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attack-surface.md

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Attack Surface Analysis for mislav/hub

Attack Surface: Credential Compromise (via hub Storage/Handling)

  • Description: Unauthorized access to GitHub authentication tokens specifically due to how hub stores or handles them. This excludes general credential theft from the user's system, focusing on hub's specific role.
  • How hub Contributes: hub stores tokens locally (e.g., ~/.config/hub) to avoid repeated authentication prompts. The security of this storage is crucial.
  • Example: An attacker exploits a vulnerability in hub's code that allows them to read the contents of ~/.config/hub even with restricted file permissions, or a flaw in how hub handles tokens in memory exposes them to other processes.
  • Impact:
    • Full control over the user's GitHub account (depending on token scope).
    • Ability to read, write, and delete repositories, modify issues/PRs, access private data.
  • Risk Severity: Critical (if the token has broad scopes) or High (if the token has limited scopes).
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • User:
      • Regularly update hub to the latest version to benefit from security patches.
    • Developer:
      • Use secure credential storage mechanisms appropriate for the operating system (e.g., OS-specific keychains, encrypted storage).
      • Minimize the time tokens are held in memory.
      • Implement robust error handling to prevent accidental token leakage in logs or error messages.
      • Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing of the credential handling code.

Attack Surface: Command Injection

  • Description: Execution of arbitrary shell commands through hub due to insufficient input sanitization within hub's code.
  • How hub Contributes: hub takes user-provided input and uses it in shell commands when interacting with git or constructing API calls. This is the core vulnerability point.
  • Example: A malicious user crafts a branch name containing shell metacharacters (e.g., "; rm -rf /;") that are not properly escaped by hub when constructing a git command, leading to command execution.
  • Impact:
    • Arbitrary code execution on the user's system.
    • Potential for complete system compromise.
  • Risk Severity: Critical.
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • User:
      • Regularly update hub to the latest version.
    • Developer:
      • Rigorously sanitize all user-provided input before using it in any shell command or API call. Use a combination of whitelisting (preferred), escaping, and quoting.
      • Avoid using direct shell command execution whenever possible. Use libraries that provide safer interfaces to git and the GitHub API.
      • Conduct thorough security code reviews and penetration testing, specifically focusing on input handling.
      • Implement static analysis tools to automatically detect potential injection vulnerabilities.

Attack Surface: Unauthorized Data Manipulation (via hub Commands)

  • Description: Using hub's commands to perform unauthorized actions on GitHub repositories due to flaws in hub's implementation or logic. This is distinct from simply having a compromised token; it focuses on hub's role in enabling the malicious actions.
  • How hub Contributes: hub provides a simplified interface for performing actions on GitHub. A vulnerability in hub could allow an attacker to bypass intended restrictions or perform actions in an unintended way.
  • Example: A bug in hub's pull request creation logic allows an attacker to bypass branch protection rules and merge a pull request without the required reviews, even if the attacker has a valid token but lacks the necessary permissions on GitHub itself. This is a hub-specific flaw, not just a compromised token.
  • Impact:
    • Introduction of malicious code into repositories.
    • Data loss or corruption.
    • Disruption of development workflows.
  • Risk Severity: High.
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • User:
      • Regularly update hub to the latest version.
    • Developer:
      • Thoroughly test all hub commands, especially those related to potentially destructive actions (e.g., force-pushing, deleting branches/repositories).
      • Ensure that hub correctly enforces GitHub's permissions and branch protection rules. hub should not be able to bypass these restrictions.
      • Implement robust error handling and input validation to prevent unexpected behavior.
      • Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing.

Attack Surface: git Configuration Manipulation (by hub)

  • Description: hub modifying the user's git configuration in a malicious or unintended way, leading to credential leaks or altered git behavior due to flaws in hub.
  • How hub Contributes: hub interacts with and can modify the user's git configuration. A vulnerability in hub could lead to malicious modifications.
  • Example: A compromised version of hub, or a version with a critical bug, modifies the user's git configuration to use a malicious credential helper that steals credentials, without the user's knowledge or consent.
  • Impact:
    • Credential theft.
    • Redirection of git operations.
  • Risk Severity: High.
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • User:
      • Regularly update hub to the latest version.
    • Developer:
      • Minimize the changes hub makes to the user's git configuration.
      • Thoroughly test any code that modifies the git configuration.
      • Provide clear and transparent documentation about any configuration changes made by hub.
      • Use secure coding practices to prevent vulnerabilities that could allow malicious configuration modifications.