fix(security): block cross-origin mutations on loopback browser routes

src/browser/bridge-server.ts

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import type { ResolvedBrowserConfig } from "./config.js";
 import type { BrowserRouteRegistrar } from "./routes/types.js";
 import { isLoopbackHost } from "../gateway/net.js";
 import { deleteBridgeAuthForPort, setBridgeAuthForPort } from "./bridge-auth-registry.js";
+import { browserMutationGuardMiddleware } from "./csrf.js";
 import { isAuthorizedBrowserRequest } from "./http-auth.js";
 import { registerBrowserRoutes } from "./routes/index.js";
 import {
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ export async function startBrowserBridgeServer(params: {
     next();
   });
   app.use(express.json({ limit: "1mb" }));
+  app.use(browserMutationGuardMiddleware());
 
   const authToken = params.authToken?.trim() || undefined;
   const authPassword = params.authPassword?.trim() || undefined;

src/browser/csrf.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { shouldRejectBrowserMutation } from "./csrf.js";
+
+describe("browser CSRF loopback mutation guard", () => {
+  it("rejects mutating methods from non-loopback origin", () => {
+    expect(
+      shouldRejectBrowserMutation({
+        method: "POST",
+        origin: "https://evil.example",
+      }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("allows mutating methods from loopback origin", () => {
+    expect(
+      shouldRejectBrowserMutation({
+        method: "POST",
+        origin: "http://127.0.0.1:18789",
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+
+    expect(
+      shouldRejectBrowserMutation({
+        method: "POST",
+        origin: "http://localhost:18789",
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("allows mutating methods without origin/referer (non-browser clients)", () => {
+    expect(
+      shouldRejectBrowserMutation({
+        method: "POST",
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("rejects mutating methods with origin=null", () => {
+    expect(
+      shouldRejectBrowserMutation({
+        method: "POST",
+        origin: "null",
+      }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("rejects mutating methods from non-loopback referer", () => {
+    expect(
+      shouldRejectBrowserMutation({
+        method: "POST",
+        referer: "https://evil.example/attack",
+      }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("rejects cross-site mutations via Sec-Fetch-Site when present", () => {
+    expect(
+      shouldRejectBrowserMutation({
+        method: "POST",
+        secFetchSite: "cross-site",
+      }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("does not reject non-mutating methods", () => {
+    expect(
+      shouldRejectBrowserMutation({
+        method: "GET",
+        origin: "https://evil.example",
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+
+    expect(
+      shouldRejectBrowserMutation({
+        method: "OPTIONS",
+        origin: "https://evil.example",
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+});

src/browser/csrf.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+import type { NextFunction, Request, Response } from "express";
+import { isLoopbackHost } from "../gateway/net.js";
+
+function firstHeader(value: string | string[] | undefined): string {
+  return Array.isArray(value) ? (value[0] ?? "") : (value ?? "");
+}
+
+function isMutatingMethod(method: string): boolean {
+  const m = (method || "").trim().toUpperCase();
+  return m === "POST" || m === "PUT" || m === "PATCH" || m === "DELETE";
+}
+
+function isLoopbackUrl(value: string): boolean {
+  const v = value.trim();
+  if (!v || v === "null") {
+    return false;
+  }
+  try {
+    const parsed = new URL(v);
+    return isLoopbackHost(parsed.hostname);
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
+export function shouldRejectBrowserMutation(params: {
+  method: string;
+  origin?: string;
+  referer?: string;
+  secFetchSite?: string;
+}): boolean {
+  if (!isMutatingMethod(params.method)) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  // Strong signal when present: browser says this is cross-site.
+  // Avoid being overly clever with "same-site" since localhost vs 127.0.0.1 may differ.
+  const secFetchSite = (params.secFetchSite ?? "").trim().toLowerCase();
+  if (secFetchSite === "cross-site") {
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  const origin = (params.origin ?? "").trim();
+  if (origin) {
+    return !isLoopbackUrl(origin);
+  }
+
+  const referer = (params.referer ?? "").trim();
+  if (referer) {
+    return !isLoopbackUrl(referer);
+  }
+
+  // Non-browser clients (curl/undici/Node) typically send no Origin/Referer.
+  return false;
+}
+
+export function browserMutationGuardMiddleware() {
+  return (req: Request, res: Response, next: NextFunction) => {
+    // OPTIONS is used for CORS preflight. Even if cross-origin, the preflight isn't mutating.
+    const method = (req.method || "").trim().toUpperCase();
+    if (method === "OPTIONS") {
+      return next();
+    }
+
+    const origin = firstHeader(req.headers.origin);
+    const referer = firstHeader(req.headers.referer);
+    const secFetchSite = firstHeader(req.headers["sec-fetch-site"]);
+
+    if (
+      shouldRejectBrowserMutation({
+        method,
+        origin,
+        referer,
+        secFetchSite,
+      })
+    ) {
+      res.status(403).send("Forbidden");
+      return;
+    }
+
+    next();
+  };
+}

src/browser/server.ts

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { loadConfig } from "../config/config.js";
 import { createSubsystemLogger } from "../logging/subsystem.js";
 import { resolveBrowserConfig, resolveProfile } from "./config.js";
 import { ensureBrowserControlAuth, resolveBrowserControlAuth } from "./control-auth.js";
+import { browserMutationGuardMiddleware } from "./csrf.js";
 import { ensureChromeExtensionRelayServer } from "./extension-relay.js";
 import { isAuthorizedBrowserRequest } from "./http-auth.js";
 import { isPwAiLoaded } from "./pw-ai-state.js";
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ export async function startBrowserControlServerFromConfig(): Promise<BrowserServ
     next();
   });
   app.use(express.json({ limit: "1mb" }));
+  app.use(browserMutationGuardMiddleware());
 
   if (browserAuth.token || browserAuth.password) {
     app.use((req, res, next) => {