@contrast/agent

Contrast Security Node.js Agent

This package will enable instrumentation of your Node.js application for security anaylsis and runtime protection by Contrast Security.

Unlike legacy application security testing solutions, Contrast produces accurate results without dependence on application security experts. Accuracy comes from Contrast's patented Deep Security Instrumentation technology, which integrates the most effective elements of Interactive (IAST), Static (SAST), and Dynamic (DAST) application security testing technology, software composition analysis (SCA), and configuration analysis, and delivers them directly to applications.

Contrast produces a continuous stream of accurate vulnerability and compliance risk information whenever and wherever software is run. Development, QA and Security teams get results as they develop and test software, enabling them to find and fix security flaws early in the software lifecycle, when they are easiest and cheapest to remediate.

Getting Started

Existing Contrast Node.js agent users should install and update the Contrast Node.js agent from npm. Auto-update for the Node.js agent is no longer supported. The Contrast Node.js agent follows semantic versioning (major.minor.patch).

An API key, provided by Contrast Security, is required for the agent to function.

Ensure you have installed the latest LTS (Long Term Support) version of Node.js

To install from npm using the command line (run from the app root directory):

$ npm install @contrast/agent

Usage

Using CommonJS (CJS) Modules

CommonJS is the original Node.js module system. CJS modules are loaded with the const module = require('module') syntax.

When instrumenting an application written with CJS modules, use the following method to start the application.

    Usage: node -r @contrast/agent app-main.js [agent arguments] -- [app arguments]

    Options:

        -h, --help               output usage information
        -V, --version            output the version number
        -c, --configFile <path>  path to agent config file

Using ECMAScript Modules (ESM)

NOTE: ECMAScript instrumentation is experimental and Contrast requires at least Node version 14.15.0 for support.

ECMAScript modules are the new official standard format to package JavaScript code for reuse. ES Modules are loaded with the import module from 'module' syntax.

When instrumenting an application that utilizes ECMAScript Modules, use the following method to start the application. This is the appropriate method for instrumenting an application that uses CJS, ESM, or a combination of both.

    Usage: node --experimental-loader @contrast/agent/esm.mjs app-main.mjs [agent arguments] -- [app arguments]

    Options:

        -h, --help               output usage information
        -V, --version            output the version number
        -c, --configFile <path>  path to agent config file

Configuration

The agent expects that the contrast_security.yaml configuration file exists in the application's root directory (where the package.json file usually resides).

If you need to specify a different location for the configuration file you can use either the -c or --configFile command-line arguments or provide the CONTRAST_CONFIG_PATH environment variable:

node -r @contrast/agent app-main.js -c /path/to/config.yml
node -r @contrast/agent app-main.js --configFile /path/to/config.yml
CONTRAST_CONFIG_PATH=/path/to/config.yml node -r @contrast/agent app-main.js

The minimum required contrast_security.yaml setup should look something like this:

api:
  url: https://app.contrastsecurity.com
  user_name: contrast_user
  api_key: demo
  service_key: demo

Property	Description
api.api_key	Organization's API key
api.user_name	Contrast user account ID (In most cases, this is your login ID)
api.service_key	Contrast user account service key
api.url	Address of the Contrast installation you would like your agent to report to

For detailed installation and configuration instructions, see the Node.js Agent documentation.