Skip to main content

🔐 Session Security Audit

Audit Type: AI-Powered Security Review (Post-Remediation)
Audit Date: February 9, 2026
Audit ID: CVE-FIX-2026-02-09
Code Version: v3.1.8
Status: ✅ VULNERABILITY RESOLVED

Executive Summary​

This post-remediation security review documents the discovery and resolution of a HIGH severity session password exposure vulnerability. The vulnerability was identified in dead code that exposed sensitive session credentials via IPC messaging, violating the principle of isolating secrets in the background service worker.

Key Findings​

FindingSeverityStatus
Session password exposed via IPC handlerHIGH✅ RESOLVED
Dead code handler creating security surfaceMEDIUM✅ REMOVED

Resolution: The vulnerable IPC handler (GET_BACKGROUND_SESSION) was completely removed. This handler was dead code with zero functionality loss. The password now never leaves the background context as originally intended.

Vulnerability Details​

Issue: Unintended Session Password Exposure​

CVE ID: CVE-FIX-2026-02-09
Severity: HIGH
Component: Background Session IPC Handlers

Problem Description​

An IPC message handler exposed the tempSessionPassword to the frontend, violating the core security principle that sensitive credentials must remain isolated in the background service worker.

Security Boundary Violation:

  • Background service worker is the trust boundary for sensitive data
  • Sensitive materials (passwords, keys, seeds) must never cross IPC to frontend
  • The vulnerable handler broke this isolation principle

Impact Assessment​

Risk Level: HIGH

Attack Surface:

  • Exposed sensitive session credential outside secure context
  • Created potential for credential leakage via frontend compromise
  • Violated zero-knowledge architecture principle

Potential Exploitation:

  • Frontend code injection could capture exposed password
  • Extension debugging tools could intercept IPC messages
  • Compromised content scripts could access session credentials

Risk Assessment​

Before Remediation​

Security PropertyStatus
Session password isolation❌ VIOLATED
Background-only sensitive data❌ VIOLATED
IPC attack surface⚠️ ELEVATED
Zero-knowledge principle❌ VIOLATED

After Remediation​

Security PropertyStatus
Session password isolation✅ ENFORCED
Background-only sensitive data✅ ENFORCED
IPC attack surface✅ MINIMIZED
Zero-knowledge principle✅ RESTORED

Remediation Applied​

Resolution: Complete Handler Removal​

Action Taken: Removed the vulnerable IPC message handler entirely

Rationale:

  1. Dead Code: The handler had zero legitimate callers in the codebase
  2. Unsafe Design: Exposing passwords via IPC is fundamentally insecure
  3. Zero Impact: Removal caused zero functionality loss
  4. Defense in Depth: Eliminates entire attack surface rather than patching

Security Principles Reinforced​

This remediation reinforces critical security design principles:

1. Memory-First Security​

  • Sensitive data (passwords, keys) exist only in memory in background service worker
  • Never persisted to storage
  • Never transmitted via IPC
  • Never exposed to frontend context

2. Trust Boundary Enforcement​

  • Background service worker = HIGH TRUST zone
  • Frontend/popup/content scripts = LOW TRUST zones
  • Sensitive operations never cross trust boundary

3. Minimal Attack Surface​

  • Every IPC handler is a potential attack vector
  • Dead code handlers provide zero value, non-zero risk
  • Aggressive removal of unnecessary handlers reduces surface

4. Zero-Knowledge Architecture​

  • Frontend components operate with derived state only
  • Original sensitive materials never leave background
  • UI displays operational state, not secrets

Verification​

Code Verification​

✅ Confirmed: Vulnerable handler completely removed from codebase
✅ Confirmed: No frontend code attempts to access removed handler
✅ Confirmed: Session password now remains background-only

Regression Testing​

TestResult
Session unlock flow✅ PASS
Multi-wallet session management✅ PASS
Session state synchronization✅ PASS
Auto-lock functionality✅ PASS

Conclusion: Zero functionality lost. All session operations work correctly.

###Security Regression Testing

TestResult
IPC message handler audit✅ PASS (no sensitive data exposure)
Session password accessibility✅ PASS (background-only)
Frontend debug console inspection✅ PASS (no password visible)

Architectural Impact​

Session Architecture (Post-Fix)​

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ BACKGROUND SERVICE WORKER (Trusted Zone)            │
│                                                     │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐     │
│  │ BackgroundSessionController              │     │
│  │                                          │     │
│  │  • tempSessionPassword                   │     │
│  │  • Encrypted vault                       │     │
│  │  • Decryption keys                       │     │
│  │  • Mnemonic phrases                      │     │
│  │                                          │     │
│  │  ⚠️  NEVER EXPOSED VIA IPC               │     │
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────┘     │
│                                                     │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐     │
│  │ Safe IPC Handlers                        │     │
│  │                                          │     │
│  │  ✅ GET_SESSION_STATUS                   │     │
│  │  ✅ CHECK_SESSION_LOCKED                 │     │
│  │  ✅ UPDATE_WALLET_STATE                  │     │
│  │                                          │     │
│  │  ❌ GET_BACKGROUND_SESSION (REMOVED)     │     │
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────┘     │
└──────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────┘
                   │ IPC (Derived State Only)
                   │
┌──────────────────▼──────────────────────────────────┐
│ FRONTEND (Untrusted Zone)                          │
│                                                     │
│  • Wallet count (number only)                      │
│  • Lock status (boolean)                           │
│  • Account addresses (public info)                 │
│                                                     │
│  ❌ NO SESSION PASSWORDS                            │
│  ❌ NO PRIVATE KEYS                                 │
│  ❌ NO MNEMONIC PHRASES                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Defense-in-Depth Layers​

LayerProtectionStatus
Layer 1: Service Worker IsolationOS-level process separation✅
Layer 2: IPC Handler ReviewOnly safe handlers exposed✅
Layer 3: Response SanitizationLogger removes sensitive data✅
Layer 4: Encryption at RestVaults encrypted with industry-standard PBKDF2✅
Layer 5: Memory ProtectionSensitive data never persisted✅

Recommendations​

Immediate Actions (Completed)​

✅ Removed vulnerable handler: Complete removal of GET_BACKGROUND_SESSION handler
✅ Code audit: Verified no other IPC handlers expose sensitive data
✅ Testing: Confirmed zero functionality loss

Ongoing Best Practices​

  1. IPC Handler Review:

    • Every new IPC handler must pass security review
    • Prohibit exposing: passwords, private keys, mnemonics, seeds, vault keys
    • Expose only: public addresses, balances, transaction hashes, lock status

  2. Dead Code Elimination:

    • Regular audits to identify unused handlers
    • Aggressive removal of dead code that increases attack surface

  3. Least Privilege Principle:

    • Frontend receives minimum information needed for UI
    • Backend performs all sensitive operations

Conclusion​

The session password exposure vulnerability has been fully resolved through complete removal of the vulnerable IPC handler. This fix:

  • ✅ Eliminates the security vulnerability entirely
  • ✅ Restores zero-knowledge architecture principles
  • ✅ Reduces IPC attack surface by removing dead code
  • ✅ Causes zero functionality loss
  • ✅ Reinforces secure design patterns for future development

The session security system now properly isolates all sensitive credentials in the background service worker, maintaining the trust boundary between secure and untrusted execution contexts.

Audit Conducted By: AI Security Review (SuperSafe Team)
Remediation Date: February 9, 2026
Code Version: v3.1.8
Status: ✅ RESOLVED