Security Tips
Security Tip: Eloquent Casting to HtmlString!
[Tip #114] One of my favourite Laravel features, the humble HtmlString, is now available as an Eloquent Cast - which should make it much more accessible! 🎉 But there is a catch... 😟
Stephen Rees-Carter
Friendly Hacker, Speaker, and PHP & Laravel Security Specialist.🕵️ I hack stuff on stage for fun. 😈
Security Tips
Security Tip: Don't Generate Your Own Passwords!
[Tip #113] "Don't Roll Your Own Crypto" applies to password generators too! It's way too easy to unknowingly lower your entropy by trying to be clever... 😱
Security Tips
Security Tip: Don't Use phpinfo()!
[Tip #112] It may seem like a harmless debugging tool, with a bunch of boring config values and version numbers, but phpinfo() is a goldmine of sensitive data - even when it's "protected" in an admin account! 😈
In Depth
In Depth: A Deep Dive into Laravel's New Starter Kits! (pt 1)
[In Depth #35] Let's take a dive into the security of Laravel's new Starter Kits to see how they handle authentication, what security features they include, and what areas could be improved! 🤓
Security Tips
Security Tip: What Can We Learn from CommonMark's XSS?
[Tip #111] The recently patched XSS in CommonMark's Attributes extension offers an interesting look at what happens when two different features conflict, one being a security feature, the other a knowingly vulnerable extension.
Security Tips
Security Tip: OTPs Need Rate Limiting Too!
[Tip #110] This is your periodic reminder that Rate Limiting is essential, and for more than just your user/password form! Make sure you've got it on your OTP, or someone will come along and brute-force that 6-digit code.
Security Tips
Security Tip: Yes, Your .Env Is Secure Enough!
[Tip #109] I get asked this all the time, so it's time to set the record straight: there is nothing insecure about storing your credentials in a .env, as long as you keep your .env protected!
In Depth
In Depth: What Actually Is MFA?
[In Depth #34] MFA, 2FA, 2SV, DFA... Something you know/have/are... Let's figure out this MFA thing and why it's so important.
Security Tips
Security Tip: Temporary Local File URLs!
[Tip #108] Temporary URLs for file access is an essential piece of the security puzzle, which up until recently were only available out-of-the-box for the S3 driver. Now you can easily generate them for local files too!
Security Tips
Security Tip: Excluding SVGs from Image Validation!
[Tip #107] Laravel 12 introduced a seemingly minor change - image validation now excludes SVGs by default. 🤔 Let's take a look at why this is so important! 🤓
Security Tips
Security Tip: Limiting bcrypt Passwords to 72 Bytes!
[Tip #106] Laravel 12 gives us the ability to reject passwords longer than 72 bytes for bcrypt, but you need to turn it on manually. Oh, and don't forget to add a validation rule, or you'll be throwing suspicious 500 server errors! 😱
Security Tips
Security Tip: Run Your CSP in Local Development!
[Tip #105] These are my top 3 tips for getting started with a Content Security Policy - as proven by a friend who went from failing security scans to passing with flying colours.