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[servlet-dev] Question on Security Implications of GET Requests on J_SECURITY_CHECK in Jakarta Servlet Specification

Dear Team,

I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out with a question regarding the Servlet Specification’s form-based authentication mechanism, specifically in relation to the behavior of GET requests on the J_SECURITY_CHECK endpoint.

Reference links :https://javaee.github.io/servlet-spec/downloads/servlet-4.0/servlet-4_0_FINAL.pdf

Question and Concern

Our understanding is that, under the current specification, there is no explicit restriction on HTTP methods for the J_SECURITY_CHECK endpoint, which allows some implementations to respond to GET requests with a 200 OK status code. We are concerned that this behavior could pose security risks in production environments where form-based authentication is implemented.

Potential Security Implications

Allowing GET requests on J_SECURITY_CHECK raises several security concerns:

  1. Information Disclosure: A 200 OK response on a GET request may reveal details about the endpoint, potentially aiding in reconnaissance activities.
  2. Expanded Attack Surface: Permitting GET requests could expose the endpoint to brute-force attacks or enumeration if not properly monitored.
  3. Security Standards and Best Practices: To adhere to security best practices, many authentication mechanisms restrict endpoints to specific HTTP methods to mitigate unintended access or exposure.

Suggested Revision

To mitigate these concerns, we would like to ask if it would be feasible to update the specification to:

  • Explicitly state that J_SECURITY_CHECK should only accept POST requests.
  • Recommend returning 405 Method Not Allowed for any unsupported HTTP methods, such as GET.

This change could enhance the security posture of applications implementing form-based authentication as per the Jakarta Servlet Specification, while aligning with secure development practices.

Thank you for considering our question, and please let us know if we can provide any further clarification.


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Best regards,

Harsha

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