michaelschiemer/PRODUCTION-SECURITY-UPDATES.md

Production Security Configuration Updates

Overview

Updated the production security configuration for michaelschiemer.de using a SINGLE docker-compose.yml approach with environment-based configuration.

Critical Security Fixes Applied

1. Performance Debug Information

• Issue: Performance debug information was visible on production
• Fix: Updated PerformanceServiceInitializer.php to strictly check both APP_ENV=production AND APP_DEBUG=false
• Result: Debug performance tracking disabled in production (ANALYTICS_TRACK_PERFORMANCE=false in .env.production)

2. Session Debug Data Exposure

• Issue: Session debug data was exposed in production
• Fix: Performance service now disables detailed reports in production
• Result: Session info and debug data hidden when APP_ENV=production

3. Admin Routes Security

• Issue: Admin routes were not properly secured
• Fix: Added ProductionSecurityMiddleware to middleware stack (priority #2 - early execution)
• Result: Admin/debug routes return 404 in production, IP-restricted routes require whitelist

Files Updated

1. /src/Framework/Http/MiddlewareManager.php

• Added ProductionSecurityMiddleware to middleware stack (position #2 for early execution)
• Updated middleware numbering to maintain proper order

2. /deploy.sh

• Changed deployment to copy .env.production to .env instead of using .env.example
• Added production configuration validation step
• Added security endpoint testing during deployment

3. /.env.production

• Added ADMIN_ALLOWED_IPS=127.0.0.1,::1 for IP whitelisting
• Set ANALYTICS_TRACK_PERFORMANCE=false to disable debug performance tracking
• Confirmed XDEBUG_MODE=off for production

4. Created /test-security.sh

• Comprehensive security testing script for local validation
• Tests blocked routes, IP-restricted routes, and environment configuration

Security Middleware Configuration

ProductionSecurityMiddleware Behavior

Blocked Routes in Production (returns 404):

• /admin/discovery
• /admin/routes
• /admin/performance
• /admin/environment
• /debug
• /performance
• /api/debug

IP-Restricted Routes in Production (requires whitelist):

• /admin
• /analytics
• /health
• /metrics

Allowed IPs (configurable via ADMIN_ALLOWED_IPS environment variable):

• 127.0.0.1 (localhost IPv4)
• ::1 (localhost IPv6)
• Additional IPs can be added as comma-separated values

Environment-Based Configuration

Single docker-compose.yml Approach

• Uses APP_ENV environment variable to control behavior
• Dockerfile uses ENV build argument for environment-specific builds
• Same containers work for both development and production

Environment Variable Control

• Development: APP_ENV=development, APP_DEBUG=true

  • Full debug information visible
  • All routes accessible
  • Performance tracking enabled

• Production: APP_ENV=production, APP_DEBUG=false

  • Debug information hidden
  • Admin/debug routes blocked
  • Performance tracking disabled
  • IP restrictions enforced

Validation & Testing

Local Testing Commands

# Test security configuration
./test-security.sh

# Test with production environment locally
docker exec php bash -c "cp .env.production .env && php test-production-config.php"

# Restore development environment
docker exec php cp .env.production.backup .env

Deployment Validation

The deployment script now automatically:

1. Validates APP_ENV=production and APP_DEBUG=false
2. Tests that debug routes return 404
3. Confirms environment is properly configured

Manual Production Testing

After deployment, verify from external IP:

# Should return 404
curl -H "User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0" https://michaelschiemer.de/debug
curl -H "User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0" https://michaelschiemer.de/admin/discovery

# Should return 403 (unless your IP is whitelisted)
curl -H "User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0" https://michaelschiemer.de/admin
curl -H "User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0" https://michaelschiemer.de/health

Key Security Improvements

1. Zero Debug Information Leakage: No performance data, session info, or debug details in production
2. Route-Level Security: Admin and debug routes completely blocked (404 response)
3. IP-Based Access Control: Critical routes restricted to whitelisted IPs
4. Environment Validation: Automatic validation during deployment
5. Single Configuration: One docker-compose.yml handles both dev and prod modes

Deployment Process

1. Pre-deployment: Local testing with production environment simulation
2. Deployment: Automatic copy of .env.production to .env
3. Validation: Automatic environment and security testing
4. Verification: Manual testing of critical security endpoints

The system now provides robust production security while maintaining development flexibility through environment-based configuration.