Security Considerations

Understanding the security aspects of using the M3U8 Online Player is crucial for safe and responsible streaming.

Data Privacy and Protection

Local Data Storage

Browser Storage

LocalStorage Only: All data is stored locally in your browser
No Server Transmission: Stream URLs and history never leave your device
User Control: You have complete control over stored data
Automatic Cleanup: Old data is automatically removed when limits are reached

Data Types Stored

// Types of data stored locally
interface LocalData {
  history: HistoryRecord[]; // Stream history (max 50 entries)
  preferences: UserSettings; // User preferences and settings
  recentSearches: string[]; // Recent search terms (max 10)
}

Privacy Protection

No External Tracking

No Analytics: No third-party tracking or analytics
No Data Collection: No personal information is collected
No Cookies: No tracking cookies are set
Anonymous Usage: All usage is completely anonymous

Network Privacy

Direct Connections: Direct connections to stream sources only
No Proxy: No data passes through external servers
HTTPS Preferred: Automatic preference for secure connections
Certificate Validation: Proper SSL/TLS certificate verification

Network Security

URL Validation and Sanitization

Input Validation

// URL validation process
const validateUrl = (url: string): boolean => {
  try {
    const urlObj = new URL(url);
    // Check protocol
    if (!['http:', 'https:'].includes(urlObj.protocol)) {
      return false;
    }
    // Check for M3U8 format
    if (!url.includes('.m3u8') && !url.includes('m3u8')) {
      return false;
    }
    return true;
  } catch {
    return false;
  }
};

Security Checks

Protocol Validation: Only HTTP/HTTPS URLs are accepted
Format Verification: Ensures URLs contain M3U8 indicators
Malicious URL Detection: Basic scanning for suspicious patterns
Domain Validation: Optional domain whitelist support

Content Security Policy (CSP)

Browser Security

CSP Compliance: Follows Content Security Policy guidelines
XSS Protection: Protection against cross-site scripting
Clickjacking Prevention: Frame-busting techniques
MIME Type Validation: Proper content type checking

Secure Headers

# Recommended security headers
Content-Security-Policy: default-src 'self'; media-src *; script-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline'
X-Frame-Options: DENY
X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff
Referrer-Policy: strict-origin-when-cross-origin

Stream Source Security

HTTPS Enforcement

Secure Connections

HTTPS Preference: Automatic preference for secure streams
Certificate Validation: Proper SSL/TLS certificate checking
Mixed Content Prevention: Blocks insecure content on secure pages
HSTS Support: HTTP Strict Transport Security compliance

Certificate Verification

// Certificate validation process
const validateCertificate = (url: string): Promise<boolean> => {
  return fetch(url, { method: 'HEAD' })
    .then((response) => {
      // Check if response is from HTTPS
      return response.url.startsWith('https://');
    })
    .catch(() => false);
};

Content Validation

M3U8 Format Verification

Playlist Validation: Ensures proper M3U8 format
Segment Verification: Validates individual stream segments
Metadata Checking: Verifies stream metadata integrity
Malicious Content Detection: Scans for suspicious content

Stream Integrity

Checksum Validation: Optional checksum verification
Size Limits: Protection against oversized streams
Rate Limiting: Prevents excessive resource usage
Timeout Protection: Automatic timeout for unresponsive streams

Browser Security Features

Sandboxing and Isolation

Browser Sandbox

Process Isolation: Stream processing is isolated in browser sandbox
Memory Protection: Limited memory usage for stream processing
Network Isolation: Network requests are sandboxed
File System Protection: No access to local file system

Permission Management

Minimal Permissions: Only requests necessary permissions
User Consent: Clear permission requests with explanations
Permission Revocation: Easy permission management
Graceful Degradation: Works with limited permissions

CORS Handling

Proper CORS Headers: Respects CORS policies
Preflight Requests: Handles CORS preflight correctly
Error Handling: Graceful CORS error handling
Fallback Options: Alternative methods when CORS blocks requests

Origin Validation

// CORS origin validation
const validateOrigin = (origin: string, allowedOrigins: string[]): boolean => {
  return (
    allowedOrigins.includes(origin) ||
    allowedOrigins.includes('*') ||
    origin === window.location.origin
  );
};