fix(auth): return JSON 401 for API sessions and harden cross-site cookies

auth/authEmail.js

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ const { client_logger } = require('../utils/analyticsLogger');
 const bcrypt = require('bcrypt');
 const crypto = require('crypto');
 const { getSessionId, getUserId, getProfileId } = require('../utils/sessionUtils.js');
-const { cookiesOptions } = require('../config/cookiesOptions');
+const { getCookiesOptions } = require('../config/cookiesOptions');
 const Notifications = require("../notifications");
 
 // Object Definitions
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ const createPasswordTokenHash = (rawToken) =>
 
 const createSessionFromUser = async ({ DB, user, req, res }) => {
     const sessionObj = await DB.newSession(user._id);
+    const cookiesOptions = getCookiesOptions(req);
     res.cookie('user_sid', user._id, cookiesOptions);
     res.cookie('session_id', sessionObj.insertedId, cookiesOptions);
     const latestUpdatedProfile = await DB.latestProfile(user._id);
@@ -143,8 +144,9 @@ const logout = async function (req, res) {
     const session_id = getSessionId(req);
     const user_sid = getUserId(req);
     if (session_id && user_sid) {
-        res.clearCookie('session_id');
-        res.clearCookie('user_sid');
+        const cookiesOptions = getCookiesOptions(req);
+        res.clearCookie('session_id', cookiesOptions);
+        res.clearCookie('user_sid', cookiesOptions);
         //remove from DB
         const DB = await MongoDB.getDB;
         DB.removeSession(session_id);

config/cookiesOptions.js

@@ -1,12 +1,49 @@
 const isProduction = process.env.NODE_ENV === "production";
 const forceSecureCookie = process.env.COOKIE_SECURE === "true";
-const secure = forceSecureCookie || isProduction;
 
-const cookiesOptions = {
-    maxAge: 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 * 90, // would expire after 90 days
-    httpOnly: true, // The cookie only accessible by the web server
-    sameSite: secure ? 'none' : 'lax',
-    secure,
+const COOKIE_MAX_AGE_MS = 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 * 90; // 90 days
+const LOCAL_ORIGIN_REGEX = /^http:\/\/(localhost|127\.0\.0\.1|aeropi\.local)(:\d+)?$/i;
+const LOCAL_HOST_REGEX = /^(localhost|127\.0\.0\.1|aeropi\.local)(:\d+)?$/i;
+
+const getHeaderValue = (req, key) => {
+    if (!req || !req.headers) return "";
+    const raw = req.headers[key];
+    if (Array.isArray(raw)) return raw[0] || "";
+    return raw || "";
 };
 
-module.exports = { cookiesOptions };
+const isLocalRequest = (req) => {
+    const origin = getHeaderValue(req, "origin");
+    const host = getHeaderValue(req, "host");
+    return LOCAL_ORIGIN_REGEX.test(origin) || LOCAL_HOST_REGEX.test(host);
+};
+
+const isHttpsRequest = (req) => {
+    if (!req) return false;
+    const forwardedProto = String(getHeaderValue(req, "x-forwarded-proto")).split(",")[0].trim().toLowerCase();
+    const reqProtocol = String(req.protocol || "").toLowerCase();
+    const origin = String(getHeaderValue(req, "origin") || "").toLowerCase();
+    if (forwardedProto === "https" || reqProtocol === "https") return true;
+    return origin.startsWith("https://");
+};
+
+const shouldUseSecureCookie = (req) => {
+    if (forceSecureCookie) return true;
+    if (isLocalRequest(req)) return false;
+    if (isHttpsRequest(req)) return true;
+    return isProduction;
+};
+
+const getCookiesOptions = (req) => {
+    const secure = shouldUseSecureCookie(req);
+    return {
+        maxAge: COOKIE_MAX_AGE_MS,
+        httpOnly: true,
+        sameSite: secure ? "none" : "lax",
+        secure,
+    };
+};
+
+const cookiesOptions = getCookiesOptions();
+
+module.exports = { cookiesOptions, getCookiesOptions };

config/corsOptions.js

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ var corsOptions = {
         'http://127.0.0.1:8081',
         'http://localhost:3000', 
         "https://social.emmint.com",  
+        "https://www.social.emmint.com",
         "https://fellowship.emmint.com",
         "https://aeropi.local",
     ],

index.js

@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ const webPushEmail = process.env.WEB_PUSH_EMAIL;
 webPush.setVapidDetails('mailto:' + webPushEmail, publicVapidKey, privateVapidKey);
 
 
-const { cookiesOptions } = require('./config/cookiesOptions');
+const { getCookiesOptions } = require('./config/cookiesOptions');
 const { client_logger } = require('./utils/analyticsLogger.js');
 const { getSessionId, getUserId, getProfileId } = require('./utils/sessionUtils.js');
 
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ DB.getDB.then((DB) => {
                 return res.status(403).json({ status: "Profile does not belong to the logged-in user" });
             }
             // Update active profile cookie
-            res.cookie('profile_id', profile._id, cookiesOptions);
+            res.cookie('profile_id', profile._id, getCookiesOptions(req));
             return res.json({ status: "ok", profile });
         } catch (error) {
             console.error("Error changing profile:", error);

middleware/sessionChecker.js

@@ -1,9 +1,22 @@
 const { getSessionId, getUserId, getProfileId } = require('../utils/sessionUtils');
 const { client_logger } = require('../utils/analyticsLogger');
-const { cookiesOptions } = require('../config/cookiesOptions');
+const { getCookiesOptions } = require('../config/cookiesOptions');
 const MongoDB = require("../mongoDB.js");
 const { ObjectId } = require("mongodb");
 
+const shouldReturnJson = (req) => {
+    const accept = String(req?.headers?.accept || "").toLowerCase();
+    const contentType = String(req?.headers?.["content-type"] || "").toLowerCase();
+    return !!req?.headers?.origin || accept.includes("application/json") || contentType.includes("application/json");
+};
+
+const rejectUnauthorized = (req, res) => {
+    if (shouldReturnJson(req)) {
+        return res.status(401).json({ status: "Unauthorized" });
+    }
+    return res.redirect('/login');
+};
+
 const sessionChecker = async (req, res, next) => {
     try {
         const session_id = getSessionId(req);
@@ -11,10 +24,10 @@ const sessionChecker = async (req, res, next) => {
         let profile_id = getProfileId(req);
 
         if (!session_id || !user_sid) {
-            return res.redirect('/login');
+            return rejectUnauthorized(req, res);
         }
         if (!ObjectId.isValid(session_id) || !ObjectId.isValid(user_sid)) {
-            return res.redirect('/login');
+            return rejectUnauthorized(req, res);
         }
 
         const DB = await MongoDB.getDB;
@@ -24,15 +37,15 @@ const sessionChecker = async (req, res, next) => {
         if (!await DB.getProfileCache(profile_id)) {
             const latestProfile = await DB.latestProfile(user_sid);
             if (!latestProfile || !latestProfile._id) {
-                return res.redirect('/login');
+                return rejectUnauthorized(req, res);
             }
-            res.cookie('profile_id', latestProfile._id, cookiesOptions);
+            res.cookie('profile_id', latestProfile._id, getCookiesOptions(req));
             profile_id = latestProfile._id;
         }
 
         req.profileInfo = { _id: profile_id };
 
-        if (!userInfo) return res.redirect('/login');
+        if (!userInfo) return rejectUnauthorized(req, res);
 
         client_logger.capture({
             distinctId: user_sid,
@@ -42,7 +55,7 @@ const sessionChecker = async (req, res, next) => {
         next();
     } catch (error) {
         console.error("Session checker error", error);
-        return res.redirect('/login');
+        return rejectUnauthorized(req, res);
     }
 };