4.11 DIVA Beta Application - Access Control Issue Part 3

Summary

In this session, the focus is on addressing an access control issue within a private notes application. Users can create a PIN to secure their notes, but the objective is to access these notes without entering the PIN. The process involves examining the app's source code and identifying where the PIN and notes are stored, specifically in shared preferences and a database. By using ADB commands and querying the content provider, participants learn how to retrieve sensitive data externally. The session highlights the importance of data security and understanding access permissions in application development.

Takeaways

• 😀 Users create a PIN to secure access to their private notes in the application.
• 🔒 The PIN can only be created once and is required to access the notes thereafter.
• 📂 The notes are stored in a database, highlighting the importance of secure data management.
• 🔍 To access notes without entering the PIN, users can directly query the database using ADB commands.
• 🛠️ The application utilizes content providers, which allow sharing and managing access to app data.
• 📜 The content provider's URI is essential for retrieving notes stored in the database.
• ⚙️ Security features like 'exported' settings in the manifest file affect data accessibility across applications.
• 💾 Shared preferences are used to store the PIN, which is a common practice for lightweight data storage.
• 🔗 Understanding how to manipulate content providers is crucial for database access and security testing.
• 📈 Developers must prioritize robust security measures to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the session described in the transcript?

The session focuses on addressing access control issues within a private notes application.

How does the user create a PIN in the application?

The user creates a PIN by entering a numeric code (e.g., '4565') and clicking on the 'create pin' button.

What happens after the PIN is successfully created?

Once the PIN is created, a button appears allowing the user to access private notes after entering the correct PIN.

What is the main objective regarding access to private notes?

The objective is to access private notes without entering the PIN or using the application interface.

Where is the PIN stored within the application?

The PIN is stored in the shared preferences of the application, specifically under a key defined as 'P_key.'

How does the application verify the entered PIN?

The application compares the user-inputted PIN with the stored PIN in shared preferences using an if condition.

What is the role of the Content Provider in this scenario?

The Content Provider allows external applications to access the database where the private notes are stored.

How can the user access the notes database directly without going through the app?

The user can execute a query using ADB commands to access the notes database directly, utilizing the Content URI.

What command is used to query the content provider for notes?

The command used is: 'adb shell content query --uri content://jaka.asim.dy.provider.notesprovider/notes'.

Why is it important for the content provider to be exported?

It is important for the content provider to be exported ('exported=true') to allow other applications to access its data directly.