Mitigation Strategy: Be Mindful of Configuration Precedence
- Description:
- Document Configuration Precedence Clearly: Thoroughly document Viper's configuration precedence rules (defaults, config file, environment variables, flags) for developers and operators. Make it easily accessible and understandable, referencing Viper's documentation directly.
- Define a Secure Precedence Strategy: Establish a clear and secure configuration precedence strategy for different environments (development, staging, production) considering Viper's order. For example, decide if environment variables should generally override config files in production or vice versa, and document the rationale.
- Minimize Use of Less Secure Sources in Production via Viper Configuration: In production environments, minimize or eliminate the use of less secure configuration sources that Viper is configured to read from, like command-line flags or overly broad environment variable overrides, especially for sensitive settings. Favor configuration files or remote providers that are more securely managed and integrated with Viper.
- Regularly Review Effective Configuration using Viper Features: Implement mechanisms to easily review the effective configuration that Viper is using at runtime, taking into account precedence rules. This helps in identifying unintended configuration overrides or misconfigurations. Utilize Viper's
AllSettings()function or similar Viper features to inspect the merged configuration.
- Threats Mitigated:
- Unintended Configuration Overrides (Severity: Medium): Accidental or malicious overriding of secure configurations by less secure sources due to misunderstanding of Viper's precedence rules.
- Configuration Drift (Severity: Low): Inconsistencies between intended configuration and actual running configuration due to complex Viper precedence rules.
- Security Misconfigurations (Severity: Medium): Introduction of security vulnerabilities due to unintended configuration settings taking precedence within Viper's configuration loading process.
- Impact:
- Unintended Configuration Overrides: Medium - Reduces the risk of accidental overrides due to Viper's precedence.
- Configuration Drift: Low - Improves configuration consistency and predictability within the Viper context.
- Security Misconfigurations: Medium - Reduces the likelihood of security misconfigurations arising from Viper's precedence handling.
- Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. Configuration precedence is documented in the project's README, but a formal, environment-specific precedence strategy related to Viper usage is not explicitly defined and enforced.
- Location: Project README.
- Missing Implementation: Need to formally define and document environment-specific configuration precedence strategies in the context of how Viper is used. Consider implementing tooling or scripts that leverage Viper to visualize and validate the effective configuration based on precedence rules.
Mitigation Strategy: Regularly Update Viper and Dependencies
- Description:
- Dependency Management for Viper: Use a dependency management tool (e.g., Go modules,
dep) to specifically track and manage thespf13/viperlibrary and its dependencies. - Vulnerability Scanning Focused on Viper: Integrate vulnerability scanning tools into the development and CI/CD pipeline to automatically scan for known vulnerabilities specifically in Viper and its direct dependencies.
- Regular Viper Updates: Establish a process for regularly updating
spf13/viperand its dependencies to the latest versions, especially when security patches are released for Viper itself or its core components. - Monitoring Viper Security Advisories: Actively monitor security advisories and mailing lists specifically related to
spf13/viperand its ecosystem to stay informed about newly discovered vulnerabilities in the library. - Patch Management for Viper: Have a plan for promptly applying security patches and updates to
spf13/viperand its dependencies when vulnerabilities are identified in Viper.
- Dependency Management for Viper: Use a dependency management tool (e.g., Go modules,
- Threats Mitigated:
- Exploitation of Known Viper Vulnerabilities (Severity: High): Attackers exploiting publicly known vulnerabilities in outdated versions of the
spf13/viperlibrary or its dependencies. - Zero-Day Viper Vulnerabilities (Severity: Low): While updates don't prevent zero-days, staying updated reduces the window of opportunity for exploitation and ensures faster patching when zero-days are discovered in Viper.
- Exploitation of Known Viper Vulnerabilities (Severity: High): Attackers exploiting publicly known vulnerabilities in outdated versions of the
- Impact:
- Exploitation of Known Viper Vulnerabilities: High - Significantly reduces the risk of exploiting known Viper vulnerabilities.
- Zero-Day Viper Vulnerabilities: Low - Provides indirect protection and faster response capability to Viper-specific zero-day threats.
- Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. Dependency management using Go modules is in place, including
spf13/viper. Basic vulnerability scanning is performed as part of the CI pipeline, which includes scanning for vulnerabilities in dependencies like Viper.- Location:
go.mod, CI/CD pipeline configuration (e.g., GitHub Actions workflows).
- Location:
- Missing Implementation: Formal process for regularly monitoring security advisories specifically for Viper and proactively updating the Viper dependency is not fully established. Patch management process for Viper updates could be more formalized and automated.
Mitigation Strategy: Secure Default Configuration Values using Viper's Default Mechanism
- Description:
- Review Viper Default Values: Carefully review all default configuration values defined in the application code using Viper's
SetDefault()function. - Harden Viper Default Settings: Ensure default values set via
viper.SetDefault()are secure and follow security best practices. Avoid overly permissive defaults that could introduce vulnerabilities if not explicitly overridden by other Viper configuration sources. For example, default ports set by Viper should be secure, default logging levels configured via Viper should be appropriate for production, and default timeouts managed by Viper should be reasonable. - Principle of Least Privilege for Viper Defaults: Apply the principle of least privilege to default configuration values set through Viper. Defaults should be as restrictive as possible while still allowing the application to function correctly in a basic setup when relying on Viper's default mechanism.
- Document Viper Default Values: Clearly document all default configuration values set using Viper and their security implications for developers and operators. This documentation should be linked to the Viper configuration code.
- Review Viper Default Values: Carefully review all default configuration values defined in the application code using Viper's
- Threats Mitigated:
- Security Misconfigurations due to Viper Defaults (Severity: Medium): Applications running with insecure default settings defined in Viper if external configuration is incomplete or missing.
- Accidental Exposure of Vulnerabilities via Viper Defaults (Severity: Medium): Default settings managed by Viper inadvertently enabling vulnerable features or behaviors.
- Impact:
- Security Misconfigurations due to Viper Defaults: Medium - Reduces the risk of insecure defaults set via Viper.
- Accidental Exposure of Vulnerabilities via Viper Defaults: Medium - Reduces the risk of enabling vulnerable features by default through Viper's configuration.
- Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. Default values are set for many configuration parameters using Viper's
SetDefault(), but a comprehensive security review of all these Viper-defined default values has not been performed recently.- Location: Application initialization code, where
viper.SetDefault()is used.
- Location: Application initialization code, where
- Missing Implementation: Need to conduct a thorough security audit of all default configuration values set using Viper's
SetDefault()and harden them according to security best practices. Document the security rationale behind default value choices specifically related to Viper defaults.
Mitigation Strategy: Careful Handling of Configuration Errors within Viper Operations
- Description:
- Implement Robust Error Handling for Viper: Implement comprehensive error handling for all Viper operations, especially configuration loading and parsing performed by Viper functions. Use
if err != nilchecks and proper error propagation when calling Viper functions likeReadConfig,Unmarshal, etc. - Avoid Revealing Sensitive Information in Viper Error Messages: Carefully craft error messages related to configuration loading failures originating from Viper. Avoid revealing sensitive information like file paths parsed by Viper, internal configuration details handled by Viper, or secret values in error messages that might be logged or displayed to users when Viper encounters an error.
- Graceful Degradation or Fail-Fast based on Viper's Success: Decide on a strategy for handling configuration loading errors reported by Viper. For critical configurations managed by Viper, implement a "fail-fast" approach: if Viper reports a loading error, the application should refuse to start to prevent operating in an insecure or undefined state. For less critical configurations handled by Viper, consider graceful degradation: use safe default values (potentially set by Viper) or disable non-essential features if Viper fails to load or parse certain configurations.
- Centralized Error Logging for Viper Errors: Log configuration loading errors reported by Viper to a centralized logging system for monitoring and analysis. Include relevant context in logs (e.g., Viper error type, configuration file name Viper attempted to read, timestamp).
- Implement Robust Error Handling for Viper: Implement comprehensive error handling for all Viper operations, especially configuration loading and parsing performed by Viper functions. Use
- Threats Mitigated:
- Information Disclosure via Viper Error Messages (Severity: Low): Accidental leakage of sensitive information in error messages generated by Viper.
- Denial of Service (DoS) due to Viper Configuration Errors (Severity: Low): Application crashes or malfunctions due to unhandled configuration errors reported by Viper.
- Operating in Insecure State due to Viper Loading Issues (Severity: Medium): Application starting with incomplete or invalid configuration because Viper failed to load or parse it correctly, potentially leading to unexpected and insecure behavior.
- Impact:
- Information Disclosure via Viper Error Messages: Low - Reduces the risk of information leakage through Viper's error reporting.
- Denial of Service (DoS) due to Viper Configuration Errors: Low - Improves application stability and resilience to configuration issues detected by Viper.
- Operating in Insecure State due to Viper Loading Issues: Medium - Prevents the application from running with potentially insecure configurations due to Viper loading failures.
- Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. Error handling is present for configuration loading using Viper, but error messages might not be fully sanitized to prevent information disclosure in Viper-related errors. Fail-fast is implemented for critical configurations loaded via Viper, but graceful degradation is used for some non-critical settings also managed by Viper.
- Location: Application startup code, configuration loading functions using Viper, error logging modules.
- Missing Implementation: Need to review and sanitize all configuration error messages originating from Viper to ensure no sensitive information is leaked. Refine the error handling strategy to be consistently applied across all configuration parameters managed by Viper, balancing fail-fast and graceful degradation appropriately in the context of Viper's operations.