Mitigation Strategy: Dependency Scanning and Vulnerability Monitoring
Description: 1. Choose a Tool: Select a Software Composition Analysis (SCA) tool (e.g., OWASP Dependency-Check, Snyk, GitHub Dependency Graph). 2. Integrate into CI/CD Pipeline: Integrate the SCA tool into your CI/CD pipeline for automated scans during builds. 3. Configure Tool: Configure the tool to scan dependency files and set severity thresholds for alerts. 4. Set up Notifications: Configure alerts for new vulnerability detections to notify relevant teams. 5. Regular Scans: Ensure scans are performed regularly to catch new vulnerabilities promptly. 6. Review and Remediate: Establish a process for reviewing reports and applying patches or updates.
List of Threats Mitigated: * Known Vulnerabilities in Dependencies (High Severity) * Transitive Dependency Vulnerabilities (Medium to High Severity) * Outdated Dependencies (Low to Medium Severity)
Impact: * High risk reduction for known vulnerabilities. * Medium to High risk reduction for transitive vulnerabilities. * Medium risk reduction for outdated dependencies.
Currently Implemented: Partially implemented (GitHub Dependency Graph enabled).
Missing Implementation: Dedicated SCA tool integration in CI/CD, detailed reporting, and remediation workflows.
Mitigation Strategy: Dependency Pinning and Locking
Description:
1. Utilize Package Manager Features: Use dependency locking features (e.g., requirements.txt, package-lock.json, Gemfile.lock, go.mod).
2. Commit Lock Files: Commit generated lock files to version control.
3. Install from Lock Files: Configure build/deployment to install dependencies from lock files.
4. Controlled Updates: Update dependencies explicitly and regenerate lock files, reviewing changes.
List of Threats Mitigated: * Inconsistent Builds and Deployments (Low to Medium Severity) * Accidental Introduction of Vulnerabilities (Medium Severity) * Build Reproducibility Issues (Low Severity)
Impact: * High risk reduction for inconsistent builds. * Medium risk reduction for accidental vulnerability introduction. * High risk reduction for build reproducibility.
Currently Implemented: Partially implemented (requirements.txt used, but not strictly enforced).
Missing Implementation: Strict enforcement of lock files in all pipelines, automated checks, and clear update processes.
Mitigation Strategy: Dependency Review and Auditing
Description: 1. Dependency Inventory: Maintain a comprehensive inventory of direct and transitive dependencies. 2. Regular Reviews: Schedule periodic reviews of the dependency inventory. 3. Necessity Assessment: Evaluate the necessity of each dependency and remove redundancies. 4. Security Audits (Selective): Conduct security audits for critical/high-risk dependencies. 5. License Compliance Check: Review dependency licenses for compliance. 6. Maintainability Assessment: Evaluate dependency maintainability and update history.
List of Threats Mitigated: * Unnecessary Dependencies (Low to Medium Severity) * Abandoned or Unmaintained Dependencies (Medium Severity) * License Compliance Issues (Low to Medium Severity) * Supply Chain Attacks (Medium Severity)
Impact: * Medium risk reduction for unnecessary dependencies. * Medium risk reduction for abandoned dependencies. * High risk reduction for license compliance. * Low to Medium risk reduction for supply chain attacks (manual review aspect).
Currently Implemented: Partially implemented (dependency list exists, ad-hoc reviews).
Missing Implementation: Formal review process, automated license checks, criteria for critical dependency audits.
Mitigation Strategy: Dependency Update Strategy and Patch Management
Description: 1. Define Update Policy: Establish a policy balancing security and stability for dependency updates. 2. Prioritize Security Updates: Prioritize updates for known security vulnerabilities. 3. Regular Update Cycles: Schedule regular dependency update cycles. 4. Staging Environment Testing: Thoroughly test updates in staging before production. 5. Automated Update Tools (with caution): Consider automated tools (e.g., Dependabot) with careful testing. 6. Security Advisory Subscriptions: Subscribe to security advisories for dependency updates.
List of Threats Mitigated: * Known Vulnerabilities in Dependencies (High Severity) * Zero-Day Vulnerabilities (Medium Severity - reduced time to patch) * Outdated Dependencies (Low to Medium Severity)
Impact: * High risk reduction for known vulnerabilities (timely patching). * Medium risk reduction for zero-days (faster patching after disclosure). * Medium risk reduction for outdated dependencies.
Currently Implemented: Partially implemented (updates performed reactively, staging testing exists).
Missing Implementation: Formal update policy, scheduled updates, automated tools (configured carefully), improved staging testing.
Mitigation Strategy: Dependency Provenance and Integrity Checks
Description: 1. Utilize Checksums/Hashes: Verify checksums of downloaded dependencies against official sources. 2. Cryptographic Signatures (if available): Enable and use signature verification for authenticity. 3. Secure Download Channels (HTTPS): Download dependencies over HTTPS. 4. Reputable Registries: Use reputable and trusted package registries. 5. Provenance Tools (Emerging): Explore and adopt emerging provenance verification tools.
List of Threats Mitigated: * Supply Chain Attacks - Package Tampering (High Severity) * Man-in-the-Middle Attacks during Download (Medium Severity) * Compromised Build Artifacts (Medium Severity)
Impact: * High risk reduction for supply chain tampering. * Medium risk reduction for MITM attacks during download. * Medium risk reduction for compromised build artifacts.
Currently Implemented: Partially implemented (HTTPS used, implicit checksum verification likely).
Missing Implementation: Explicit checksum verification, signature verification, provenance tool adoption.
Mitigation Strategy: Incident Response Plan for Dependency Vulnerabilities
Description: 1. Develop a Plan: Create a specific incident response plan for dependency vulnerabilities. 2. Roles and Responsibilities: Define roles for dependency vulnerability incident response. 3. Vulnerability Identification and Assessment: Outline procedures for identifying and assessing impact. 4. Remediation Procedures: Define steps for patching, workarounds, and testing. 5. Communication Plan: Establish a plan for stakeholder communication. 6. Post-Incident Review: Conduct reviews to improve the plan and processes. 7. Regular Drills/Simulations: Conduct drills to test the plan and team readiness.
List of Threats Mitigated: * Delayed Response to Vulnerabilities (High Severity) * Ineffective Remediation (Medium Severity) * Communication Failures (Medium Severity)
Impact: * High risk reduction for delayed response. * Medium risk reduction for ineffective remediation. * Medium risk reduction for communication failures.
Currently Implemented: Partially implemented (general plan exists, lacks dependency specifics).
Missing Implementation: Dedicated dependency vulnerability section in plan, defined roles, detailed procedures, drills.
Mitigation Strategy: Rapid Patching and Rollback Capabilities
Description: 1. Automated Deployment Pipelines: Use automated pipelines for rapid dependency patching deployments. 2. Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Utilize IaC for automated infrastructure management. 3. Containerization/Virtualization: Employ containerization for isolated patching environments. 4. Blue/Green/Canary Deployments: Use these strategies for minimal downtime during patching. 5. Rollback Procedures: Establish and test rollback procedures for dependency updates. 6. Monitoring and Alerting: Implement monitoring to detect issues post-patching and enable rollback.
List of Threats Mitigated: * Prolonged Downtime during Patching (Medium Severity) * Failed Patches and Rollouts (Medium Severity) * Increased Window of Vulnerability Exploitation (High Severity)
Impact: * High risk reduction for prolonged downtime. * Medium risk reduction for failed patches. * High risk reduction for vulnerability exploitation window.
Currently Implemented: Partially implemented (automated pipelines exist, rollback less defined).
Missing Implementation: Fully automated rollback, blue/green/canary deployments, enhanced monitoring for dependency updates.
Mitigation Strategy: Principle of Least Privilege for Dependencies
Description: 1. Functionality Review: Review dependency functionality and requested permissions. 2. Minimize Dependency Scope: Choose narrowly focused dependencies. 3. Permission Scrutiny: Scrutinize permissions requested by dependencies. 4. Alternative Libraries: Prefer libraries with fewer permissions if alternatives exist. 5. Custom Code vs. Dependency: Consider custom code for simple/sensitive tasks instead of dependencies.
List of Threats Mitigated: * Excessive Permissions Granted to Dependencies (Medium to High Severity) * Larger Attack Surface (Medium Severity) * Unintended Functionality (Low to Medium Severity)
Impact: * Medium to High risk reduction for excessive permissions. * Medium risk reduction for larger attack surface. * Low to Medium risk reduction for unintended functionality.
Currently Implemented: Partially implemented (general awareness, no formal process).
Missing Implementation: Formal review process, guidelines for permission evaluation, developer training.
Mitigation Strategy: Secure Configuration of Dependencies
Description: 1. Default Configuration Review: Review default configurations of dependencies. 2. Disable Unnecessary Features: Disable unused features within dependencies. 3. Security Best Practices: Follow security guidelines for dependency configuration. 4. Configuration Hardening: Implement hardening measures (strong passwords, authentication, etc.). 5. Regular Configuration Audits: Periodically audit dependency configurations.
List of Threats Mitigated: * Default Credentials and Weak Configurations (High Severity) * Unnecessary Features Enabled (Medium Severity) * Misconfiguration Vulnerabilities (Medium to High Severity)
Impact: * High risk reduction for default credentials/weak configs. * Medium risk reduction for unnecessary features. * Medium to High risk reduction for misconfiguration vulnerabilities.
Currently Implemented: Partially implemented (basic practices, no systematic process).
Missing Implementation: Checklists/guidelines, automated configuration audits, developer training.
Mitigation Strategy: Regular Security Training for Developers (Dependency Focused)
Description: 1. Dependency Security Module: Include a module on dependency security in developer training. 2. Training Topics: Cover dependency risks, secure management, selection, configuration, incident response, and SCA tools. 3. Hands-on Exercises: Incorporate practical exercises for dependency security. 4. Regular Updates: Keep training updated with latest threats and best practices. 5. Security Champions: Train security champions to promote dependency security.
List of Threats Mitigated: * Developer Mistakes and Lack of Awareness (Medium to High Severity) * Inconsistent Security Practices (Medium Severity) * Slow Adoption of Security Tools and Processes (Low to Medium Severity)
Impact: * High risk reduction for developer mistakes. * Medium risk reduction for inconsistent practices. * Medium risk reduction for slow tool adoption.
Currently Implemented: Partially implemented (general training, no dependency-specific module).
Missing Implementation: Dedicated dependency security training module, regular sessions, security champions program.