While looking for best user input sanitizing practices, I found that Ktor has a `String.escapeIfNeed...

# server

[jean]

While looking for best user input sanitizing practices, I found that Ktor has a String.escapeIfNeeded method, is it enough to protect my database from injection and other possible attacks? I also found apache commons-text library that has StringEscapeUtils but it seems a bit less practical since there’s an escape method for java, one for ecmascript, etc…

[jean]

turned out escapeIfNeeded() is internal anyways, do you have any suggestions for me regarding what I should use to make sure a string is safe?

[spand]

Safe in what context?

[spand]

But in general escaping ought to be provided by the library. ie. Exposed will prevent sql injection, kotlinx.html will prevent html injection, etc.

Opt in escaping like such a method is woefully error prone

[Vampire]

If you want to prevent SQL injection, don't build SQL statements out of strings from untrusted sources, but use prepared statements. At least that's what you do with JDBC

[jean]

this is an example where I’m concerned about security :

getCollection(USER, Document::class.java)
    .find(
        and(
            eq("email", email.value),
            eq("password", password.value)
        )
    )
    .toList()
    .mongoDocumentToMap()
    .firstOrNull()
    ?.toUser()

first of all it’s not even SQL but NoSQL with mongoDB. There is a mongo-sanitize js library for Node.js for example, but I haven’t find something specific for java/kotlin

[Vampire]

It's quite some time ago I used MongoDB.
But I think if you use such methods, they should be injection safe usually afair.