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http://nagoya.apache.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=12473

password fields are not validated using javscript (lengths)

[EMAIL PROTECTED] changed:

           What    |Removed                     |Added
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             Status|RESOLVED                    |UNCONFIRMED
         Resolution|WONTFIX                     |



------- Additional Comments From [EMAIL PROTECTED]  2003-10-06 20:45 -------
Martin,
  While I understand your concern on revealing field length validation 
requirements on password fields on the client, I disagree with the decision to 
have the Struts Validator skip this validation altogether on the client for the 
following reasons:

1) The server side validation validates lengths on password fields and 
generates errors (which would most likely reveal the length requirements). 
Having the client side alone skip it is not consistent behavior (client side 
validation is no longer an accurate duplication of server side requirements). A 
hacker has to post only once with empty password fields to find out the length 
requirements.

2) A simple View Source of the rendered page lists all the server side 
requirements for password field lengths (look at the maxlength and minlength 
JavaScript functions). In other words, even though the JavaScript does not 
perform the length validation on the client side, the page source reveals all 
the requirements anyway. Hence, nothing is gained by not performing the client 
side checks. 

3) Many websites list the length requirements for user ID and password on the 
page itself for the benefit of the users (in addition to other requirements 
such as certain characters are not allowed etc). I believe that this is a 
legitimate use (how else do you tell users what the field length should be and 
what the unique requirements are?). The Struts Validator pre-empts this 
approach.   

I think the decision not to enforce password lengths on the client should be 
left to the development team. Struts should not unilaterally make this decision 
for them but should facilitate this approach, if possible. A good example of 
taking this approach lies in the html:password tag, which contains a redisplay 
attribute. If a development team decides that passwords should not be sent back 
to the browser in clear text (on validation errors), then they can set this 
attribute to false. Otherwise, they can leave it at true. 

It would be better IMHO to have a similar functionality in the Struts 
Validator – provide a way to do client side length checks on the password 
fields (default) and a way to turn it off. If the latter approach is not 
possible, I would recommend turning "on" the client side length checks for 
password fields by default. 

Giri

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