sec-design.md

Okay, let's create a design document for the GoFrame (gf) project, keeping in mind its purpose and potential security considerations.

BUSINESS POSTURE

GoFrame (gf) is a modular, powerful, and production-ready application development framework for Go. It aims to provide a comprehensive suite of tools and components to simplify and accelerate the development of web applications, APIs, and microservices.

Business Priorities:

• Rapid Development: Enable developers to build applications quickly and efficiently.
• Maintainability: Provide a structure that promotes clean, organized, and maintainable code.
• Performance: Offer high performance and low resource consumption.
• Scalability: Facilitate the creation of applications that can scale to handle increasing load.
• Community & Ecosystem: Foster a strong community and a rich ecosystem of extensions and integrations.
• Production Readiness: Be suitable for use in production environments, emphasizing stability and reliability.

Business Goals:

• Become a leading Go framework choice for developers.
• Attract a large and active community of contributors and users.
• Provide a viable alternative to other popular Go frameworks.
• Enable the creation of robust and scalable applications across various domains.

Most Important Business Risks:

• Security Vulnerabilities: Vulnerabilities in the framework could be exploited to compromise applications built upon it, leading to data breaches, service disruptions, and reputational damage. This is the most critical risk.
• Dependency Issues: Reliance on external dependencies could introduce vulnerabilities or instability if those dependencies are not properly managed. Supply chain attacks are a significant concern.
• Lack of Adoption: If the framework fails to gain sufficient adoption, it may become unsustainable in the long term.
• Performance Bottlenecks: Poor performance could limit the scalability and usability of applications built with the framework.
• Inadequate Documentation/Support: Poor documentation or lack of community support could hinder developer adoption and lead to frustration.

SECURITY POSTURE

Existing Security Controls (based on reviewing the repository and documentation):

• security control: Input Validation: The framework appears to provide mechanisms for input validation, particularly in the gvalid package. (https://goframe.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=1114379)
• security control: ORM Security: The gdb package (ORM) seems to implement measures to prevent SQL injection, likely through parameterized queries or prepared statements. (https://goframe.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=1114148)
• security control: Template Security: The gview package (templating engine) likely includes features for output encoding to mitigate Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities. (https://goframe.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=1114125)
• security control: Configuration Management: GoFrame uses a configuration management component (gcfg) that separates configuration from code, which is a good security practice. (https://goframe.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=1114117)
• security control: Logging: GoFrame provides logging capabilities (glog), which are essential for auditing and security monitoring. (https://goframe.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=1114141)
• security control: Error Handling: The framework has a dedicated error handling mechanism (gerror), which can help prevent information leakage. (https://goframe.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=1114121)
• security control: HTTP Security: The ghttp package provides features for handling HTTP requests and responses, and likely includes some basic security measures (e.g., handling common HTTP headers). (https://goframe.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=1114131)

Accepted Risks:

• accepted risk: The framework's security heavily relies on the developer's proper usage of its features. Incorrect implementation of input validation, authentication, or authorization could still lead to vulnerabilities.
• accepted risk: While the framework provides building blocks, it doesn't enforce a specific security architecture (e.g., OAuth2, JWT). Developers are responsible for choosing and implementing appropriate security mechanisms.
• accepted risk: The framework's extensive feature set increases the potential attack surface. More features mean more potential areas for vulnerabilities.
• accepted risk: The framework's reliance on community contributions and third-party modules introduces a risk of supply chain vulnerabilities.

Recommended Security Controls:

• security control: Dependency Management: Implement robust dependency management practices, including regular vulnerability scanning of dependencies and the use of tools like go mod tidy and go mod vendor. Consider using a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) to track dependencies.
• security control: Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing of the framework itself to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.
• security control: Secure Coding Guidelines: Provide comprehensive secure coding guidelines and best practices for developers using the framework.
• security control: Automated Security Testing: Integrate automated security testing tools (SAST, DAST, IAST) into the CI/CD pipeline.
• security control: Content Security Policy (CSP): Encourage and provide easy mechanisms for developers to implement CSP to mitigate XSS attacks.
• security control: HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS): Encourage and provide easy mechanisms for developers to implement HSTS to enforce HTTPS connections.
• security control: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) Protection: Provide built-in mechanisms or clear guidance for implementing CSRF protection.
• security control: Rate Limiting: Implement or provide guidance on implementing rate limiting to mitigate brute-force attacks and denial-of-service attacks.
• security control: Secrets Management: Provide clear guidance and integration with secure secrets management solutions (e.g., HashiCorp Vault, cloud-specific key management services).

Security Requirements:

• Authentication:

  • The framework should provide flexible mechanisms for implementing various authentication methods (e.g., username/password, OAuth2, JWT, API keys).
  • It should support secure storage of user credentials (e.g., using strong hashing algorithms like bcrypt or Argon2).
  • It should provide mechanisms for session management, including secure session identifiers and timeouts.

• Authorization:

  • The framework should support role-based access control (RBAC) or attribute-based access control (ABAC).
  • It should provide mechanisms for defining and enforcing access control policies.
  • It should allow for granular control over access to resources and functionalities.

• Input Validation:

  • All user-provided input should be validated against strict rules.
  • The framework should provide a comprehensive input validation library or component.
  • Validation should be performed on both the client-side (for user experience) and the server-side (for security).
  • Validation rules should be configurable and extensible.

• Cryptography:

  • The framework should provide easy-to-use cryptographic functions for common tasks (e.g., hashing, encryption, decryption).
  • It should use strong, industry-standard cryptographic algorithms.
  • It should provide guidance on secure key management.

DESIGN

C4 CONTEXT

graph LR
    User["User (Web Browser/Mobile App)"] -- "HTTPS" --> GFApp["GoFrame Application"]
    GFApp -- "Database Connection" --> Database["Database (MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.)"]
    GFApp -- "Various Protocols" --> ExternalServices["External Services (e.g., Payment Gateway, Email Service)"]
    GFApp -- "File System Access" --> FileSystem["File System"]
    subgraph "GoFrame Ecosystem"
        GFApp
    end

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C4 Context Element List:

• Element: User (Web Browser/Mobile App)

  • Name: User
  • Type: Person
  • Description: A user interacting with the GoFrame application through a web browser or mobile application.
  • Responsibilities: Initiates requests, views responses, provides input.
  • Security Controls: Browser security features, HTTPS.

• Element: GoFrame Application

  • Name: GoFrame Application
  • Type: Software System
  • Description: The application built using the GoFrame framework.
  • Responsibilities: Handles user requests, processes data, interacts with databases and external services, renders responses.
  • Security Controls: Input validation, output encoding, authentication, authorization, secure configuration, logging, error handling.

• Element: Database (MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.)

  • Name: Database
  • Type: Software System
  • Description: A database system used to store application data.
  • Responsibilities: Stores and retrieves data, ensures data integrity.
  • Security Controls: Database access controls, encryption at rest, encryption in transit, auditing.

• Element: External Services (e.g., Payment Gateway, Email Service)

  • Name: External Services
  • Type: Software System
  • Description: Third-party services used by the GoFrame application.
  • Responsibilities: Varies depending on the service (e.g., processing payments, sending emails).
  • Security Controls: API keys, authentication tokens, secure communication protocols (e.g., HTTPS).

• Element: File System

  • Name: File System
  • Type: Software System
  • Description: Local file system.
  • Responsibilities: Store and retrieve files.
  • Security Controls: File system permissions.

C4 CONTAINER

graph LR
    User["User (Web Browser/Mobile App)"] -- "HTTPS" --> WebServer["Web Server (ghttp)"]
    WebServer -- "Handles Requests" --> Controllers["Controllers"]
    Controllers -- "Uses Services" --> Services["Services"]
    Services -- "Accesses Data" --> Models["Models"]
    Models -- "Database Operations" --> Database["Database (MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.)"]
    WebServer -- "Renders Views" --> Views["Views (gview)"]
    Controllers -- "Uses gvalid" --> InputValidation["Input Validation (gvalid)"]
    Services -- "Uses glog" --> Logging["Logging (glog)"]
    Services -- "Uses gerror" --> ErrorHandling["Error Handling (gerror)"]
    Controllers -.-> Configuration["Configuration (gcfg)"]
    Services -.-> Configuration
    Models -.-> Configuration
    subgraph "GoFrame Application"
        WebServer
        Controllers
        Services
        Models
        Views
        InputValidation
        Logging
        ErrorHandling
		Configuration
    end

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C4 Container Element List:

• Element: Web Server (ghttp)

  • Name: Web Server
  • Type: Container (Go process)
  • Description: The built-in web server provided by GoFrame.
  • Responsibilities: Handles incoming HTTP requests, routes requests to controllers, serves static files.
  • Security Controls: HTTPS configuration, request filtering, potentially rate limiting.

• Element: Controllers

  • Name: Controllers
  • Type: Container (Go code)
  • Description: Components that handle specific user requests and interact with services.
  • Responsibilities: Process user input, interact with services, prepare data for views.
  • Security Controls: Input validation, authentication checks, authorization checks.

• Element: Services

  • Name: Services
  • Type: Container (Go code)
  • Description: Components that encapsulate business logic.
  • Responsibilities: Perform business operations, interact with models.
  • Security Controls: Business rule enforcement, data validation.

• Element: Models

  • Name: Models
  • Type: Container (Go code)
  • Description: Components that represent data structures and interact with the database.
  • Responsibilities: Define data structures, perform database operations (CRUD).
  • Security Controls: Data validation, secure database interactions (preventing SQL injection).

• Element: Views (gview)

  • Name: Views
  • Type: Container (Template files)
  • Description: Templates used to render dynamic content.
  • Responsibilities: Generate HTML responses based on data provided by controllers.
  • Security Controls: Output encoding (to prevent XSS).

• Element: Input Validation (gvalid)

  • Name: Input Validation
  • Type: Component
  • Description: GoFrame's input validation component.
  • Responsibilities: Validates user input against predefined rules.
  • Security Controls: Input validation rules, data sanitization.

• Element: Logging (glog)

  • Name: Logging
  • Type: Component
  • Description: GoFrame's logging component.
  • Responsibilities: Logs application events, errors, and debug information.
  • Security Controls: Secure logging configuration (preventing sensitive data leakage).

• Element: Error Handling (gerror)

  • Name: Error Handling
  • Type: Component
  • Description: GoFrame's error handling component.
  • Responsibilities: Provides a consistent way to handle errors.
  • Security Controls: Prevents sensitive information leakage in error messages.

• Element: Configuration (gcfg)

  • Name: Configuration
  • Type: Component
  • Description: GoFrame's configuration component.
  • Responsibilities: Manages application configuration.
  • Security Controls: Secure storage of sensitive configuration data (e.g., database credentials).

• Element: Database (MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.)

  • Name: Database
  • Type: Container (Database Server)
  • Description: An external database system.
  • Responsibilities: Stores and manages application data.
  • Security Controls: Database access controls, encryption, auditing.

DEPLOYMENT

Possible Deployment Solutions:

1. Traditional Server Deployment: Deploying the GoFrame application as a binary executable on a virtual machine or physical server.
2. Containerized Deployment (Docker): Packaging the application and its dependencies into a Docker container and deploying it to a container orchestration platform (e.g., Kubernetes, Docker Swarm).
3. Serverless Deployment (AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, Azure Functions): Deploying individual functions or parts of the application as serverless functions.
4. PaaS Deployment (Heroku, Google App Engine): Deploying the application to a Platform-as-a-Service provider.

Chosen Solution: Containerized Deployment (Docker & Kubernetes)

graph LR
    Developer["Developer"] -- "Commits Code" --> GitRepository["Git Repository (GitHub)"]
    GitRepository -- "Triggers Build" --> CI_CD["CI/CD Pipeline (GitHub Actions)"]
    CI_CD -- "Builds Docker Image" --> DockerImage["Docker Image"]
    DockerImage -- "Pushes to Registry" --> ContainerRegistry["Container Registry (Docker Hub, ECR, GCR)"]
    ContainerRegistry -- "Pulled by Kubernetes" --> KubernetesCluster["Kubernetes Cluster"]
    KubernetesCluster -- "Deploys" --> Pod["Pod (GoFrame Application)"]
    Pod -- "Exposes Service" --> Service["Service (Load Balancer)"]
    Service -- "Routes Traffic" --> Ingress["Ingress (Ingress Controller)"]
    Ingress -- "External Access" --> User["User"]
    Pod -- "Connects to" --> DatabasePod["Database Pod"]
	DatabasePod -- "Uses" --> PersistentVolume["Persistent Volume"]

    subgraph "Deployment Environment"
        KubernetesCluster
    end

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Deployment Element List:

• Element: Developer

  • Name: Developer
  • Type: Person
  • Description: The developer writing and committing code.
  • Responsibilities: Develops and tests the application.
  • Security Controls: Code review, secure coding practices.

• Element: Git Repository (GitHub)

  • Name: Git Repository
  • Type: System
  • Description: The source code repository.
  • Responsibilities: Stores the application's source code.
  • Security Controls: Access controls, branch protection rules.

• Element: CI/CD Pipeline (GitHub Actions)

  • Name: CI/CD Pipeline
  • Type: System
  • Description: The continuous integration and continuous deployment pipeline.
  • Responsibilities: Automates the build, test, and deployment process.
  • Security Controls: Secure configuration, access controls, vulnerability scanning.

• Element: Docker Image

  • Name: Docker Image
  • Type: Artifact
  • Description: The packaged application and its dependencies.
  • Responsibilities: Provides a consistent runtime environment.
  • Security Controls: Image signing, vulnerability scanning.

• Element: Container Registry (Docker Hub, ECR, GCR)

  • Name: Container Registry
  • Type: System
  • Description: A registry for storing Docker images.
  • Responsibilities: Stores and distributes Docker images.
  • Security Controls: Access controls, vulnerability scanning.

• Element: Kubernetes Cluster

  • Name: Kubernetes Cluster
  • Type: System
  • Description: A container orchestration platform.
  • Responsibilities: Manages the deployment and scaling of containers.
  • Security Controls: Network policies, RBAC, pod security policies.

• Element: Pod (GoFrame Application)

  • Name: Pod
  • Type: Container Instance
  • Description: A running instance of the GoFrame application container.
  • Responsibilities: Executes the application code.
  • Security Controls: Resource limits, security context.

• Element: Service (Load Balancer)

  • Name: Service
  • Type: Kubernetes Resource
  • Description: Exposes the application to external traffic.
  • Responsibilities: Load balances traffic across multiple pods.
  • Security Controls: Network policies.

• Element: Ingress (Ingress Controller)

  • Name: Ingress
  • Type: Kubernetes Resource
  • Description: Manages external access to the service.
  • Responsibilities: Provides routing rules and TLS termination.
  • Security Controls: TLS configuration, access controls.

• Element: User

  • Name: User
  • Type: Person
  • Description: The end-user accessing the application.
  • Responsibilities: Interacts with the application.
  • Security Controls: Browser security, HTTPS.

• Element: Database Pod

  • Name: Database Pod
  • Type: Container Instance
  • Description: A running instance of the database container.
  • Responsibilities: Executes the database server.
  • Security Controls: Resource limits, security context, network policies.

• Element: Persistent Volume

  • Name: Persistent Volume
  • Type: Kubernetes Resource
  • Description: Storage for database.
  • Responsibilities: Provides persistent storage for the database.
  • Security Controls: Access controls, encryption.

BUILD

graph LR
    Developer["Developer"] -- "Commits Code" --> GitRepository["Git Repository (GitHub)"]
    GitRepository -- "Triggers Build" --> CI_CD["CI/CD Pipeline (GitHub Actions)"]
    CI_CD -- "Checks out Code" --> Checkout["Checkout Code"]
    Checkout -- "Runs Tests" --> Tests["Run Tests (go test)"]
    Tests -- "Success" --> Build["Build Application (go build)"]
    Tests -- "Failure" --> Notify["Notify Developer"]
    Build -- "Creates Binary" --> Binary["Application Binary"]
    Build -- "Runs SAST" --> SAST["SAST (e.g., GoSec)"]
    SAST -- "Findings" --> SecurityReport["Security Report"]
    Binary -- "Packages into Docker Image" --> DockerImage["Docker Image"]
    DockerImage -- "Pushes to Registry" --> ContainerRegistry["Container Registry"]

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Build Process Description:

1. Developer commits code to the Git repository (e.g., GitHub).
2. The commit triggers the CI/CD pipeline (e.g., GitHub Actions).
3. The pipeline checks out the code.
4. The pipeline runs unit tests and integration tests (go test).
5. If tests pass, the pipeline builds the application binary (go build).
6. Static Application Security Testing (SAST) tools (e.g., GoSec) are run against the code to identify potential vulnerabilities.
7. A security report is generated.
8. The application binary is packaged into a Docker image.
9. The Docker image is pushed to a container registry (e.g., Docker Hub, ECR, GCR).

Security Controls in Build Process:

• security control: Code Review: Code reviews are performed before merging code into the main branch.
• security control: Automated Testing: Unit tests and integration tests are run automatically to catch bugs and regressions.
• security control: SAST: Static Application Security Testing (SAST) tools are used to identify potential vulnerabilities in the code.
• security control: Dependency Scanning: Dependencies are scanned for known vulnerabilities.
• security control: Image Signing: Docker images can be signed to ensure their integrity.
• security control: Least Privilege: The CI/CD pipeline should run with the least privileges necessary.

RISK ASSESSMENT

Critical Business Processes to Protect:

• User Authentication and Authorization: Ensuring only authorized users can access sensitive data and functionality.
• Data Integrity: Maintaining the accuracy and consistency of data stored in the database.
• Service Availability: Ensuring the application remains available and responsive to users.
• Data Confidentiality: Protecting sensitive user data from unauthorized access.
• Compliance: Meeting relevant regulatory requirements (e.g., GDPR, CCPA).

Data to Protect and Sensitivity:

• User Credentials (Passwords, API Keys): Highly Sensitive - Must be stored securely using strong hashing algorithms.
• Personally Identifiable Information (PII) (Names, Email Addresses, Phone Numbers, Addresses): Sensitive - Must be protected according to privacy regulations.
• Financial Data (Payment Information, Transaction History): Highly Sensitive - Must be protected according to PCI DSS standards.
• Application Data (Data specific to the application's functionality): Varies in sensitivity - Requires appropriate access controls and protection based on the nature of the data.
• Session Data: Sensitive - Must be protected from hijacking and tampering.

QUESTIONS & ASSUMPTIONS

Questions:

• What specific regulatory requirements (if any) apply to applications built with GoFrame? (e.g., GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, PCI DSS)
• What are the specific performance targets for applications built with GoFrame?
• What level of support is provided for different database systems?
• Are there any plans to integrate with specific security tools or services (e.g., vulnerability scanners, secrets management solutions)?
• What is the process for reporting and addressing security vulnerabilities in the framework?
• What is the long-term roadmap for security enhancements in GoFrame?

Assumptions:

• BUSINESS POSTURE: The primary goal is to create a robust and popular Go framework, balancing rapid development with security.
• BUSINESS POSTURE: The project has a moderate risk appetite, willing to accept some risks to achieve rapid development and feature richness, but prioritizing security as a key concern.
• SECURITY POSTURE: Developers using GoFrame are expected to have a basic understanding of security principles and best practices.
• SECURITY POSTURE: The framework will be used in a variety of environments, including public cloud, private cloud, and on-premise deployments.
• DESIGN: The application will primarily interact with a relational database.
• DESIGN: The application will likely use external services for some functionalities.
• DESIGN: The deployment environment will be containerized using Docker and Kubernetes.
• DESIGN: The build process will be automated using a CI/CD pipeline.