loopbackio / loopbackio/loopback-connector-postgresql

eq object (JSON columns) doesn't work

Open
#477 6 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
bug needs-priority stale
Dominant language
JavaScript
Stars
118
Forks
184
Avg merge
1d 22h
Merged PRs (30d)
5

Description

## Steps to reproduce

1. Create a model that has an object column, mapped as a JSON type in PostgreSQL
2. Try to do a `find` searching for a full value in that property/column, e.g. `const objectValue = {a: 1, b: 2};` and then `repo.find({where: {objectProperty: objectValue}})` or `repo.find({where: {objectProperty: {eq: objectValue}}})`

## Current Behavior

1. The `{objectProperty: {eq: value}}` is translated down into `{objectProperty: value}`
2. This line assumes that, if the value is an object, it must contain exactly one field that must be an operator: https://github.com/strongloop/loopback-connector-postgresql/blob/master/lib/postgresql.js#L654
3. It tries to map e.g. `a` as an operator name
4. The `buildExpression` operator switch hits its `default` clause which delegates to the base class in `loopback-connector`: https://github.com/strongloop/loopback-connector-postgresql/blob/master/lib/postgresql.js#L540-L543
5. That base class method has a `switch` with _no_ `default` clause, so it doesn't throw any errors and just concatenates the column name with the placeholder for the value: https://github.com/strongloop/loopback-connector/blob/master/lib/sql.js#L969
6. And so it generates invalid SQL that looks like `"columName"$1`

## Expected Behavior

* I should be able to use object values in where clauses if the property contains object values

## Link to reproduction sandbox

WIP -- NB: encountering this in an LB4 app

## Additional information

* Running on `linux x64 12.22.1`
* `npm ls` doesn't work with `rush`, but using `loopback-connector-postgresql` v5.0.1, with `loopback-connector` v4.11.1, and the following LB4 components:
* `"@loopback/boot": "2.2.0"`
* `"@loopback/context": "3.9.3"`
* `"@loopback/core": "2.5.0"`
* `"@loopback/metadata": "2.2.6"`
* `"@loopback/openapi-v3": "3.3.1"`
* `"@loopback/openapi-v3-types": "1.2.1"`
* `"@loopback/repository": "2.4.0"`
* `"@loopback/rest": "4.0.0"`
* `"@loopback/rest-explorer": "2.2.0"`

## Related Issues

Haven't found any yet

## Workaround

Create a custom class to represent the value, and then have the equality comparison value use that, e.g. something like this, but without the prototype pollution vulnerabilities:
```typescript
class JSONWrapper {
[k: string]: any
constructor(value: any) {
Object.assign(this, value)
}
}

// elsewhere:
repo.find({where: {objectProperty: new JSONWrapper(objectValue)}});
```
This causes the `expression.constructor === Object` check to fail, and so it doesn't try to unwrap the value

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start in lib/postgresql.js at the operator parsing and buildExpression locations cited in the report, then inspect the related base logic in loopback-connector/lib/sql.js. Reproduce the JSON-column equality query against PostgreSQL and trace how the object value becomes SQL. Done means object values in where clauses generate valid SQL and return matching records, with regression coverage in the relevant connector tests.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
javascript, postgresql
Domain
databases
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
48/100

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