Skip to content

Latest commit

 

History

History
68 lines (55 loc) · 5.83 KB

attack-surface.md

File metadata and controls

68 lines (55 loc) · 5.83 KB

Attack Surface Analysis for stackexchange/dnscontrol

Attack Surface: Credential Compromise (credentials.json or Environment Variables)

  • 1. Credential Compromise (credentials.json or Environment Variables)

    • Description: Unauthorized access to the credentials.json file or environment variables containing API keys and secrets for DNS providers.
    • How DNSControl Contributes: dnscontrol requires these credentials to function, making them a central point of vulnerability. The tool's design necessitates storing these credentials somewhere.
    • Example: An attacker gains access to a developer's laptop and finds the credentials.json file, or a misconfigured CI/CD pipeline exposes environment variables containing the credentials.
    • Impact: Complete control over all DNS records managed by dnscontrol. This allows for website redirection, email interception, subdomain takeover, and issuance of malicious certificates.
    • Risk Severity: Critical
    • Mitigation Strategies:
      • Never store credentials.json in the source code repository.
      • Use a dedicated secrets management solution (e.g., HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault, Google Secret Manager).
      • Inject credentials securely into the dnscontrol execution environment (e.g., via environment variables managed by a container orchestration system).
      • Implement least privilege: Grant only the necessary permissions to the API keys used by dnscontrol.
      • Regularly rotate API keys.
      • Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for DNS provider accounts.
      • Monitor DNS provider logs for unauthorized changes.

Attack Surface: CI/CD Pipeline Compromise

  • 2. CI/CD Pipeline Compromise

    • Description: An attacker gains control of the CI/CD pipeline used to automate dnscontrol execution.
    • How DNSControl Contributes: dnscontrol is often integrated into CI/CD pipelines for automated DNS management, making the pipeline a high-value target because of its interaction with dnscontrol.
    • Example: An attacker exploits a vulnerability in the CI/CD system (e.g., Jenkins, GitHub Actions) or compromises a developer's credentials with access to the pipeline. They then modify the dnsconfig.js file or inject malicious commands before dnscontrol runs.
    • Impact: Similar to credential compromise, the attacker gains control over DNS records, but the attack is executed through the automated pipeline.
    • Risk Severity: Critical
    • Mitigation Strategies:
      • Secure the CI/CD pipeline itself: Use strong authentication, restrict access, and monitor for suspicious activity.
      • Implement least privilege for the pipeline's access to DNS provider credentials (ideally, use short-lived, scoped credentials).
      • Use signed commits and verify signatures in the pipeline.
      • Implement code review and approval processes for changes to the pipeline configuration and the dnsconfig.js file.
      • Use a dedicated, isolated build environment for running dnscontrol.
      • Regularly audit and update the CI/CD system and its dependencies.

Attack Surface: dnsconfig.js Modification

  • 3. dnsconfig.js Modification

    • Description: Unauthorized modification of the dnsconfig.js file, which defines the desired state of DNS records.
    • How DNSControl Contributes: dnsconfig.js is the core configuration file for dnscontrol. Its integrity is paramount to the correct functioning of dnscontrol.
    • Example: An attacker gains write access to the repository containing dnsconfig.js and adds a malicious record, or a disgruntled employee makes unauthorized changes.
    • Impact: The attacker can indirectly control DNS settings by modifying the desired state. The changes will be applied the next time dnscontrol is run.
    • Risk Severity: High
    • Mitigation Strategies:
      • Store dnsconfig.js in a secure, version-controlled repository with strict access controls.
      • Implement mandatory code review and approval processes for all changes to dnsconfig.js.
      • Use a CI/CD pipeline with integrity checks (e.g., checksum verification) to ensure the file hasn't been tampered with.
      • Consider using digital signatures to verify the authenticity of the dnsconfig.js file.
      • Implement a rollback mechanism to quickly revert to a previous, known-good configuration.

Attack Surface: Dependency Vulnerabilities

  • 4. Dependency Vulnerabilities

    • Description: Exploitable vulnerabilities in dnscontrol itself or its dependencies.
    • How DNSControl Contributes: This is directly related to the dnscontrol codebase and its chosen dependencies.
    • Example: A vulnerability is discovered in a library used by dnscontrol for interacting with a specific DNS provider, allowing an attacker to inject malicious code.
    • Impact: Potentially arbitrary code execution on the system running dnscontrol, leading to credential theft or other malicious actions.
    • Risk Severity: High
    • Mitigation Strategies:
      • Regularly update dnscontrol to the latest version.
      • Use a dependency vulnerability scanner (e.g., npm audit, go mod tidy, Dependabot, Snyk) to identify and remediate known vulnerabilities.
      • Keep the operating system and other software on the host running dnscontrol up to date.
      • Consider using a software bill of materials (SBOM) to track dependencies.