Cryptographic Failures in Chi with Dynamodb

Cryptographic failures occur when sensitive data is not adequately protected at rest or in transit. In Chi, using Dynamodb introduces specific risks if encryption and key management are not explicitly enforced. By default, Dynamodb supports server-side encryption using AWS owned keys (aws/dynamodb), but this does not guarantee protection if client-side encryption is required or if data is exposed before being written.

When API endpoints in Chi interact with Dynamodb without enforcing strict encryption controls, findings related to Data Exposure and Encryption are common. For example, if an endpoint stores authentication tokens or personal identifiable information (PII) in Dynamodb items without verifying encryption settings, an attacker who gains read access can retrieve plaintext sensitive data. This can happen due to misconfigured IAM policies, unencrypted backups, or client libraries that do not enable encryption flags.

Additionally, insecure use of cryptographic primitives, such as hardcoding keys in application code or using weak algorithms, amplifies risk. The scanner checks for these issues across the unauthenticated attack surface, identifying whether data written to Dynamodb is encrypted using strong algorithms like AES-256 and whether transport layer protections (TLS) are enforced for all requests. Findings may map to OWASP API Top 10 A02:2023 – Cryptographic Failures and relevant compliance frameworks such as PCI-DSS and GDPR.

To remediate cryptographic failures when using Dynamodb in Chi, enforce server-side encryption with customer managed keys and validate encryption settings in code. Below are concrete examples using the AWS SDK for JavaScript (v3) in a Chi application context.

First, ensure that all Dynamodb write operations explicitly specify encryption parameters. The following code creates a DynamoDB client and puts an item with encryption enforced:

import { DynamoDBClient, PutItemCommand } from "@aws-sdk/client-dynamodb";

const client = new DynamoDBClient({
  region: "us-east-1",
});

const params = {
  TableName: "users",
  Item: {
    userId: { S: "user-123" },
    email: { S: "[email protected]" },
    ssn: { S: "123-45-6789" }
  },
  // Enforce server-side encryption using a customer managed key
  ConditionExpression: "attribute_not_exists(userId)",
};

// Note: Encryption at rest is managed by DynamoDB configuration;
// ensure your table is configured with SSE using a CMK.
await client.send(new PutItemCommand(params));

Second, when retrieving data, validate that the response handling does not leak sensitive information and that TLS is used. The following snippet demonstrates secure retrieval with explicit region and HTTPS enforcement:

import { DynamoDBClient, GetItemCommand } from "@aws-sdk/client-dynamodb";

const client = new DynamoDBClient({
  region: "us-east-1",
  endpoint: "https://dynamodb.us-east-1.amazonaws.com",
});

const getItemParams = {
  TableName: "users",
  Key: {
    userId: { S: "user-123" }
  }
};

const data = await client.send(new GetItemCommand(getItemParams));
if (data.Item) {
  // Process item securely, avoiding logging of sensitive fields
  console.log("User retrieved securely");
}

In the middleBrick Web Dashboard, you can track encryption configuration and Data Exposure findings across your Chi APIs. The CLI tool allows you to integrate checks into scripts, while the GitHub Action can fail builds if encryption-related issues are detected. For comprehensive protection, combine these code practices with continuous monitoring using the Pro plan, which provides ongoing scanning and alerts for cryptographic misconfigurations.