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attack-surface.md

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Attack Surface Analysis for bitwarden/server

Attack Surface: API Authentication and Authorization Flaws

  • Description: Weaknesses in the server's API authentication and authorization mechanisms, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data or functionalities.
  • Server Contribution: Server code implements and enforces API security. Flaws in this code directly create this vulnerability.
  • Example: A bypass in the server's JWT verification allows attackers to forge valid tokens and access any API endpoint, potentially exporting all vault data.
  • Impact: Complete compromise of user vaults, data theft, account takeover.
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Developers:
      • Implement robust, industry-standard API authentication (OAuth 2.0, strong JWT).
      • Enforce strict authorization checks on all API endpoints in server code.
      • Regularly audit and penetration test server-side API security logic.
    • Users (Administrators):
      • Enforce strong user passwords and MFA (server configuration).
      • Regularly review user permissions (server administration).

Attack Surface: Database Access Control Vulnerabilities

  • Description: Weaknesses in controlling access to the database by the server, leading to potential unauthorized data access or modification.
  • Server Contribution: Server configuration and deployment scripts influence database access security. Insecure server defaults increase this risk.
  • Example: Server setup scripts configure the database with a default, weak root password, allowing attackers to directly access and dump the database.
  • Impact: Complete compromise of all vault data, data integrity loss.
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Developers:
      • Provide secure default database configurations in server setup.
      • Document best practices for database security hardening for server deployments.
    • Users (Administrators):
      • Set strong, unique database passwords (server deployment step).
      • Restrict database access to only the Bitwarden server (server configuration/firewall).
      • Regularly update database server software (server maintenance).

Attack Surface: Admin Panel Authentication and Authorization Vulnerabilities

  • Description: Weaknesses in securing the server's admin panel, granting attackers full control over the Bitwarden instance upon compromise.
  • Server Contribution: Server code provides the admin panel and its security mechanisms. Vulnerabilities in server-side admin panel code are the root cause.
  • Example: Lack of rate limiting in the server's admin panel login allows brute-force attacks, leading to administrator account takeover and full server control.
  • Impact: Full server compromise, control over all user accounts and vaults, data theft.
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Developers:
      • Implement strong admin panel authentication with rate limiting in server code.
      • Enforce strict authorization within the admin panel in server code.
      • Regularly audit and penetration test server-side admin panel security.
    • Users (Administrators):
      • Set a strong, unique administrator password (server administration).
      • Enable MFA for the administrator account (server configuration).
      • Restrict admin panel access to trusted networks (server/network configuration).

Attack Surface: Dependency Vulnerabilities (Server)

  • Description: Vulnerabilities in third-party libraries used by the Bitwarden server application, potentially leading to server compromise.
  • Server Contribution: Server application includes and relies on various dependencies. Vulnerable dependencies within the server codebase create this attack surface.
  • Example: The server uses an outdated library with a known Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability. Attackers exploit this to gain shell access to the server.
  • Impact: Server compromise, data theft, denial of service.
  • Risk Severity: High to Critical (depending on vulnerability)
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Developers:
      • Maintain SBOM for server dependencies.
      • Regularly scan server dependencies for vulnerabilities.
      • Promptly update server dependencies to patched versions.
    • Users (Administrators):
      • Regularly update the Bitwarden server instance (server maintenance).
      • Monitor security advisories for Bitwarden server and its dependencies.

Attack Surface: Insecure Default Configurations

  • Description: Insecure default settings in the server configuration, leaving it vulnerable if not hardened post-installation.
  • Server Contribution: Server installation scripts and default configuration files define initial security posture. Insecure server defaults create this vulnerability.
  • Example: Server defaults include unnecessary services enabled or overly permissive firewall rules, increasing the attack surface.
  • Impact: Ranging from database compromise to admin panel takeover, data theft, server compromise.
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Developers:
      • Provide secure default server configurations.
      • Minimize enabled services by default in server configuration.
      • Clearly document required server security hardening steps.
    • Users (Administrators):
      • Thoroughly review and change all default server configurations post-installation.
      • Follow server security hardening guides.
      • Regularly review server configurations for security best practices.

Attack Surface: Input Validation Vulnerabilities (API)

  • Description: Weaknesses in server-side input validation for API endpoints, leading to injection attacks and other vulnerabilities.
  • Server Contribution: Server code is responsible for API input validation. Insufficient server-side validation creates this vulnerability.
  • Example: An API endpoint in the server is vulnerable to SQL injection due to improper sanitization of user input in database queries.
  • Impact: Data manipulation, information disclosure, potentially remote code execution on the server.
  • Risk Severity: High to Critical (depending on vulnerability)
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Developers:
      • Implement robust server-side input validation for all API endpoints.
      • Use parameterized queries/ORM in server code to prevent SQL injection.
      • Sanitize user input in server code to prevent injection attacks.
    • Users (Administrators):
      • Ensure running the latest Bitwarden server version with security patches (server maintenance).
      • Report potential vulnerabilities to the Bitwarden team.