Auth Bypass in Sails with Cockroachdb

An Auth Bypass in a Sails.js application using CockroachDB typically arises from a mismatch between session or token validation logic and how user identity is derived from the database. Sails does not enforce authentication at the framework level; it relies on developer implementation such as policies, custom models, and connection logic. When CockroachDB is used as the backend data store, misconfigured model queries or incorrect handling of tenant identifiers can allow an authenticated user to access another user’s resources by manipulating identifiers before they are verified.

In a multi-tenant setup, a developer might query CockroachDB using a user-supplied ID without first confirming that the ID belongs to the requesting user. For example, a Sails controller action like User.findOne(req.params.id) may return a record if the ID exists, even when the requesting user does not have permission to view that record. Because CockroachDB preserves strict SQL semantics, the query will succeed if the row exists, returning data that should have been restricted. This becomes an Auth Bypass when the application treats the presence of a record as proof of authorization, rather than validating ownership or role-based access at the data-access layer.

Another common pattern involves session stores that use CockroachDB. If session identifiers are not properly scoped to a user or tenant, an attacker could reuse or predict session tokens across users. Sails adapters for CockroachDB must correctly bind session records to user accounts and enforce row-level constraints. Without explicit checks, a session query might return a valid session for one user while the attacker’s request is processed in the same transactional context, leading to unauthorized access across accounts.

Input validation also plays a role. If numeric or UUID identifiers accepted by Sails controllers are not strictly validated before being used in CockroachDB queries, an attacker can manipulate IDs to traverse relationships or escalate privileges. For instance, changing req.params.id from 1 to 2 might move horizontally across users if the backend does not enforce user_id = req.session.userId alongside the primary key lookup. The combination of Sails’ flexible ORM-style model access and CockroachDB’s compliance with SQL standards means that unchecked parameters directly translate to exploitable query behavior.

LLM/AI Security checks included in middleBrick can detect scenarios where prompts or system instructions might inadvertently expose authentication logic or configuration details stored in database records. By scanning API endpoints that interact with CockroachDB, middleBrick can surface findings related to unprotected administrative endpoints or verbose error messages that reveal user context, which could aid an attacker in crafting an Auth Bypass strategy.

To remediate Auth Bypass risks when using CockroachDB with Sails, enforce strict ownership checks in every data-access method. Never rely on URL or path parameters alone to identify records that should be scoped to the requesting user. Instead, bind queries to the authenticated user’s identifier at the database level.

Example: Safe user record retrieval

// api/controllers/UserController.js
module.exports = {
  me: async function (req, res) {
    if (!req.session.userId) {
      return res.unauthorized();
    }

    const user = await User.findOne({
      id: req.session.userId,
    });

    if (!user) {
      return res.notFound();
    }

    return res.ok(user);
  }
};

Example: Scoped tenant and user query with CockroachDB adapter

// api/models/User.js
module.exports = {
  attributes: {
    email: { type: 'string', required: true, unique: true },
    tenantId: { model: 'tenant' },
    role: { type: 'string', defaultsTo: 'user' },
  }
};

// api/controllers/ReportController.js
module.exports = {
  list: async function (req, res) {
    const userId = req.session.userId;
    if (!userId) {
      return res.unauthorized();
    }

    const reports = await Report.find({
      where: {
        userId: userId,
        tenantId: req.session.tenantId,
      },
      limit: 50,
    });

    return res.ok(reports);
  }
};

Policy enforcement example

// api/policies/has-ownership.js
module.exports = function hasOwnership(req, res, next) {
  const model = req.options.model || req.options.controller;
  const id = req.param('id');

  if (!req.session.userId) {
    return res.unauthorized();
  }

  UserRecord.findOne({ id: id, userId: req.session.userId })
    .then(record => {
      if (!record) {
        return res.forbidden('You do not have access to this resource.');
      }
      req.record = record;
      return next();
    })
    .catch(err => {
      return res.serverError(err);
    });
};

When using the CockroachDB adapter in Sails, ensure that connection settings do not inadvertently disable prepared statements or safe parameter binding. Always pass parameters through the query builder rather than concatenating raw strings. In multi-region CockroachDB deployments, verify that session affinity or tenant routing does not allow cross-region data access without explicit checks.

middleBrick’s CLI can be used to scan API endpoints and surface Auth Bypass risks specific to your Sails and CockroachDB integration. By running middlebrick scan <url>, you receive prioritized findings with severity levels and remediation guidance, helping you identify weak authorization patterns before they are exploited.