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attack-surface.md

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Attack Surface Analysis for adobe/brackets

Attack Surface: Malicious Extension Installation

  • Description: Users can install third-party extensions from the Brackets Extension Registry or external sources. Malicious extensions can contain code designed to harm the user or their system.
  • Brackets Contribution: Brackets provides an extension ecosystem and installation mechanism, making it easy for users to add functionality, but also opening the door to malicious extensions. Brackets itself does not inherently guarantee the security of all extensions.
  • Example: A developer installs a seemingly helpful "code beautifier" extension. Unbeknownst to them, the extension also contains code that silently exfiltrates project files to an external server.
  • Impact: Data breach (code, credentials, intellectual property), malware infection, system compromise, supply chain attack if malicious code is introduced into projects.
  • Risk Severity: High to Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • User Education: Educate developers about the risks of installing untrusted extensions.
    • Extension Vetting: Implement a process to vet and approve extensions before team-wide use.
    • Trusted Sources: Prefer extensions from reputable developers and official sources.
    • Permissions Review (if available): If Brackets provides extension permission models, review and restrict extension permissions.
    • Regular Review: Periodically review installed extensions and remove unnecessary or suspicious ones.
    • Security Scanning (advanced): Explore tools or methods to scan extension code for potential malicious patterns before installation.

Attack Surface: Node.js Backend Vulnerabilities

  • Description: Brackets is built on Node.js. Vulnerabilities in the underlying Node.js runtime can directly affect Brackets' security.
  • Brackets Contribution: Brackets relies on Node.js for core functionality and extension support, inheriting any vulnerabilities present in the Node.js version it uses.
  • Example: A known vulnerability in the Node.js version used by Brackets allows for remote code execution. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability through a crafted project file or by targeting a Brackets feature that interacts with Node.js in a vulnerable way.
  • Impact: Remote Code Execution (RCE) on the user's machine, complete system compromise, data breach, denial of service.
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Brackets Updates: Keep Brackets updated to the latest version, as updates often include Node.js version upgrades or patches for Node.js vulnerabilities.
    • Monitor Security Advisories: Stay informed about Node.js security advisories and ensure Brackets is using a patched version of Node.js.
    • Isolate Brackets (advanced): In highly sensitive environments, consider isolating Brackets in a virtual machine or container to limit the impact of a Node.js vulnerability exploitation.

Attack Surface: Insecure Node.js API Usage

  • Description: Brackets' core code or extensions might use Node.js APIs insecurely, leading to vulnerabilities like path traversal or command injection.
  • Brackets Contribution: Brackets' architecture relies on Node.js APIs for file system access and system interactions. Improper use of these APIs within Brackets' code or extensions can create security holes.
  • Example: An extension uses the child_process.exec() Node.js API to run system commands based on user input without proper sanitization. An attacker could craft malicious input that leads to command injection, allowing them to execute arbitrary commands on the user's system.
  • Impact: Command injection, path traversal, unauthorized file system access, privilege escalation, system compromise.
  • Risk Severity: High to Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Secure Coding Practices: Developers (both Brackets core and extension developers) should follow secure coding practices when using Node.js APIs, including input validation, sanitization, and avoiding dangerous APIs like eval() or child_process.exec() when safer alternatives exist.
    • Code Reviews: Conduct code reviews of Brackets core and extensions to identify and fix potential insecure Node.js API usage.
    • Static Analysis (advanced): Use static analysis tools to automatically detect potential vulnerabilities in Brackets and extension code related to Node.js API usage.

Attack Surface: Insecure Update Mechanism

  • Description: If the Brackets update mechanism is not secure, attackers could perform Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks to inject malicious updates.
  • Brackets Contribution: Brackets has an auto-update mechanism to keep the application current. If this mechanism is flawed, it becomes a direct attack vector against Brackets installations.
  • Example: Brackets checks for updates over an unencrypted HTTP connection. An attacker on the network performs a MITM attack and intercepts the update request, replacing the legitimate update with a malicious version of Brackets. The user unknowingly installs the compromised update.
  • Impact: Installation of malware, complete compromise of the Brackets installation, potential system-wide compromise if the malicious update has elevated privileges.
  • Risk Severity: High to Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • HTTPS for Updates: Ensure Brackets uses HTTPS for all update communication to prevent MITM attacks.
    • Signature Verification: Verify the digital signatures of updates to ensure they are from a trusted source and haven't been tampered with.
    • Manual Updates (alternative): If concerns exist about the auto-update mechanism, developers can opt for manual updates from the official Brackets website, verifying the download integrity.