threat-modeling.md

Threat Model Analysis for kataras/iris

Threat: Middleware Bypass (Authentication/Authorization)

• Threat: Middleware Bypass (Authentication/Authorization)

  • Description: An attacker crafts a malicious request that bypasses authentication or authorization middleware specifically due to flaws in Iris's middleware handling or configuration. This is distinct from general middleware bypass; it focuses on vulnerabilities within Iris's implementation or how it's used. Examples include incorrect middleware order enforced by Iris's routing, a bug in Iris's middleware execution logic, or a vulnerability in how Iris handles third-party middleware integration. The attacker might exploit a race condition in Iris's middleware chain or a flaw in how Iris parses middleware configuration.
  • Impact: Unauthorized access to protected resources, data breaches, data modification, complete system compromise.
  • Affected Iris Component: router (specifically how it handles middleware ordering and execution), middleware (Iris's internal middleware handling logic, including how it interacts with custom and third-party middleware). The Context object's user handling functions (User(), IsGuest(), etc.) are also directly affected if their internal logic within Iris is flawed.
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Strict Middleware Ordering (Iris-Specific): Leverage Iris's routing features (UseGlobal, Party.Use, etc.) to enforce the correct order of middleware execution. Understand how Iris prioritizes middleware and ensure authentication/authorization always precedes access-granting handlers.
    • Iris Core Updates: Keep Iris up-to-date to the absolute latest version to benefit from any security patches related to middleware handling. Monitor Iris's release notes and security advisories closely.
    • Auditing Iris's Middleware Logic (Advanced): If feasible, review the relevant parts of Iris's source code (specifically the router and middleware packages) to understand how middleware is executed and identify potential vulnerabilities. This is a highly advanced mitigation.
    • Minimal Third-Party Middleware: Reduce reliance on third-party middleware, especially for critical security functions. If used, thoroughly vet them and keep them updated.

Threat: Route Parameter Tampering (Iris-Specific Handling)

• Threat: Route Parameter Tampering (Iris-Specific Handling)

  • Description: An attacker manipulates route parameters, exploiting vulnerabilities specifically within Iris's routing mechanism or parameter parsing. This goes beyond general input validation; it focuses on how Iris itself handles parameters. Examples include a bug in Iris's parameter parsing logic that allows injection attacks, a flaw in how Iris handles wildcard routes, or an issue with how Iris's Context.Params() methods sanitize or validate input internally.
  • Impact: Data breaches, data modification, denial of service, potentially remote code execution (if combined with other Iris-specific vulnerabilities).
  • Affected Iris Component: router (Iris's routing engine, including parameter parsing and wildcard handling), Context.Params() (and related methods – specifically their internal implementation within Iris).
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Iris Core Updates: Keep Iris up-to-date to the latest version to address any vulnerabilities in its routing or parameter handling logic.
    • Input Validation (Beyond Basic): While general input validation is crucial, focus on using Iris's built-in parameter validation functions (e.g., ctx.Params().GetInt("id")) and understand how they work internally within Iris. If they have limitations, supplement them with additional validation.
    • Auditing Iris's Routing Logic (Advanced): If feasible, review the relevant parts of Iris's source code (specifically the router package) to understand how parameters are parsed and handled.
    • Restrict Wildcard Use: Minimize the use of overly broad wildcard routes (e.g., /*) as they can increase the attack surface.

Threat: Session Hijacking (Iris Session Management Vulnerabilities)

• Threat: Session Hijacking (Iris Session Management Vulnerabilities)

  • Description: An attacker gains access to another user's session due to vulnerabilities specifically within Iris's session management implementation. This is not about general session hijacking (e.g., XSS); it's about flaws in Iris's sessions package or how it interacts with session stores. Examples include predictable session ID generation by Iris, weak entropy in Iris's session ID generation algorithm, or a bug in how Iris handles session expiration or rotation internally.
  • Impact: Unauthorized access to user accounts, data breaches, data modification, impersonation.
  • Affected Iris Component: sessions package (Iris's built-in session management), Context.Session() and related methods (their internal implementation within Iris). The specific session store used in conjunction with Iris (e.g., in-memory, Redis, database) is also a factor, but the core vulnerability lies within Iris's handling.
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Iris Core Updates: Keep Iris up-to-date to the latest version to address any vulnerabilities in its session management implementation.
    • Strong Session Secret (Iris Configuration): Ensure a strong, randomly generated session secret is configured in Iris. This is a configuration within Iris.
    • Auditing Iris's Session Logic (Advanced): If feasible, review the sessions package in Iris's source code to understand how session IDs are generated, managed, and validated.
    • Session Store Security: While the session store itself is not solely an Iris component, choose a secure and well-maintained session store (e.g., Redis with proper security configuration) and ensure it's kept up-to-date. The interaction between Iris and the store is key.

Threat: Server-Side Template Injection (SSTI) - Iris Template Handling

• Threat: Server-Side Template Injection (SSTI) - Iris Template Handling

  • Description: An attacker injects malicious code into a view template, exploiting vulnerabilities specifically in how Iris loads and renders templates. This is not just about general SSTI; it focuses on flaws in Iris's view package or its interaction with template engines. Examples include a bug in Iris's template path resolution that allows directory traversal, a vulnerability in how Iris passes data to the template engine, or a flaw in Iris's handling of template caching.
  • Impact: Remote code execution, complete system compromise.
  • Affected Iris Component: view package (Iris's template engine integration), and how Iris interacts with the chosen template engine (e.g., html/template, pongo2, amber). The specific vulnerability might be within Iris's code or in how it uses the template engine's API.
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Iris Core Updates: Keep Iris up-to-date to address any vulnerabilities in its template handling.
    • Avoid Dynamic Template Loading (Iris-Specific): Do not allow Iris to load templates based on user-supplied input or untrusted sources. If dynamic loading is unavoidable, use Iris's features (if any) to strictly validate and sanitize the template path, understanding how Iris handles paths internally.
    • Template Engine Security (in Conjunction with Iris): Choose a template engine known for its security features (e.g., auto-escaping) and ensure it's configured securely within the Iris application. Keep the template engine itself up-to-date.
    • Auditing Iris's View Logic (Advanced): Review the view package in Iris's source code to understand how templates are loaded, rendered, and cached.

Threat: Uncontrolled Recursion/Infinite Loops in Handlers/Middleware (Iris-Facilitated)

• Threat: Uncontrolled Recursion/Infinite Loops in Handlers/Middleware (Iris-Facilitated)

  • Description: A developer creates a handler or middleware function that contains an infinite loop or uncontrolled recursion, specifically leveraging Iris's request handling flow. While this is primarily a developer error, the way Iris handles requests and middleware execution can exacerbate the impact. For example, a recursive middleware call within Iris's chain could lead to stack exhaustion more quickly than in a simpler framework.
  • Impact: Application unavailability, service disruption (DoS).
  • Affected Iris Component: router, middleware, any handler function, specifically how Iris manages the call stack and request lifecycle.
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Code Review (Iris Context): Carefully review all handler and middleware code, paying particular attention to how they interact with Iris's request context and middleware chain. Look for potential recursion or loops that could be triggered by specific requests.
    • Testing (Iris-Specific Scenarios): Thoroughly test handlers and middleware with various inputs, including edge cases and unexpected values, specifically focusing on scenarios that could trigger recursion within Iris's request handling.
    • Iris Configuration (Timeouts): Configure appropriate timeouts within Iris's settings to limit the execution time of requests and prevent runaway processes. This leverages Iris's configuration to mitigate the developer error.

Threat: Configuration Exposure (Iris Configuration System)

• Threat: Configuration Exposure (Iris Configuration System)
  • Description: Sensitive configuration information is exposed due to vulnerabilities specifically within Iris's configuration loading or handling. This is not just about general configuration security; it's about flaws in how Iris reads, parses, or stores configuration data. Examples include a bug in Iris that allows access to configuration files through a specific request, a vulnerability in how Iris handles environment variables, or a flaw in Iris's default configuration that exposes sensitive information.
  • Impact: Data breaches, unauthorized access, complete system compromise.
  • Affected Iris Component: Configuration (Iris's configuration loading and management), and how Iris interacts with environment variables and configuration files.
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Iris Core Updates: Keep Iris up-to-date to address any vulnerabilities in its configuration handling.
    • Secure Configuration Storage (Iris-Specific Practices): Follow Iris's recommended practices for storing configuration files (e.g., outside the web root). Understand how Iris searches for and loads configuration files.
    • Environment Variables (with Iris): Use environment variables for sensitive data, and understand how Iris interacts with them (e.g., precedence rules).
    • Auditing Iris's Configuration Logic (Advanced): Review the relevant parts of Iris's source code (specifically the Configuration related code) to understand how configuration is loaded and handled.