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Threat Model Analysis for zeromicro/go-zero

Threat: Code Injection via Generated Code Vulnerabilities

  • Description: An attacker could exploit vulnerabilities present in go-zero's code generation templates. If templates contain flaws (e.g., insecure input handling in generated handlers), attackers could inject malicious code by crafting specific inputs that are not properly sanitized by the generated code. This could lead to remote code execution on the server.
    • Impact: Critical. Full compromise of the application and server, data breach, service disruption, and potential lateral movement within the infrastructure.
    • Affected Go-Zero Component: Code Generation Templates (specifically within goctl tool).
    • Risk Severity: High.
    • Mitigation Strategies:
      • Regularly update go-zero framework to benefit from security patches in templates.
      • Perform static code analysis on generated code to identify potential vulnerabilities.
      • Implement robust input validation and output encoding in handlers, even in generated code.

Threat: Default Configuration Exploitation

  • Description: Attackers could leverage insecure default configurations in go-zero applications. For example, if authentication or authorization is not properly configured beyond defaults, attackers could bypass access controls and gain unauthorized access to APIs or RPC services. They might exploit open ports or services exposed due to default settings.
    • Impact: High. Unauthorized access to sensitive data, data manipulation, service disruption, depending on the exposed functionality.
    • Affected Go-Zero Component: Configuration system (e.g., etc files, configuration loading mechanisms), default middleware configurations.
    • Risk Severity: High.
    • Mitigation Strategies:
      • Thoroughly review and customize all default configurations, especially security-related settings.
      • Disable or restrict access to unnecessary default endpoints or services.
      • Implement strong authentication and authorization mechanisms instead of relying on defaults.

Threat: Unauthenticated RPC Access

  • Description: An attacker, either internal or external (if RPC ports are exposed), could directly call RPC services if authentication is not enforced. They could bypass API gateway security and directly interact with backend services, potentially accessing sensitive data or triggering malicious operations.
    • Impact: High. Unauthorized access to backend services and data, potential data breaches, data manipulation, and service disruption.
    • Affected Go-Zero Component: go-rpc framework, RPC service handlers, middleware configuration.
    • Risk Severity: High.
    • Mitigation Strategies:
      • Mandatory implementation of authentication and authorization for all RPC calls.
      • Utilize go-zero's built-in middleware or custom middleware for enforcing access control in RPC.
      • Implement mutual TLS (mTLS) for secure inter-service RPC communication.

Threat: RPC Deserialization Vulnerabilities

  • Description: Attackers could send maliciously crafted payloads in RPC requests designed to exploit vulnerabilities in the serialization/deserialization process. This could lead to remote code execution, denial of service, or other unexpected behavior if the deserialization library or handler is vulnerable.
    • Impact: High. Remote code execution, denial of service, service instability, depending on the vulnerability.
    • Affected Go-Zero Component: go-rpc framework, serialization libraries used by RPC (e.g., protobuf), RPC handlers.
    • Risk Severity: High.
    • Mitigation Strategies:
      • Use secure and well-vetted serialization libraries.
      • Implement robust input validation on data received through RPC calls after deserialization.
      • Regularly update go-zero and its dependencies to patch any serialization-related vulnerabilities.

Threat: API Gateway Misconfiguration - Backend Exposure

  • Description: Attackers could exploit misconfigurations in the go-zero API gateway (go-api). Incorrect routing rules, missing authentication/authorization middleware, or disabled security features could expose backend services directly to the internet, bypassing intended security controls.
    • Impact: High. Direct exposure of backend services, unauthorized access to sensitive data and functionality, potential data breaches, and service compromise.
    • Affected Go-Zero Component: go-api gateway, routing configuration, middleware configuration.
    • Risk Severity: High.
    • Mitigation Strategies:
      • Carefully configure the API gateway with correct routing rules, authentication, authorization, and rate limiting.
      • Regularly audit gateway configurations and ensure they align with security best practices.
      • Implement infrastructure-level controls (firewalls, network segmentation) to restrict direct access to backend services.

Threat: Middleware Vulnerabilities

  • Description: Attackers could exploit vulnerabilities in either built-in go-zero middleware or custom middleware developed for the application. A flaw in middleware, especially security-related middleware, could allow attackers to bypass security checks, inject malicious code, or cause denial of service.
    • Impact: High. Bypassing security controls, remote code execution (if middleware is vulnerable), denial of service, depending on the middleware vulnerability.
    • Affected Go-Zero Component: Middleware framework, built-in middleware, custom middleware implementations.
    • Risk Severity: High.
    • Mitigation Strategies:
      • Thoroughly test and review all middleware, especially custom ones, for potential vulnerabilities.
      • Keep go-zero and its dependencies updated to benefit from security patches in built-in middleware.
      • Apply static code analysis and security audits to custom middleware code.

Threat: Dependency Vulnerabilities

  • Description: Attackers could exploit known vulnerabilities in third-party Go packages that go-zero depends on. These vulnerabilities could be in any dependency, from serialization libraries to HTTP servers, and could lead to various attacks, including remote code execution or denial of service.
    • Impact: High. Remote code execution, denial of service, data breaches, depending on the vulnerability and affected dependency.
    • Affected Go-Zero Component: Dependency management system (go.mod, go.sum), all parts of go-zero that rely on vulnerable dependencies.
    • Risk Severity: High.
    • Mitigation Strategies:
      • Regularly audit and update go-zero dependencies using tools like go mod tidy and govulncheck.
      • Implement a dependency management strategy that prioritizes security and timely patching of vulnerabilities.

Threat: Secrets Exposure in Configuration

  • Description: Attackers could gain access to sensitive configuration data and secrets (database credentials, API keys, encryption keys) if they are improperly stored or exposed. This could happen if secrets are hardcoded in code, stored in plain text configuration files, or leaked through logs or error messages.
    • Impact: Critical. Full compromise of application and related systems, data breaches, unauthorized access to external services, and potential financial loss.
    • Affected Go-Zero Component: Configuration system, configuration loading mechanisms, logging and error handling.
    • Risk Severity: Critical.
    • Mitigation Strategies:
      • Never hardcode secrets in code or configuration files.
      • Use environment variables, dedicated secret management tools (like HashiCorp Vault, Kubernetes Secrets), or cloud provider secret management services to securely store and access secrets.