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attack-surface.md

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Attack Surface Analysis for octalmage/robotjs

Attack Surface: 1. Command Injection via Keyboard Input

  • Description: An attacker injects malicious operating system commands through simulated keyboard input provided by robotjs.
    • How robotjs Contributes: The robotjs.typeString() and robotjs.keyTap() functions are the direct means of injecting arbitrary text and key combinations, enabling command execution if the input reaches a command-line interpreter.
    • Example:
      • Application uses robotjs.typeString() to populate a command prompt based on user input. Attacker provides input like ; rm -rf /; (Linux/macOS) or ; powershell -Command "Invoke-WebRequest ...)" (Windows).
    • Impact: Complete system compromise, data loss, data exfiltration, malware installation, remote code execution.
    • Risk Severity: Critical
    • Mitigation Strategies:
      • Absolute Prohibition: Never use robotjs to interact with a command-line interface or any application that interprets input as commands. This is the paramount mitigation. Find alternative, non-robotjs solutions.
      • Strict Input Validation (If Unavoidable - Highly Discouraged): If, against all advice, robotjs must be used in a way that could influence a command line, implement extremely rigorous input validation and sanitization. Use whitelisting of a very limited set of safe characters and patterns. Assume all input is malicious.
      • Principle of Least Privilege: Run the application with the absolute minimum necessary privileges. This limits the potential damage of a successful injection.
      • Sandboxing: Isolate the application or the robotjs component within a sandboxed environment (e.g., a container) to contain the impact of a compromise.

Attack Surface: 2. UI Manipulation via Mouse and Keyboard (Leading to Command Injection or Sensitive Action)

  • Description: An attacker uses robotjs's mouse and keyboard control to manipulate the UI, ultimately leading to either command injection (covered above) or the execution of a sensitive action without proper authorization. This entry focuses on the indirect path to high-severity consequences.
    • How robotjs Contributes: robotjs.moveMouse(), robotjs.mouseClick(), robotjs.typeString(), and robotjs.keyTap() provide the direct mechanism for interacting with any visible UI element, allowing the attacker to navigate to dangerous functionality.
    • Example:
      • Attacker uses robotjs to navigate through menus and dialogs to reach a "Run Command" feature within the application (even if that feature is normally hidden or protected).
      • Attacker uses robotjs to click an "OK" button on a system-level permission dialog, granting the application elevated privileges.
      • Attacker uses robotjs to open a web browser and navigate to a malicious site that exploits a browser vulnerability.
    • Impact: Varies depending on the ultimate action achieved, but can include command injection (Critical), data modification, unauthorized actions, privilege escalation.
    • Risk Severity: High (Potentially Critical if it leads to command injection)
    • Mitigation Strategies:
      • Indirect Control Only: Never allow user input to directly specify mouse coordinates or keyboard input sequences. Instead, map user input to a predefined, limited set of safe UI actions.
      • Contextual Validation (Ideal but Difficult): The application should ideally be aware of the UI state and validate that the intended robotjs action is permissible before executing it. This is complex to implement reliably.
      • External Confirmation: For any action that could have significant consequences, require explicit user confirmation outside of the robotjs-controlled UI. This prevents robotjs from automating the confirmation.
      • Rate Limiting: Limit the frequency of robotjs calls to prevent rapid, automated UI traversal.

Attack Surface: 3. Sensitive Data Exposure via Screen Capture

  • Description: An attacker leverages robotjs's screen capture capabilities to obtain sensitive information displayed on the screen, originating from other applications or system components.
    • How robotjs Contributes: The robotjs.screen.capture() function (and related functions) are the direct means of accessing pixel data from the screen.
    • Example:
      • If the application captures a screen region based on user-provided parameters, an attacker could manipulate those parameters to capture areas displaying credentials from a password manager or sensitive data from a document.
    • Impact: Disclosure of credentials, confidential documents, private messages, financial data.
    • Risk Severity: High
    • Mitigation Strategies:
      • Minimize Capture Area: Capture only the absolute minimum necessary screen area. Avoid full-screen captures.
      • Prohibit User-Defined Regions: Never allow user input to directly control the screen capture region. Use only predefined, fixed regions that are guaranteed to not overlap with areas where other applications might display sensitive data.
      • Secure Handling: If captured data must be stored or transmitted, use strong encryption and secure communication channels.
      • Immediate Deletion: Delete captured screen data as soon as it is no longer needed.