Token Leakage in Echo Go with Cockroachdb

Token leakage occurs when authentication tokens, session identifiers, or other bearer credentials are exposed in logs, error messages, or through unsafe data handling. The combination of Echo Go and Cockroachdb can inadvertently expose tokens when application code does not properly control what is logged or returned to the client, and when database interactions are not isolated from request context.

In Echo Go, developers often attach user information or session tokens to the request context for downstream handlers. If a handler passes this context directly to Cockroachdb queries—such as building dynamic SQL or ORM operations with values from echo.Context—there is a risk that tokens are included in query strings or ORM objects that might be logged by the database driver or application instrumentation. Cockroachdb, as a distributed SQL database, supports extended query logging for diagnostics; if the application or infrastructure captures query text or parameters for debugging, raw tokens can appear in logs or observability pipelines.

Another vector specific to this stack is error handling. When an operation involving Cockroachdb fails (for example, a constraint violation or network issue), an Echo Go handler might return or log the full query and parameters, including the token, in error responses or server logs. Because Cockroachdb drivers often expose parameter values in error details, an unguarded handler can leak credentials through stack traces or HTTP error payloads returned to the client. This is especially relevant when using reflection-based ORMs that embed struct fields—including fields tagged as tokens—into generated queries.

Additionally, improper middleware usage can exacerbate leakage. If authentication middleware places a token in the Echo context and subsequent handlers do not sanitize context before logging or passing data to Cockroachdb, the token may be retained in memory longer than necessary and exposed through debug endpoints or profiling tools that capture request-scoped data. Because Echo Go provides straightforward context propagation and Cockroachdb integrations commonly accept arbitrary map or struct inputs, the opportunity for accidental exposure increases when developers do not explicitly strip or hash sensitive values before database interactions.

Remediation focuses on ensuring tokens never appear in logs, error messages, or query parameters. Use structured queries with placeholders, avoid logging request-scoped values near database calls, and sanitize all data passed to Cockroachdb.

package main

import (
	"context"
	"net/http"

	"github.com/labstack/echo/v4"
	"github.com/lib/pq"
)

type SafeHandler struct{}

// sanitizeContext removes sensitive keys from echo context before logging or DB use.
func sanitizeContext(e echo.Context) map[string]interface{} {
	// Explicitly pick only non-sensitive fields for database operations.
	payload := map[string]interface{}{
		"user_id": e.Get("user_id"),
		"role":    e.Get("role"),
	}
	return payload
}

// QueryWithPlaceholders demonstrates a safe Cockroachdb interaction using $1-style placeholders.
func (h *SafeHandler) GetUserProfile(c echo.Context) error {
	ctx := c.Request().Context()

	// Extract only required, non-sensitive data.
	safeData := sanitizeContext(c)
	userID, ok := safeData["user_id"].(int64)
	if !ok {
		return echo.NewHTTPError(http.StatusBadRequest, "invalid user identifier")
	}

	var email string
	// Use parameterized queries to avoid embedding tokens in SQL text.
	const sql = `SELECT email FROM users WHERE id = $1`
	err := db.QueryRow(ctx, sql, userID).Scan(&email)
	if err != nil {
		// Log without request context to avoid token leakage.
		// Use structured logging with only non-sensitive fields.
		logError("db query failed", "error", err.Error())
		return echo.NewHTTPError(http.StatusInternalServerError, "unable to load profile")
	}

	return c.JSON(http.StatusOK, map[string]string{"email": email})
}

// logError is a minimal non-context logger to avoid accidental token capture.
func logError(msg string, kv ...interface{}) {
	// Example using a logger that omits request-scoped context.
	// In production, plug in a structured logger with controlled fields.
}

Key practices:

• Use placeholders ($1, $2) with Cockroachdb drivers to ensure parameters are sent separately from query text, preventing tokens from appearing in captured SQL logs.
• Avoid passing the full echo.Context or request headers directly to database calls; instead, extract and sanitize specific values.
• Ensure error handling does not include query strings or parameters that contain tokens; return generic messages to the client while logging safely without context.
• Instrument your logging pipeline to exclude fields named authorization, token, or similar; combine this with Cockroachdb driver configuration that disables query parameter logging in production.