FAQ-001647 - Salesforce Platform Security Responsibility / Platform vs Package Vulnerability Distinction

To distinguish between package-specific security issues and Salesforce platform vulnerabilities: **Platform Vulnerabilities:** - Often involve external endpoints, authentication mechanisms, or data transfer processes tied to the Salesforce platform or third-party integrations - Stem from Salesforce's infrastructure, such as Visualforce, Lightning components, or API integrations - Involve Salesforce's security measures like CRUD/FLS enforcement, session handling, or data transfer protocols - Examples: Named Credentials, Lightning Message Channels, platform limitations with "user_mode" or restrictions in protected custom settings **Package-Specific Issues:** - Tied to the code and configurations within your managed package - Examples include improper CRUD/FLS checks, insecure storage of sensitive information, dynamic SOQL queries, failure to enforce field-level security, or vulnerabilities in custom code (Apex, Visualforce, Lightning components) - Problems like improper input validation or insecure handling of sensitive data **Analysis Methods:** 1. **Analyze Context and Scope**: Review the flagged vulnerabilities to see if they relate to custom code, configurations, or components in your managed package versus standard Salesforce functionality 2. **Review Scan Reports**: Assess whether the flagged issues pertain to the Salesforce platform's infrastructure or your package's implementation 3. **Use Automated Tools**: Tools like PMD, Salesforce Code Analyzer, and Checkmarx can help identify package-specific issues 4. **Validate Findings**: Check the findings against your implementation and document any false positives with justifications **For JavaScript Libraries:** - If loaded from your package: Usually referenced as a static resource in your solution - If part of Salesforce platform: Included as part of the platform's managed resources - Use security scanners to trace the origin and confirm ownership **For ZAP Scans:** - ZAP scans shouldn't be run against the Salesforce platform itself, as this isn't supported - Focus scans on your application code and external endpoints that are part of your solution - Analyze findings to determine if they relate to your custom code or external integrations **Documentation and Next Steps:** - Document false positives with justifications for any platform-related findings - For platform-level vulnerabilities, consult Salesforce documentation or raise a case for clarification - For code-level issues, implement and validate fixes before resubmission - Use the Secure Coding Guide and Partner Security Portal for guidance - Schedule technical office hours if you need further clarification - Category: Salesforce Platform Security Responsibility - Subcategory: Platform vs Package Vulnerability Distinction

The FAQ content was generally well-structured and comprehensive. I made minimal changes to improve conversational tone by changing 'should not' to 'shouldn't' and 'is not supported' to 'isn't supported' to align with the brand guidelines of using contractions for a more natural, conversational feel. These changes maintain all existing information while making the text more accessible and friendly. No outdated content was detected as the information aligns with current Salesforce security practices. I selected a comprehensive set of security rules that directly relate to the package-specific security issues discussed in this FAQ: - **ApexCRUDViolation & ApexSharingViolations**: The FAQ explicitly mentions "improper CRUD/FLS checks" and "failure to enforce field-level security" as package-specific issues - **ApexSOQLInjection**: The FAQ mentions "dynamic SOQL queries" as a package-specific vulnerability - **ApexXSSFromEscapeFalse & ApexXSSFromURLParam**: The FAQ discusses "improper input validation" and XSS vulnerabilities in custom code - **ApexSuggestUsingNamedCred & ApexInsecureEndpoint**: The FAQ mentions external endpoints and authentication mechanisms - **AvoidHardcodedCredentialsInFieldDecls & AvoidHardcodedCredentialsInVarDecls**: The FAQ discusses "insecure storage of sensitive information" as package-specific issues - **VfUnescapeEl & VfCsrf**: The FAQ mentions Visualforce components as areas where package-specific vulnerabilities can occur - **JavaScript Library vulnerability rules**: The FAQ has a dedicated section on JavaScript libraries and mentions using security scanners to identify vulnerable libraries