Mitigation Strategy: Enhanced Biometric Authentication & Secure Fallback
Description:
- Mobile Biometric APIs: Utilize platform-specific biometric APIs (Android's BiometricPrompt, iOS's LocalAuthentication framework). This is inherently mobile-specific.
- Strongest Available Biometrics: Prioritize the strongest biometric method available on the specific mobile device.
- Secure Fallback (Mobile Context): Enforce a strong passphrase (not a simple PIN) as the fallback, recognizing the increased risk of physical access on mobile.
- Mobile-Specific Timeouts: Configure timeouts for biometric re-authentication based on mobile usage patterns (e.g., after device reboot, after a period of inactivity on the mobile device).
- Liveness Detection (Mobile): Implement liveness checks for facial recognition on mobile, leveraging the device's camera.
- Mobile User Configuration: Allow users to enable/disable biometrics and configure timeouts within the mobile app.
- Mobile-Focused Education: Provide clear in-app guidance on the mobile device about the security implications.
Threats Mitigated:
- Unauthorized Access (Mobile - High Severity): Prevents unauthorized access to the vault on a compromised or lost/stolen mobile device.
- Biometric Spoofing (Mobile - Medium Severity): Liveness detection on the mobile device reduces the risk.
- Weak PIN Bypass (Mobile - High Severity): Eliminates the vulnerability of a weak PIN on a physically accessible mobile device.
Impact:
- Unauthorized Access (Mobile): Significantly reduces risk (High Impact).
- Biometric Spoofing (Mobile): Moderately reduces risk (Medium Impact).
- Weak PIN Bypass (Mobile): Eliminates risk (High Impact).
Currently Implemented:
- Biometric authentication (fingerprint, face) is implemented on both Android and iOS (inherently mobile).
- Fallback to master password is implemented.
- Mobile-specific timeouts are likely implemented.
- Liveness detection is likely implemented (mobile-specific).
Missing Implementation:
- Explicit enforcement of a strong passphrase as the mobile fallback (distinct from the master password).
- More granular mobile-specific biometric settings.
Mitigation Strategy: Remote Wipe & Data Self-Destruct (Mobile Focus)
Description:
- Mobile Remote Wipe: The mobile app receives and processes a remote wipe command.
- Secure Mobile Wipe: The command is authenticated and encrypted for the mobile device.
- Mobile Data Deletion: The mobile app securely deletes all locally stored vault data.
- Mobile Self-Destruct: A counter on the mobile device tracks failed unlock attempts.
- Mobile Threshold: A user-configurable threshold on the mobile app triggers self-destruction.
- Irreversible Mobile Deletion: The mobile app securely and irreversibly deletes data.
- Offline Mobile Wipe (Optional): Implement a mechanism for offline wipe on the mobile device.
- Mobile User Education: Provide clear warnings on the mobile device.
Threats Mitigated:
- Device Loss/Theft (Mobile - High Severity): Prevents access on a lost/stolen mobile device.
- Brute-Force (Mobile - High Severity): Limits attempts on the mobile device.
Impact:
- Device Loss/Theft (Mobile): Significantly reduces risk (High Impact).
- Brute-Force Attacks (Mobile): Significantly reduces risk (High Impact).
Currently Implemented:
- Remote wipe is available (initiated from web, but affects the mobile device).
- Some form of self-destruct/lockout is likely implemented on the mobile device.
Missing Implementation:
- Explicit, user-configurable local self-destruct with irreversible data deletion on the mobile device.
- Offline wipe capability for the mobile device.
Mitigation Strategy: Secure Enclaves & Hardware-Backed Security (Mobile-Specific)
Description:
- Mobile Key Storage: Store keys within the mobile device's secure enclave (iOS) or TEE (Android). This is inherently mobile-specific hardware.
- Mobile Cryptographic Operations: Perform encryption/decryption inside the mobile device's secure enclave/TEE.
- Mobile Key Attestation: Use hardware-backed key attestation on the mobile device.
- Mobile API Updates: Update the app to use the latest mobile secure enclave/TEE APIs.
Threats Mitigated:
- Key Extraction (Mobile - High Severity): Makes key extraction extremely difficult, even with root access to the mobile device.
- Code Injection (Mobile - Medium Severity): Protects operations on the mobile device.
- Tampering (Mobile - Medium Severity): Detects compromise of the mobile device's secure enclave/TEE.
Impact:
- Key Extraction (Mobile): Significantly reduces risk (High Impact).
- Code Injection (Mobile): Moderately reduces risk (Medium Impact).
- Tampering (Mobile): Moderately reduces risk (Medium Impact).
Currently Implemented:
- Bitwarden uses the mobile device's secure enclave/TEE.
Missing Implementation:
- Potentially, more advanced use of mobile-specific secure enclave features.
Mitigation Strategy: Clipboard Protection (Mobile Context)
Description:
- Mobile Clipboard Timeout: Implement a short timer on the mobile device.
- Mobile Automatic Clearing: Clear the clipboard on the mobile device.
- Mobile Visual Indicator: Display a notification on the mobile device.
- Mobile Platform APIs (Optional): Use mobile APIs to restrict clipboard access.
- Mobile User Configuration: Allow configuration within the mobile app.
- Mobile User Education: Inform users about clipboard risks on the mobile device.
Threats Mitigated:
- Clipboard Sniffing (Mobile - Medium Severity): Reduces the risk on the mobile device.
- Accidental Disclosure (Mobile - Low Severity): Prevents accidental pasting on the mobile device.
Impact:
- Clipboard Sniffing (Mobile): Moderately reduces risk (Medium Impact).
- Accidental Disclosure (Mobile): Slightly reduces risk (Low Impact).
Currently Implemented:
- Bitwarden implements a clipboard timeout and clearing on mobile.
- Mobile visual indicators are likely present.
Missing Implementation:
- More aggressive mobile clipboard protection using platform APIs.
Mitigation Strategy: Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP) (Mobile Focus)
Description:
- Mobile RASP Integration: Integrate a RASP library into the mobile application.
- Mobile Behavior Monitoring: Monitor the mobile app's runtime behavior.
- Mobile Threat Detection: Detect attempts to:
- Access sensitive memory on the mobile device.
- Inject code into the mobile app.
- Hook system APIs on the mobile device.
- Perform unauthorized network requests from the mobile device.
- Mobile Response Actions: If a threat is detected on the mobile device:
- Terminate the mobile application.
- Alert the user on the mobile device.
- Securely wipe data on the mobile device.
- Mobile Rule Updates: Regularly update the RASP rules for the mobile app.
Threats Mitigated:
- Code Injection (Mobile - Medium Severity): Detects and prevents code injection on the mobile device.
- Memory Tampering (Mobile - Medium Severity): Detects memory modification on the mobile device.
- API Hooking (Mobile - Medium Severity): Detects API interception on the mobile device.
- Zero-Day Exploits (Mobile - Medium Severity): Can potentially mitigate unknown vulnerabilities on the mobile device.
Impact:
- Code Injection (Mobile): Moderately reduces risk (Medium Impact).
- Memory Tampering (Mobile): Moderately reduces risk (Medium Impact).
- API Hooking (Mobile): Moderately reduces risk (Medium Impact).
- Zero-Day Exploits (Mobile): Slightly reduces risk (Low Impact).
Currently Implemented:
- The extent of RASP implementation in Bitwarden's mobile app is unclear.
Missing Implementation:
- Full RASP integration with comprehensive threat detection and response for the mobile app.
Mitigation Strategy: In-App Security Guidance
Description:
- Tooltips & Help: Provide context-sensitive help and explanations in mobile app.
- Security Warnings: Display warnings for potentially risky actions in mobile app.
- FAQs & Documentation: Include comprehensive security documentation within the mobile app.
- Tailored Recommendations: Provide personalized security advice in mobile app.
- Clear Language: Use non-technical language in mobile app.
Threats Mitigated:
- User Error (Medium Severity): Reduces the likelihood of users making security mistakes in mobile app.
- Weak Password Choices (High Severity): Encourages users to create strong master passwords and passphrases in mobile app.
- Phishing (Medium Severity): Raises awareness of phishing attacks in mobile app.
Impact:
- User Error: Moderately reduces the risk (Medium Impact).
- Weak Password Choices: Moderately reduces the risk (Medium Impact).
- Phishing: Slightly reduces the risk (Low Impact).
Currently Implemented:
- Bitwarden includes some in-app guidance and help documentation in mobile app.
Missing Implementation:
- More proactive and context-sensitive security guidance, integrated directly into the user workflow in mobile app.
- More explicit warnings about weak password choices in mobile app.
Mitigation Strategy: Phishing Awareness
Description:
- In-App Warnings: Include warnings about phishing in relevant sections of the mobile app.
- Phishing Examples: Provide examples of common phishing techniques in mobile app.
- Reporting Mechanism: Encourage users to report suspicious emails/websites in mobile app.
Threats Mitigated:
- Phishing Attacks (Medium Severity): Increases user awareness and reduces the likelihood of falling for phishing scams in mobile app.
Impact:
- Phishing Attacks: Slightly reduces the risk (Low Impact).
Currently Implemented:
- Bitwarden's website and documentation likely contain information about phishing.
Missing Implementation:
- More prominent and integrated phishing awareness training within the mobile app itself.