Improper asset management in RedwoodJS often stems from misconfiguring the 'web/public' directory or leaking sensitive environment variables into the client-side bundle. In a full-stack architecture, failing to distinguish between public assets and internal metadata allows attackers to map your internal API structure or pivot using leaked credentials found in static build artifacts.

The Vulnerable Pattern

// web/public/config/internal_manifest.json
{
  "internal_service_url": "https://dev-api.internal.net",
  "debug_mode": true,
  "legacy_key": "8f3e2210b42c4b..."
}
// web/src/lib/api.js
// Leaking secrets by using the REDWOOD_ENV_ prefix incorrectly
const SECRET_TOKEN = process.env.REDWOOD_ENV_INTERNAL_API_SECRET;

The Secure Implementation

To remediate improper asset management: 1. Purge sensitive JSON or configuration files from 'web/public'; these are served statically and bypass all RedwoodJS auth logic. 2. Use the 'api' side to serve sensitive configuration via GraphQL or Functions, protected by 'requireAuth'. 3. Strictly control environment variable exposure; only prefix variables with 'REDWOOD_ENV_' if they are absolutely required by the browser. 4. Disable source maps in your 'redwood.toml' for production builds to stop attackers from reconstructing your frontend logic and finding hidden API endpoints.

// api/src/services/settings/settings.js
import { ForbiddenError } from '@redwoodjs/graphql-server'
export const getInternalSettings = () => {
// Gate sensitive assets behind authentication
requireAuth()
return {
serviceUrl: process.env.INTERNAL_SERVICE_URL
}
}
// redwood.toml
[web]
Disable source maps in production to prevent source code exposure
sourceMap = false