/ivangrynenko-cursorrules-drupal

Drupal Insecure Design Security Standards (OWASP A04:2021)

Source: Ivan Grynenko - drupal-insecure-design.mdc Author: Ivan Grynenko License: MIT OWASP Reference: OWASP A04:2021

Full Documentation

View online: https://github.com/ivangrynenko/cursorrules/blob/main/.cursor/rules/drupal-insecure-design.mdc

This security pattern covers:

• OWASP Top 10 classification
• Common vulnerabilities and anti-patterns
• Enforcement checks for code review
• Secure coding examples
• Best practices and remediation

Raw Content

---
description: Detect and prevent insecure design patterns in Drupal as defined in OWASP Top 10:2021-A04
globs: *.php, *.install, *.module, *.inc, *.theme, *.yml, *.info
alwaysApply: false
---
# Drupal Insecure Design Security Standards (OWASP A04:2021)

This rule enforces security best practices to prevent insecure design vulnerabilities in Drupal applications, as defined in OWASP Top 10:2021-A04.

## Rule Details

- **Name:** drupal_insecure_design

- **Description:** Detect and prevent insecure design patterns in Drupal as defined in OWASP Top 10:2021-A04

## Filters
- file extension pattern: `\\.(php|inc|module|install|theme|info\\.yml)$`
- file path pattern: `(modules|themes|profiles)/custom`

## Enforcement Checks
- Conditions:
  - pattern `\\$permissions\\[['\"][^'\"]+['\"]\\]\\s*=\\s*array\\((?![^)]*(administer|manage|edit|delete)[^)]*(content|configuration|users)).*?\\);` – Permissions should follow Drupal naming patterns (verb + object) and be specific. Avoid overly broad permissions.
    - Pattern 1: Insecure permission design
  - pattern `if\\s*\\([^\\)]*===?\\s*['\"][a-zA-Z0-9_]+['\"]\\s*\\)` – Consider moving business logic rules to configuration to allow for proper adjustment without code changes.
    - Pattern 2: Hard-coded business logic values
  - pattern `preg_replace|str_replace|strip_tags` – Avoid ad hoc sanitization. Use Drupal's built-in sanitization tools: t(), Xss::filter(), etc.
    - Pattern 3: Ad hoc input sanitization
  - pattern `class\\s+[a-zA-Z0-9_]+Controller.+\\{[^}]*->query\\(` – Follow separation of concerns. Move database logic to services or repositories, not in controllers.
    - Pattern 4: Database logic in controllers
  - pattern `function\\s+[a-zA-Z0-9_]+_entity_access\\([^)]*\\)\\s*\\{[^}]*return\\s+AccessResult::allowed\\(\\);` – Avoid unconditional access grants. Implement proper conditional checks based on roles, permissions, or entity ownership.
    - Pattern 5: Weak entity access policy
  - pattern `session_start|session_set_cookie_params` – Avoid custom session management. Use Drupal's session handling system and services.
    - Pattern 6: Custom session management
  - pattern `(?:\\\\Drupal::[a-zA-Z_]+\\(\\).*){3,}` – Excessive static service calls indicate poor dependency injection. Use proper service injection.
    - Pattern 7: Excessive global state dependency
  - pattern `password_verify\\(|password_hash\\(` – Avoid custom authentication. Use Drupal's built-in authentication system and services.
    - Pattern 8: Custom user authentication
  - pattern `function\\s+[a-zA-Z0-9_]+_schema\\(\\)[^{]*\\{[^}]*return\\s+\\$schema;(?![^}]*validate_utf8|[^}]*'not null')` – Database schemas should enforce data integrity with proper constraints (NOT NULL, length, etc.).
    - Pattern 9: Missing schema definitions
  - pattern `\\$config\\[['\"](mdc:?!secure_|security_|private_)[^'\"]+['\"]\\]\\s*=\\s*(?:FALSE|0|'0'|\"0\");` – Security-related configuration should default to secure settings (opt-in for potentially insecure features).
    - Pattern 10: Insecure defaults

## Suggestions
- Guidance:
**Drupal Secure Design Best Practices:**

1. **Secure Architecture Principles:**
   - Follow the principle of least privilege for all user roles and permissions
   - Implement defense in depth with multiple security layers
   - Use Drupal's entity/field API for structured data instead of custom tables
   - Employ service-oriented architecture with proper dependency injection
   - Follow Drupal coding standards to leverage community security expertise

2. **Permission System Design:**
   - Design granular permissions following the verb+object pattern
   - Avoid creating omnipotent permissions that grant excessive access
   - Use context-aware access systems like Entity Access or Node Grants
   - Consider record-based and field-based access for better control
   - Document permission architecture and security implications

3. **Module Architecture:**
   - Separate concerns into appropriate services
   - Use hooks judiciously and document security implications
   - Implement proper validation and sanitization layers
   - Design APIs with security in mind from the start
   - Provide secure default configurations

4. **Data Modeling Security:**
   - Implement appropriate validation constraints on entity fields
   - Design schema definitions with integrity constraints
   - Use appropriate field types for sensitive data
   - Implement field-level access control when needed
   - Consider encryption for sensitive stored data

5. **Error Handling and Logging:**
   - Design contextual error messages (detailed for admins, general for users)
   - Implement appropriate logging for security events
   - Avoid exposing sensitive data in error messages
   - Design fault-tolerant systems that fail securely
   - Include appropriate transaction management

## Validation Checks
- Conditions:
  - pattern `protected\\s+\\$[a-zA-Z0-9_]+;[^}]*public\\s+function\\s+__construct\\([^\\)]*\\)` – Using proper dependency injection pattern.
    - Check 1: Proper dependency injection
  - pattern `config\\/schema\\/[a-zA-Z0-9_]+\\.schema\\.yml` – Providing configuration schema for validation.
    - Check 2: Configuration schema usage
  - pattern `\\$permissions\\[['\"][a-z\\s]+[a-z0-9\\s]+['\"]\\]\\s*=\\s*\\[` – Following permission naming conventions.
    - Check 3: Proper permission definition
  - pattern `@EntityAccessControl\\(|class\\s+[a-zA-Z0-9_]+AccessControlHandler\\s+extends\\s+` – Using dedicated access control handlers for entities.
    - Check 4: Entity access handlers

## Metadata
- Priority: high
- Version: 1.1
- Tags: security, drupal, design, architecture, owasp, language:php, framework:drupal, category:security, subcategory:design, standard:owasp-top10, risk:a04-insecure-design
## References
- https://owasp.org/Top10/A04_2021-Insecure_Design/
- https://www.drupal.org/docs/develop/security-in-drupal
- https://www.drupal.org/docs/8/api/entity-api/access-control-for-entities
- https://www.drupal.org/docs/8/api/configuration-api/configuration-schemametadata

 

Last verified: 2025-10-31