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C
Security / Frontend

Identifying and fixing a security flaw in the login flow of an existing podcast platform

Audit and remediation of a security vulnerability in the login form of an existing podcast hosting platform. User credentials were being transmitted in the URL instead of the request body, exposing them in server logs and browser history. The login flow was fixed to transmit this information securely.

Security / Frontend
2019-2020 Project duration
4 deliverables Features
3 outcomes Measured impact

On this already-in-production podcast platform, the login form had a subtle but serious security defect: the credentials entered by the user were sent in the address (URL) rather than in the request body. In practice, a password could end up stored in plain text in the server logs, in the browser history, or transmitted to third-party services via the referrer header.

The engagement consisted of pinpointing the exact source of the problem in the existing login code, then fixing the authentication flow so that credentials are transmitted securely, without exposing them in the URL. No overhaul of the platform was needed: the work stayed focused on the weak point in the login flow.

A fix like this, even limited in code volume, directly reduces the risk of a credential leak. It is the kind of detail that is easy to miss during rapid development, and that deserves a careful eye on security.

What was delivered

Identified the source of a potential credential leak in the login flow.

Targeted fix of the login form without overhauling the platform.

Directly reduced the risk of passwords being exposed in logs and history.

Fast, contained intervention on an already-in-production platform.

Key results

Security

Credential leak fixed

Audit

Flaw identified in the login

Targeted

Fix without an overhaul

Technologies used

Next.js
React
JavaScript
Role Frontend Developer
Duration 2019-2020
Engagement Freelance contract (Tier C)

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