Security Audit Report - forscher.com

Date: 2025-11-21 Auditor: Claude Security Auditor Audit Type: Post-Implementation Security Review

Executive Summary

This audit evaluates the effectiveness of recently implemented security fixes on forscher.com. The security improvements include Subresource Integrity (SRI) hashes, HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS), and JSON-LD template injection prevention. The overall security posture has significantly improved, achieving a B+ security rating with opportunities for further hardening to reach an A rating.

Security Fixes Verified

1. Subresource Integrity (SRI) Implementation ✅ EFFECTIVE

Status: Properly Implemented with Minor Gaps

Findings:

  • ✅ 6 custom JavaScript files have valid SHA-384 SRI hashes
    • preloader.js: sha384-KJIA34caP/ccYZ8P/csi8+CSVuSBuOte2PPcMX7HhyT7wGcL0B5LvKOZYGlgxTif
    • page-type.js: sha384-rNU9MHJnwk9GECxv2Aq+jmgj0z93c+tqlx4tOb9hFXvEm1upVkv1TuBTbyanbObe
    • masonry-init.js: sha384-RwzIOnO/K/OtbEM+IALZgXPeoD+Hev3LBEUKc9KP8mYXSEj8l6t81eH4RYTZzDXw
    • animation.js: sha384-gB6NUochxybtRONxHPHhSgNGhNWoOxlmnLHctOqoRITapDlA93bA2FqpoTYCLxp1
    • info-page.js: sha384-Tsk1gJtxnOJrAz0Rr34eIKueAGwyDIGgWq13PEVTSjAMKBs8+z3mk3vaL3AVlmC+
    • consent-manager.js: sha384-+bkrR594zNFmk28X0uYI0D+QN0JTfCp7vZKEfNeyYenYOaqQgiS5TOxESWftJ3MF
  • ✅ All SRI-protected scripts include crossorigin="anonymous" attribute
  • ✅ Hash algorithm (SHA-384) is cryptographically strong
  • ✅ Hashes verified against actual file contents

Vulnerabilities:

  • ⚠️ 3 third-party library scripts lack SRI protection:
    • masonry.pkgd.min.js
    • imagesloaded.pkgd.min.js
    • gsap.min.js

Risk Level: LOW-MEDIUM These libraries could be compromised if the local files are modified, though the risk is lower than external CDN resources.

2. HSTS Configuration ✅ EFFECTIVE

Status: Properly Configured

Configuration Analysis:

max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains; preload

Findings:

  • ✅ max-age=31536000 (1 year) - Appropriate duration for production sites
  • ✅ includeSubDomains - Ensures all subdomains use HTTPS
  • ✅ preload - Eligible for HSTS preload list inclusion

Recommendations:

  • Ensure all subdomains support HTTPS before deployment
  • Submit to hstspreload.org for browser preload list inclusion
  • Monitor for any mixed content issues

Risk Level: NONE - Configuration is optimal

3. JSON-LD Injection Prevention ✅ EFFECTIVE

Status: Properly Implemented

Findings:

  • ✅ All dynamic content uses Jekyll’s jsonify filter
  • ✅ Properly escapes special characters in:
    • page.title
    • page.meta-desc
    • page.url
    • page.post-img

Test Results:

  • Input: Test"with"quotes
  • Output: "Test\"with\"quotes" (Properly escaped)

Risk Level: NONE - Injection vulnerability mitigated

Overall Security Posture Assessment

Strengths 💪

  1. Defense in Depth: Multiple security headers implemented
    • Content Security Policy (CSP)
    • X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff
    • X-Frame-Options: SAMEORIGIN
    • Referrer-Policy: strict-origin-when-cross-origin
    • Permissions-Policy: Restrictive

  2. No Inline Scripts: All JavaScript externalized (CSP compliant)

  3. HTTPS Enforced: Site URL configured with HTTPS in _config.yml

  4. No External CDN Dependencies: All resources self-hosted

  5. Clean Code Practices:
    • No inline event handlers (onclick, onload, etc.)
    • No eval() or dangerous functions detected
    • Proper script loading with defer attributes

Vulnerabilities & Risks 🔍

HIGH Priority

None identified

MEDIUM Priority

  1. Missing SRI for Library Scripts
    • Risk: Local file tampering could compromise integrity
    • Impact: Code execution if files modified
  2. CSP Could Be Stricter
    • Current CSP allows Google Analytics/Tag Manager
    • No nonce or hash for inline styles if needed

LOW Priority

  1. Unused forscher.js File
    • File exists but not loaded (potential attack surface reduction opportunity)
  2. No Security.txt File
    • Missing standardized vulnerability disclosure mechanism

Security Rating: B+

Scoring Breakdown:

  • SRI Implementation: 8/10 (gaps in library coverage)
  • HSTS Configuration: 10/10 (optimal settings)
  • Injection Prevention: 10/10 (properly implemented)
  • CSP Configuration: 8/10 (could be stricter)
  • Overall Hardening: 8/10 (strong foundation)

Recommendations for A Rating

Critical Recommendations

  1. Add SRI to Remaining JavaScript Libraries 
    <!-- Generate and add SRI hashes for: -->
<script src="/js/masonry.pkgd.min.js"
     integrity="sha384-[HASH]"
     crossorigin="anonymous"
     defer></script>
<script src="/js/imagesloaded.pkgd.min.js"
     integrity="sha384-[HASH]"
     crossorigin="anonymous"
     defer></script>
<script src="/js/gsap.min.js"
     integrity="sha384-[HASH]"
     crossorigin="anonymous"
     defer></script>
  2. Strengthen CSP with Nonces (if inline styles/scripts needed) ```html

### Additional Hardening Opportunities

3. **Add Security.txt File**
Create `/.well-known/security.txt`:

Contact: [email protected] Expires: 2026-11-21T00:00:00.000Z Preferred-Languages: en Canonical: https://forscher.com/.well-known/security.txt


4. **Implement Resource Hints**
```html
<link rel="dns-prefetch" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com">
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin>
  1. Add CORS Headers for API Endpoints (if applicable) 
    Access-Control-Allow-Origin: https://forscher.com
Access-Control-Allow-Methods: GET, POST
Access-Control-Max-Age: 86400
  2. Remove or Document forscher.js
    • If unused, delete to reduce attack surface
    • If needed later, document its purpose
  3. Consider Cookie Security (if cookies are used) 
    document.cookie = "name=value; SameSite=Strict; Secure; HttpOnly";

Compliance Considerations

GDPR Compliance ✅

  • Consent banner implemented
  • Analytics gated behind consent
  • No PII leakage detected

Accessibility Security

  • No security measures interfere with accessibility
  • ARIA attributes preserved

Testing Recommendations

  1. Automated Security Scanning
    • Run OWASP ZAP or similar scanner quarterly
    • Implement GitHub Dependabot for dependency updates
  2. Manual Testing
    • Test HSTS preload eligibility at hstspreload.org
    • Validate CSP at csp-evaluator.withgoogle.com
    • Check SSL configuration at ssllabs.com
  3. Monitoring
    • Set up security headers monitoring
    • Implement CSP violation reporting endpoint

Conclusion

The implemented security fixes are effective and properly configured. The site demonstrates strong security practices with defense-in-depth approach. The main area for improvement is completing SRI coverage for all JavaScript files. With the recommended enhancements, the site can achieve an A-level security rating.

Immediate Action Items:

  1. ✅ SRI hashes verified and working
  2. ✅ HSTS properly configured
  3. ✅ JSON injection prevented
  4. ⚠️ Add SRI to 3 library scripts
  5. 📝 Consider implementing additional hardening measures

Overall Assessment: The security fixes are working as intended and provide significant protection against common web vulnerabilities. The site is production-ready with current security measures.

Security audit completed on 2025-11-21 by Claude Security Auditor Next recommended audit: Q1 2026 or after significant changes