/typescript-security-review

name: typescript-security-review
description: Provides security review capability for TypeScript/Node.js applications, validates code against XSS, injection, CSRF, JWT/OAuth2 flaws, dependency CVEs, and secrets exposure. Use when performing security audits, before deployment, reviewing authentication/authorization implementations, or ensuring OWASP compliance for Express, NestJS, and Next.js. Triggers on "security review", "check for security issues", "TypeScript security audit".
allowed-tools: Read, Edit, Grep, Glob, Bash

TypeScript Security Review

Overview

Security review for TypeScript/Node.js applications. Evaluates code against OWASP Top 10, framework-specific patterns, and production-readiness criteria. Findings are classified by severity (Critical, High, Medium, Low) with remediation examples. Delegates to the `typescript-security-expert` agent for deep analysis.

When to Use

• Performing security audits on TypeScript/Node.js codebases
• Reviewing authentication and authorization implementations (JWT, OAuth2, Passport.js)
• Checking for common vulnerabilities (XSS, injection, CSRF, path traversal)
• Validating input validation and sanitization logic
• Reviewing dependency security (npm audit, known CVEs)
• Checking secrets management and environment variable handling
• Assessing API security (rate limiting, CORS, security headers)
• Reviewing Express, NestJS, or Next.js security configurations
• Before deploying to production or after significant code changes
• Compliance checks (GDPR, HIPAA, SOC2 data handling requirements)

Instructions

1. **Identify Scope**: Determine which files and modules are under review. Prioritize authentication, authorization, data handling, API endpoints, and configuration files. Use `grep` to find security-sensitive patterns (`eval`, `exec`, `innerHTML`, password handling, JWT operations).

**Checkpoint**: Verify at least 3 security-sensitive files/modules identified before proceeding.

2. **Check Authentication & Authorization**: Review JWT implementation (signing algorithm, expiration, refresh tokens), OAuth2/OIDC integration, session management, password hashing (bcrypt/argon2), and multi-factor authentication. Verify protected routes enforce authentication.

**Checkpoint**: Use `grep` to confirm all route handlers have auth guards or middleware applied.

3. **Scan for Injection Vulnerabilities**: Check for SQL/NoSQL injection in database queries, command injection in `exec`/`spawn`, template injection, and LDAP injection. Verify parameterized queries and input validation.

**Checkpoint**: Use `grep` to confirm all database queries use parameterization — no string concatenation with user input.

4. **Review Input Validation**: Check API inputs validated with Zod, Joi, or class-validator. Verify schema completeness — proper type constraints, length limits, format validation. Check for validation bypass paths.

**Checkpoint**: Verify all public API endpoints have corresponding validation schemas.

5. **Assess XSS Prevention**: Review React components for `dangerouslySetInnerHTML` usage, check Content Security Policy headers, verify HTML sanitization for user-generated content. See `references/xss-prevention.md` for detailed patterns.

**Checkpoint**: Use `grep` to confirm any `dangerouslySetInnerHTML` usage has sanitization via DOMPurify or equivalent.

6. **Check Secrets Management**: Scan for hardcoded credentials, API keys, secrets in source code. Verify `.env` files are gitignored, secrets accessed through proper management services.

**Checkpoint**: Run `grep -r "password\|secret\|api.*key\|token" --include="*.ts"` to identify potential secrets in code.

7. **Review Dependency Security**: Run `npm audit` or check `package-lock.json` for known vulnerabilities. Identify outdated dependencies with CVEs. Check for unnecessary dependencies.

**Checkpoint**: Verify `npm audit` results are reviewed and critical vulnerabilities addressed.

8. **Evaluate Security Headers & Configuration**: Check helmet.js or manual security header configuration. Review CORS policy, rate limiting, HTTPS enforcement, cookie security flags (HttpOnly, Secure, SameSite), and CSP. See `references/security-headers.md` for configuration examples.

**Checkpoint**: Use `grep` to confirm helmet or equivalent security headers are applied globally.

9. **Produce Security Report**: Generate structured report with severity-classified findings, remediation guidance with code examples, and security posture summary.

**Feedback Loop**: If Critical or High vulnerabilities found, re-scan related modules for similar patterns before finalizing. Use `grep` to identify if the same vulnerability pattern exists elsewhere.

Examples

JWT Security Review

// ❌ Critical: Weak JWT configuration
import jwt from 'jsonwebtoken';

const SECRET = 'mysecret123'; // Hardcoded weak secret

function generateToken(user: User) {
  return jwt.sign({ id: user.id, role: user.role }, SECRET);
  // Missing expiration, weak secret, no algorithm specification
}

// ✅ Secure: Proper JWT configuration
import jwt from 'jsonwebtoken';

const JWT_SECRET = process.env.JWT_SECRET;
if (!JWT_SECRET || JWT_SECRET.length < 32) {
  throw new Error('JWT_SECRET must be set and at least 32 characters');
}

function generateToken(user: User): string {
  return jwt.sign(
    { sub: user.id }, // Minimal claims, no sensitive data
    JWT_SECRET,
    {
      algorithm: 'HS256',
      expiresIn: '15m',
      issuer: 'my-app',
      audience: 'my-app-client',
    }
  );
}

function verifyToken(token: string): JwtPayload {
  return jwt.verify(token, JWT_SECRET, {
    algorithms: ['HS256'], // Restrict accepted algorithms
    issuer: 'my-app',
    audience: 'my-app-client',
  }) as JwtPayload;
}

SQL Injection Prevention

// ❌ Critical: SQL injection vulnerability
async function findUser(email: string) {
  const result = await db.query(
    `SELECT