Documentation: middleware / csrfToken
Purpose:
Provides CSRF protection by setting token cookie and exposing token to templates.
Lifecycle Role:
Early middleware before state-changing routes requiring CSRF protection.
Dependencies:
Upstream:
cookie-parser, csurf package
Downstream:
POST or state-changing route handlers
Data Flow:
Inputs:
- Request cookies and headers
Outputs:
- CSRF token cookie
- res.locals.csrfToken
Side Effects:
Blocks requests missing valid CSRF tokens
Performance and Scalability:
Bottlenecks:
- Cookie parsing failure disables protection
- Incorrect token handling breaks forms
Concurrency:
None
Security and Stability:
Validation:
Tokens verified on requests
Vulnerabilities:
- Requires secure cookie flags in production
- Tokens must be unguessable
Architecture Assessment:
Coupling:
Middleware integrating third-party packages
Abstraction:
Standard CSRF protection abstraction
Recommendations:
- Ensure HttpOnly, Secure flags on cookies in production
- Handle token expiration gracefully