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Java: treat hash/encrypt/digest methods as sensitive-log sanitizers #21654

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Java: treat hash/encrypt/digest methods as sensitive-log sanitizers #21654

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4 changes: 4 additions & 0 deletions java/ql/lib/change-notes/2026-04-04-sensitive-log-hash-sanitizer.md
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@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
---
category: minorAnalysis
---
* The `java/sensitive-log` query now treats method calls whose names contain "encrypt", "hash", or "digest" as sanitizers, consistent with the existing treatment in `java/cleartext-storage-in-log`. This reduces false positives when sensitive data is hashed or encrypted before logging.
13 changes: 13 additions & 0 deletions java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/security/SensitiveLoggingQuery.qll
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Expand Up @@ -120,6 +120,19 @@ private class DefaultSensitiveLoggerBarrier extends SensitiveLoggerBarrier {
}
}

/**
* A barrier for sensitive data that has been hashed, encrypted, or digested before logging.
* This is consistent with the treatment of encryption in `CleartextStorageQuery.qll` (CWE-312).
*/
private class EncryptionBarrier extends SensitiveLoggerBarrier {
EncryptionBarrier() {
exists(MethodCall mc |
this.asExpr() = mc and
mc.getMethod().getName().toLowerCase().matches(["%encrypt%", "%hash%", "%digest%"])
)
}
}
Comment on lines +127 to +134
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@owen-mc owen-mc Apr 15, 2026

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Instead of duplicating the logic, move the class definition into java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/security/Sanitizers.qll and reference it from both places.


/** A data-flow configuration for identifying potentially-sensitive data flowing to a log output. */
module SensitiveLoggerConfig implements DataFlow::ConfigSig {
predicate isSource(DataFlow::Node source) { source instanceof SensitiveLoggerSource }
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4 changes: 4 additions & 0 deletions java/ql/test/query-tests/security/CWE-532/SensitiveLogInfo.expected
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Expand Up @@ -3,13 +3,15 @@
| Test.java:12:22:12:52 | ... + ... | Test.java:12:44:12:52 | authToken : String | Test.java:12:22:12:52 | ... + ... | This $@ is written to a log file. | Test.java:12:44:12:52 | authToken | potentially sensitive information |
| Test.java:21:22:21:75 | ... + ... | Test.java:21:44:21:52 | authToken : String | Test.java:21:22:21:75 | ... + ... | This $@ is written to a log file. | Test.java:21:44:21:52 | authToken | potentially sensitive information |
| Test.java:22:22:22:75 | ... + ... | Test.java:22:44:22:52 | authToken : String | Test.java:22:22:22:75 | ... + ... | This $@ is written to a log file. | Test.java:22:44:22:52 | authToken | potentially sensitive information |
| Test.java:31:21:31:37 | ... + ... | Test.java:31:30:31:37 | password : String | Test.java:31:21:31:37 | ... + ... | This $@ is written to a log file. | Test.java:31:30:31:37 | password | potentially sensitive information |
edges
| Test.java:11:46:11:53 | password : String | Test.java:11:21:11:53 | ... + ... | provenance | Sink:MaD:2 |
| Test.java:12:44:12:52 | authToken : String | Test.java:12:22:12:52 | ... + ... | provenance | Sink:MaD:1 |
| Test.java:21:44:21:52 | authToken : String | Test.java:21:44:21:67 | substring(...) : String | provenance | MaD:3 |
| Test.java:21:44:21:67 | substring(...) : String | Test.java:21:22:21:75 | ... + ... | provenance | Sink:MaD:1 |
| Test.java:22:44:22:52 | authToken : String | Test.java:22:44:22:67 | substring(...) : String | provenance | MaD:3 |
| Test.java:22:44:22:67 | substring(...) : String | Test.java:22:22:22:75 | ... + ... | provenance | Sink:MaD:1 |
| Test.java:31:30:31:37 | password : String | Test.java:31:21:31:37 | ... + ... | provenance | Sink:MaD:2 |
models
| 1 | Sink: org.apache.logging.log4j; Logger; true; error; (String); ; Argument[0]; log-injection; manual |
| 2 | Sink: org.apache.logging.log4j; Logger; true; info; (String); ; Argument[0]; log-injection; manual |
Expand All @@ -25,4 +27,6 @@ nodes
| Test.java:22:22:22:75 | ... + ... | semmle.label | ... + ... |
| Test.java:22:44:22:52 | authToken : String | semmle.label | authToken : String |
| Test.java:22:44:22:67 | substring(...) : String | semmle.label | substring(...) : String |
| Test.java:31:21:31:37 | ... + ... | semmle.label | ... + ... |
| Test.java:31:30:31:37 | password : String | semmle.label | password : String |
subpaths
13 changes: 13 additions & 0 deletions java/ql/test/query-tests/security/CWE-532/Test.java
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Expand Up @@ -21,4 +21,17 @@ void test(String password, String authToken, String username, String nullToken,
logger.error("Auth failed for: " + authToken.substring(1,5) + "..."); // $ Alert
logger.error("Auth failed for: " + authToken.substring(0,8) + "..."); // $ Alert
}

// Tests for hash/encryption sanitizer
void testHashSanitizer(String password, String authToken) {
Logger logger = null;
logger.info("hash: " + hashPassword(password)); // Safe - hashed
logger.info("hash: " + sha256Digest(authToken)); // Safe - digested
logger.info("enc: " + encryptValue(password)); // Safe - encrypted
logger.info("pw: " + password); // $ Alert - not hashed
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@owen-mc owen-mc Apr 15, 2026

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I believe that the inline expectations library tries to parse everything after // $ but it allows you to add a comment after another //.

Suggested change
logger.info("pw: " + password); // $ Alert - not hashed
logger.info("pw: " + password); // $ Alert // not hashed

}

static String hashPassword(String input) { return input; }
static String sha256Digest(String input) { return input; }
static String encryptValue(String input) { return input; }
}
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