threat-modeling.md

Threat Model Analysis for rclone/rclone

Threat: Plaintext Storage of Credentials

• Description: An attacker gains access to the rclone configuration file and extracts plaintext credentials (API keys, passwords) stored within. This allows unauthorized access to remote storage.
• Impact: Unauthorized access to remote storage, data exfiltration, data manipulation, potential account takeover of the remote storage service.
• Affected rclone component: Configuration file (rclone.conf), credential storage mechanism.
• Risk Severity: High
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Encrypt rclone configuration files using rclone config password.
  • Utilize secure credential storage mechanisms like system keyring or environment variables instead of plaintext in the configuration file.
  • Restrict file system permissions on the rclone configuration file to prevent unauthorized access.

Threat: Credential Injection/Substitution Vulnerabilities (in Application Logic)

• Description: An attacker exploits vulnerabilities in the application's logic that constructs rclone commands or configuration. By manipulating input, they inject or substitute their own credentials, leading to unauthorized access.
• Impact: Unauthorized access to storage using attacker-controlled credentials, data exfiltration to attacker-controlled storage, data manipulation in attacker-controlled storage.
• Affected rclone component: Application logic interacting with rclone, command execution, configuration generation.
• Risk Severity: High
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Parameterize rclone commands to avoid string concatenation and injection vulnerabilities.
  • Thoroughly validate and sanitize all user inputs and external data used to construct rclone commands or configurations.
  • Apply the principle of least privilege, granting the application and rclone process only necessary permissions.

Threat: Data Exfiltration via Misconfiguration or Command Injection

• Description: Due to misconfiguration of rclone commands or command injection vulnerabilities, an attacker can manipulate rclone to transfer sensitive local data to an unintended or attacker-controlled remote storage location.
• Impact: Loss of confidential data, privacy breaches, regulatory compliance violations, reputational damage.
• Affected rclone component: Command execution, application logic interacting with rclone, command-line interface.
• Risk Severity: High
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Apply the principle of least privilege, configuring rclone to only access necessary local and remote storage locations.
  • Strictly validate and sanitize all parameters passed to rclone commands to prevent command injection.
  • Conduct regular security audits of the application and rclone configurations.

Threat: Man-in-the-Middle Attacks (if TLS/HTTPS is disabled or compromised)

• Description: If TLS/HTTPS encryption is disabled or compromised for rclone operations, an attacker performing a man-in-the-middle attack can intercept and potentially tamper with data transmitted between the application/rclone and remote storage.
• Impact: Data interception, data tampering, credential theft if transmitted over insecure channels, loss of confidentiality and integrity.
• Affected rclone component: Network communication module, TLS/HTTPS implementation.
• Risk Severity: High
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Enforce TLS/HTTPS encryption for all rclone operations and verify the configuration.
  • Use valid and trusted TLS certificates for remote storage connections.
  • Regularly assess the security of network configurations and TLS/HTTPS implementations.

Threat: Dependency Vulnerabilities in Rclone or its Dependencies

• Description: rclone or its dependencies contain security vulnerabilities. If these vulnerabilities are not patched, attackers can exploit them to compromise the system where rclone is running.
• Impact: System compromise, privilege escalation, data breaches, denial of service.
• Affected rclone component: Dependencies, core code (if vulnerability is in rclone itself).
• Risk Severity: High (depending on vulnerability severity)
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Regularly update rclone to the latest version to patch known vulnerabilities.
  • Use dependency scanning tools to identify vulnerabilities in rclone's dependencies.
  • Implement automated patching processes for rclone and its dependencies.

Threat: Vulnerabilities in Rclone Core Code

• Description: rclone itself contains security vulnerabilities in its core code. Attackers can exploit these vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access, execute arbitrary code, or cause denial of service.
• Impact: System compromise, data breaches, denial of service, potential widespread impact if vulnerability is critical and easily exploitable.
• Affected rclone component: Core code, various modules depending on the vulnerability.
• Risk Severity: Critical (depending on vulnerability severity)
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Regularly update rclone to the latest version to patch known vulnerabilities.
  • Monitor security advisories and vulnerability announcements related to rclone.
  • If using custom builds, conduct thorough code reviews and security testing.

Threat: Supply Chain Attacks on Rclone Distribution

• Description: Malicious actors compromise rclone distribution channels and distribute backdoored or malicious versions of rclone. Users unknowingly download and use the compromised version.
• Impact: Widespread compromise of systems using the malicious rclone version, data breaches, system control, potential large-scale attacks.
• Affected rclone component: Distribution channels, downloaded binaries.
• Risk Severity: High (Impact)
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Verify the integrity of downloaded rclone binaries using checksums provided by the official rclone project.
  • Download rclone only from official and trusted sources.
  • If possible, verify code signatures of rclone binaries.
  • Scan downloaded rclone binaries with reputable antivirus and anti-malware software before execution.