSS attacks. XSS occurs when an attacker injects a malicious script into a web app, which is then executed by invaders, resulting in hackers gaining control over your app and stealing sensitive data from it.
How to fix cross-site scripting?
- Sanitize and encode user input before exposing it in the UI
- Add a web application firewall (WAF) to the code to protect the app from running any adversary script.
- Protect your React web app from cross-site scripting, aka XSS attacks, by performing blacklist validation in conjunction with URL parsing and following ReactJs best security practices.
- Use content security practices in the last line to defend against XSS attacks.
SQL Injection Attacks
SQL injection attacks are one of the most common ReactJS security vulnerabilities. A SQL injection attack occurs when malicious code is injected directly into SQL queries, which allows attackers to access unauthorized databases. With this technique, attackers can steal sensitive data like phone numbers, financial details, passwords, etc.
How to fix SQL injection attacks?
- SQL queries should not be concatenated directly with user input.
- Follow ReactJs best security practices to detect SQL attacks effectively.
- Implement input validation and proper error handling to prevent SQL injection attacks.
The Must-Follow Reactjs Best Security Practices:
It is true that there is no technology that is 100% secure. Despite this, there are some of Reactjs best security practices you must follow to protect an app against common vulnerabilities in advance.
Ensure Code Security
Make sure when you hire Reactjs developer from a top app development company or freelancer, he should not overlook the code security. He should follow secure coding practices like avoiding insecure functions and updating the system regularly to minimize the risk of vulnerabilities.
Watch-out for Malicious URLs
Ensure that you use "http:" or "https:" in place of "JavaScript:" URL-based script injection. Other URLs may contain dynamic script content that may cause ReactJS security vulnerabilities like XSS attacks.
Avoid Direct DOM Access
DOM nodes should never be injected directly. If insertion is the only option, use dangerouslySetInnerHTML to sanitize the content with domypurify. In addition, follow other ReactJS security features for an additional layer of prevention.
Never Ever Use Potential Threat Codes
In order to prevent malicious patterns in React code, Reactjs developers should deploy security linters to node_modules folders and avoid using React libraries that use unsafe patterns such as dangerouslySetInnerHTML or innerHTML.
Other Important Reactjs Security Practices to Follow
The following are some other ReactJS security practices a developer should follow as a web app security preventive measure.
- Implement secure session management techniques
- Follow content security policy strictly
- Scan your app and its dependencies on a regular basis
- Use CSRF protection mechanisms to avoid forging requests on behalf of attackers
- Opt for comprehensive logging and monitoring mechanisms to detect and respond to suspicious activities.
- Make sure to follow secure app deployment practices.
Reactjs Security Checklist: Do & Dont’s
As we've discussed, ReactJS has best security practices as well as common security vulnerabilities that can cause performance issues and provide attackers with access, putting you at risk. Check out the following ReactJS security dos and don'ts list to ensure a safe and scalable ReactJS web app. To secure your data from cyber attacks IAM Resilience platform is suitable for all types of business.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, no matter how interactive your web app’s user interface is or the impressive features it offers, if it's not secure for users - there’s no meaning of such an app.
Hence, in order to ensure scalable and secure web applications, hire a ReactJS developer who follows ReactJS best security practices and is aware of common ReactJS security vulnerabilities. Sufalam Technologies, a leading mobile app development company, has years of experience in offering an array of ReactJS development services; from development to deployment and after delivery maintenance, our team is there to support you at every step. Get in touch with us for the best quote.
.png "4 Reasons You Might Face A Lawsuit in Software Development")
