attack-surface.md

Attack Surface Analysis for oracle/node-oracledb

Attack Surface: SQL Injection

• Description: Injection of malicious SQL code through user-supplied input that is not properly sanitized or parameterized. This is the most direct and severe threat when using a database driver.
  • node-oracledb Contribution: node-oracledb is the direct interface used to execute SQL queries. Insecure use of this interface (concatenating user input into SQL strings) is the root cause of the vulnerability.
  • Example:

    // VULNERABLE CODE:
    const userId = req.query.userId; // User-supplied input
    const sql = `SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ${userId}`;
    connection.execute(sql, [], (err, result) => { ... });

    Attacker input: 1; DROP TABLE users--
  • Impact: Data breach, data modification, data deletion, database server compromise, complete application takeover.
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Primary: Always use parameterized queries (bind variables). node-oracledb provides excellent support:

      // SECURE CODE:
      const userId = req.query.userId;
      const sql = `SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = :userId`; // Named bind variable
      connection.execute(sql, { userId: userId }, (err, result) => { ... });

    • Secondary (Defense in Depth): Strict input validation (type, length, format), but never as the sole defense.
    • Tertiary: Consider a well-vetted ORM that provably uses parameterized queries.

Attack Surface: Credential Exposure

• Description: Database credentials needed by node-oracledb are stored or transmitted insecurely.
  • node-oracledb Contribution: node-oracledb requires credentials to connect. The application's handling of these credentials, directly impacting how node-oracledb connects, is the vulnerability.
  • Example: Hardcoding credentials in the source code:

    // VULNERABLE CODE:
    const connection = await oracledb.getConnection({
        user: "myuser",
        password: "mypassword", // HARDCODED!
        connectString: "mydbserver:1521/myservice"
    });

  • Impact: Unauthorized database access, data breach, data modification, data deletion, potential database server compromise.
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Primary: Use a secure secrets management solution (HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, etc.).
    • Secondary: Use environment variables carefully (avoid exposure in logs, child processes). .env files only for local development.
    • Tertiary: Consider Oracle Wallet (if appropriate for the deployment).
    • Never: Commit credentials to version control.

Attack Surface: Connection String Injection

• Description: Malicious manipulation of the connection string parameters provided to node-oracledb.
  • node-oracledb Contribution: node-oracledb directly uses the connection string to establish the database connection. If this string is built from untrusted input, it's a direct vulnerability.
  • Example: Dynamically constructing the connection string from user input:

    // VULNERABLE CODE:
    const userProvidedHostname = req.body.hostname; // Untrusted input
    const connectString = `${userProvidedHostname}:1521/myservice`;
    const connection = await oracledb.getConnection({
        user: "myuser",
        password: "mypassword",
        connectString: connectString // Vulnerable
    });

  • Impact: Connection to a malicious database, data leakage, potential code execution on the attacker's server.
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Primary: Never construct connection strings dynamically from user input. Use configuration files or environment variables for all connection parameters.
    • Secondary: If absolutely unavoidable, use a strict whitelist of allowed values for each parameter.

Attack Surface: Unpatched node-oracledb or Oracle Instant Client Vulnerabilities

• Description: Exploitation of known vulnerabilities in the node-oracledb driver itself or the required Oracle Instant Client.
  • node-oracledb Contribution: The vulnerability exists directly within node-oracledb or its underlying dependency.
  • Example: A hypothetical buffer overflow in node-oracledb's LOB handling.
  • Impact: Varies, but could range from DoS to arbitrary code execution on the application or database server.
  • Risk Severity: High (can be Critical depending on the specific vulnerability)
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Primary: Keep node-oracledb and the Oracle Instant Client up to date. Use npm outdated or yarn outdated. Subscribe to Oracle security advisories.
    • Secondary: Use a Software Composition Analysis (SCA) tool.

Attack Surface: Lack of TLS Encryption

• Description: Communication between the application and the database server is not encrypted, allowing for eavesdropping.
  • node-oracledb Contribution: node-oracledb handles the connection to the database. If TLS is not configured, the connection will be unencrypted.
  • Example: Using a connectString with the tcp protocol instead of tcps.

    //VULNERABLE
    const connection = await oracledb.getConnection({
        user: "myuser",
        password: "mypassword",
        connectString: "mydbserver:1521/myservice" // Uses TCP, not TCPS
    });

  • Impact: Interception of credentials, queries, and data transmitted between the application and the database (Man-in-the-Middle attack).
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Primary: Always use TLS encryption. Configure node-oracledb to use a secure connection (TCPS protocol in the connectString).
    • Secondary: Configure and verify the database server's certificate to prevent MITM attacks. Use a trusted Certificate Authority (CA).