Skip to content

Latest commit

 

History

History
74 lines (61 loc) · 7 KB

attack-tree.md

File metadata and controls

74 lines (61 loc) · 7 KB

Attack Tree Analysis for nextflow-io/nextflow

Objective: Compromise Application Using Nextflow

Attack Tree Visualization

Root: **CRITICAL NODE** Compromise Nextflow Application
├───[OR]─ **CRITICAL NODE** Exploit Workflow Definition Vulnerabilities
│   └───[AND]─ **HIGH RISK PATH** Workflow Definition Injection
│       └───[AND]─ **HIGH RISK PATH** Input Parameter Injection
├───[OR]─ **CRITICAL NODE** Exploit Process Execution Vulnerabilities
│   └───[AND]─ **HIGH RISK PATH** Command Injection in Processes
│       └───[AND]─ **HIGH RISK PATH** Input Parameter Command Injection
├───[OR]─ **CRITICAL NODE** Exploit Data Management Vulnerabilities
│   └───[AND]─ **HIGH RISK PATH** Insecure Data Storage in Work Directories
│       ├───[AND]─ **HIGH RISK PATH** Sensitive Data in Plaintext
│       └───[AND]─ **HIGH RISK PATH** Inadequate Access Control to Work Directories

Attack Tree Path: 1. Root: Compromise Nextflow Application (CRITICAL NODE)

  • Description: The ultimate attacker goal. Success means gaining unauthorized control, access, or disruption of the Nextflow application and its environment.
  • Attack Vectors (Summarized from Sub-Tree):
    • Exploiting Workflow Definition Vulnerabilities (especially Injection)
    • Exploiting Process Execution Vulnerabilities (especially Command Injection)
    • Exploiting Data Management Vulnerabilities (especially Insecure Data Storage)
  • Mitigation Focus: Implement comprehensive security measures across workflow definition, process execution, and data management.

Attack Tree Path: 2. Exploit Workflow Definition Vulnerabilities (CRITICAL NODE)

  • Description: Targeting weaknesses in how workflows are defined and processed by Nextflow.
  • High-Risk Path: Workflow Definition Injection -> Input Parameter Injection
    • Attack Step: Inject malicious code into workflow parameters via the application interface.
    • Likelihood: Medium (Depends on the strength of input validation in the application's interface).
    • Impact: High (Code execution within the Nextflow environment, potentially leading to data breaches, system compromise, or workflow manipulation).
    • Effort: Low (Common injection techniques are well-known and readily available tools exist).
    • Skill Level: Beginner/Intermediate.
    • Detection Difficulty: Medium (Can be logged, but requires active monitoring of input validation and workflow parameter handling).
    • Insight/Mitigation: Critical: Sanitize and rigorously validate all user inputs that are used to construct workflow parameters. Employ parameterized queries or safe templating mechanisms to prevent injection vulnerabilities during workflow generation.

Attack Tree Path: 3. Exploit Process Execution Vulnerabilities (CRITICAL NODE)

  • Description: Targeting weaknesses in how Nextflow executes processes, especially external commands and scripts.
  • High-Risk Path: Command Injection in Processes -> Input Parameter Command Injection
    • Attack Step: Inject malicious commands into process commands via workflow parameters that are derived from user input.
    • Likelihood: High (A very common vulnerability if user input is directly incorporated into process commands without proper sanitization).
    • Impact: High (Direct code execution on the system where Nextflow processes are running, potentially leading to full system compromise, data exfiltration, or denial of service).
    • Effort: Low (Command injection is a well-understood attack with numerous readily available tools and techniques).
    • Skill Level: Beginner/Intermediate.
    • Detection Difficulty: Medium (Can be logged, but requires monitoring of process command construction and sanitization practices).
    • Insight/Mitigation: Critical: Sanitize and validate all user inputs that are used in process commands. Mandatory: Use parameterized commands or safe command construction methods that prevent interpretation of user input as commands. Avoid string concatenation to build commands from user-provided data.

Attack Tree Path: 4. Exploit Data Management Vulnerabilities (CRITICAL NODE)

  • Description: Targeting weaknesses in how Nextflow manages data, especially within work directories.

  • High-Risk Path: Insecure Data Storage in Work Directories -> Sensitive Data in Plaintext

    • Attack Step: Sensitive data is stored in plaintext within Nextflow work directories, making it accessible to unauthorized users or processes.
    • Likelihood: Medium (Developers might unintentionally store sensitive information in work directories during workflow development or debugging).
    • Impact: High (Data breach, loss of confidentiality of sensitive information).
    • Effort: Low (No exploit needed, simply requires access to the file system where work directories are located, which might be achievable through other vulnerabilities or misconfigurations).
    • Skill Level: Beginner.
    • Detection Difficulty: Low (Difficult to detect without proactive data loss prevention (DLP) tools or manual security audits of work directories).
    • Insight/Mitigation: Critical: Avoid storing sensitive data in plaintext in Nextflow work directories. If sensitive data must be processed, implement encryption for data at rest within work directories.

  • High-Risk Path: Insecure Data Storage in Work Directories -> Inadequate Access Control to Work Directories

    • Attack Step: Work directories are not properly protected with sufficient access controls, allowing unauthorized access and modification of data by malicious actors or compromised processes.
    • Likelihood: Medium (Default permissions for work directories might be too permissive, or misconfigurations in access control settings could occur).
    • Impact: Medium/High (Data breach, data corruption or manipulation, potential workflow manipulation by altering intermediate data).
    • Effort: Low (Exploiting default permissions or common misconfigurations in file system access controls is relatively easy).
    • Skill Level: Beginner.
    • Detection Difficulty: Medium (Requires monitoring file access patterns within work directories, which might not be enabled by default).
    • Insight/Mitigation: Critical: Implement strict access controls on Nextflow work directories. Restrict access to only authorized users and processes that absolutely require it. Follow the principle of least privilege. Regularly review and enforce these access controls.