Secure Flask Registration System

A secure user registration and authentication system built using Python Flask with cybersecurity-focused validation and authentication practices.

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Project Overview

This project demonstrates how to build a secure web form and authentication system using:

• Python
• Flask
• SQLite
• bcrypt
• HTML
• Linux CLI workflow
• Git & GitHub

The project focuses on secure backend engineering concepts including:

• input validation
• password hashing
• SQL injection prevention
• authentication
• session handling
• secure database interaction

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Features

User Registration

Users can:

• register securely
• validate inputs
• store credentials safely

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User Login

Authenticated users can:

• login securely
• access protected dashboard
• logout safely

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Security Features

Input Validation

Validation is implemented for:

• Name
• Email
• Student ID
• Password

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Password Hashing

Passwords are hashed using:

• bcrypt

Plain-text passwords are never stored.

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SQL Injection Protection

Parameterized queries are used:

cursor.execute(
    "SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = ?",
    (email,)
)

This prevents SQL injection attacks.

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Session-Based Authentication

Flask sessions are used to:

• maintain authenticated state
• protect restricted routes

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Duplicate Email Prevention

SQLite UNIQUE constraint prevents duplicate account registration.

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Tech Stack

Technology	Purpose
Python	Backend language
Flask	Web framework
SQLite	Database
bcrypt	Password hashing
HTML	Frontend
Git	Version control
GitHub	Remote repository
Linux CLI	Development workflow

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Project Structure

secure_form_project/
│
├── app.py
├── requirements.txt
├── README.md
├── .gitignore
│
├── templates/
│   ├── index.html
│   └── login.html
│
├── static/
│
└── users.db

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Installation

Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/Madhura7s/secure-flask-form.git

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Move Into Project

cd secure-flask-form

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Create Virtual Environment

python3 -m venv venv

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Activate Virtual Environment

Linux

source venv/bin/activate

Windows

venv\Scripts\activate

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Install Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

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Running The Application

python3 app.py

Open browser:

http://127.0.0.1:5000

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Authentication Flow

User Input
↓
Validation
↓
Password Hashing
↓
Database Storage
↓
Login Authentication
↓
Session Creation
↓
Protected Dashboard Access

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Security Threats Addressed

Threat	Protection
SQL Injection	Parameterized queries
Weak Passwords	Regex validation
Credential Theft	bcrypt hashing
Unauthorized Access	Session validation
Duplicate Accounts	UNIQUE constraints
Invalid Input	Regex filtering

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Future Improvements

Planned security enhancements:

• CSRF protection
• Rate limiting
• HTTPS
• Secure cookies
• Docker support
• Admin panel
• Logging & monitoring
• Role-based access control
• JWT authentication

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Learning Objectives

This project was built to practice:

• secure backend development
• cybersecurity thinking
• Linux-based development workflow
• authentication systems
• secure database interaction
• Git & GitHub workflow

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Author

Madhura Suryawanshi

Cybersecurity & Secure Development Enthusiast