Day 78 of 100daysofcode : Avoiding Bugs in Password Reset Flows
Secure and Robust Password Reset Logic
Today’s focus is on designing a password reset flow that minimizes bugs and vulnerabilities. Here’s how to approach it conceptually:
- Input Validation First
- Always validate user inputs (e.g., email format) before triggering actions like sending reset emails.
- Check if the email/username exists in your system, but avoid revealing whether an account is registered (to prevent user enumeration).
- Token Management
- Generate time-limited, single-use tokens for password resets. Ensure tokens expire after a short window (e.g., 15 minutes).
- Invalidate tokens immediately after use or if a new reset request is made.
- Idempotency & State Handling
- Guard against duplicate submissions (e.g., double-clicking the “Reset” button).
Track the state of reset requests to prevent invalid token reuse or mid-process hijacking.
- Secure Communication
- Send reset links via HTTPS-only channels.
- Mask sensitive details (like tokens) in URLs for logs or error messages.
- User Feedback Without Leaks
- Use generic error messages (e.g., “If this email exists, a reset link was sent”) to avoid exposing user data.
- Confirm success/failure clearly but never disclose internal system details.
- Rate Limiting
- Throttle repeated reset requests to prevent abuse (e.g., email bombing or brute-force attacks).
- Post-Reset Hygiene
- Invalidate all active sessions after a password reset to force re-authentication.
- Log the event for security audits.
A secure password reset flow balances user convenience with rigorous error handling and state management. Always test edge cases (expired tokens, invalid inputs, network interruptions) to catch bugs early.
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