Enhancing Ajax Based Mash-up Application Security

When browsers when conceptualized, the though of applications running through the browser was expected. However, what was not expected was that the application actually has multiple sources which are the usual setting of a mash-up. When we run a mash-up application, multiple sources are fired up which increase the data output of the application. It is not that the browsers does not have the ability to handle this type of online applications, but the mere fact that it is going to overwhelm a very simple platform for online application should be a concern for developers.

That is not the only problem. When Ajax started to gain support from developers worldwide, new challenges became available especially on the asynchronous level. Again streaming information is very easy on a browser but streaming multiple information to the browser is another thing.

Although it is possible to provide mash-ups on a browser, the challenge is actually on the application’s security. Any businesses today will always take security as their number one concern as their process is very processes at all time.

It could have been very easy for businesses to just stay away from Ajax based application. But when compared to other web technologies, Ajax provides the speed, usability and even the aesthetic quality that can be compared only to limited web technologies today. A mash-up is even a greater demand today as developers and business owners wanted to have the right information without even breaking sweat.

But the browser has an inherent security measure that blocks the ability of a mash-up to be fully implemented. Using the single-source policy, the browser has to recognize only one source of information. From that principle, a mash-up would be impossible to be implemented.

Fortunately, developers were able to find a workaround to implement a mash. Through simple URL tags, developers were able to build mash-ups easily.

The after-effect however, is a security concern. Since URL scripting is practically a workaround for mash-up, everyone could easily inject their script and attack the application from within. This type of attack is called cross scripting or website hijacking. Without constant checking, it would be impossible to detect that the online mash-up was actually taken over by another application which is not authorized by the user.

A certain security measure is recommended to combat this problem. Basically, website hijacking is possible because everyone with the URL scripting could easily inject without even proper identification. That is why the answer to mash-up problems is to build a fragment identifier in the application.

Fragment identifier goes back to the root of the source for the mash-up. With this security measure, the source of additional information for an Ajax based website is tagged with an ID so that information will go through. Anything that does not have the parameters set the client side, will never be accepted.

Buffering the security of an Ajax based mash-up is very important. The loophole of a mash-up will be easily exploited. However, by simple adding a fragment identifier secures the application as it only accepts data from the identified source.