attack-surface.md

Attack Surface Analysis for emberjs/ember.js

Attack Surface: Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) via Template Injection

• Description: Injection of malicious scripts into web pages through unintentionally unescaped user-controlled data rendered in Ember.js templates. This occurs when developers bypass Ember.js's default HTML escaping, leading to direct script execution in the user's browser.
• Ember.js Contribution: Ember.js templating engine (Handlebars/Glimmer) provides mechanisms to render raw HTML using triple curly braces {{{ }}} or SafeString objects. Misuse of these features to render unsanitized user input directly introduces a critical XSS vulnerability.
• Example: An application displays blog post content. If post content, which includes user-generated HTML, is rendered in a template using {{{post.content}}}, and this content contains a malicious <script> tag, it will execute when a user views the post.
• Impact: Critical. Full account takeover, sensitive data theft (including session cookies, credentials), malware distribution affecting all users visiting the compromised page, complete website defacement.
• Risk Severity: Critical.
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Developers:
    • Strictly Avoid Unescaped Rendering for User Input: Never use {{{ }}} or SafeString to render user-provided data directly unless absolutely necessary and after rigorous sanitization.
    • Default Escaping is Your Friend: Rely on Ember.js's default {{ }} escaping for all user-generated content.
    • Robust HTML Sanitization: If raw HTML rendering is unavoidable, implement server-side and client-side HTML sanitization using a well-vetted library (e.g., DOMPurify) before rendering with {{{ }}} or SafeString.
    • Content Security Policy (CSP): Implement a strict CSP, especially script-src, to significantly reduce the impact of XSS even if it occurs. CSP can prevent inline scripts and restrict script sources.
    • Regular Template Audits: Conduct regular security audits of Ember.js templates to identify and eliminate any instances of potentially unsafe unescaped rendering.

Attack Surface: Route Parameter Manipulation Leading to Privilege Escalation or Data Breach

• Description: Exploiting vulnerabilities by manipulating URL route parameters in Ember.js applications to bypass authorization checks and access sensitive data or functionalities intended for higher privilege users.
• Ember.js Contribution: Ember.js Router's dynamic route segments (e.g., /admin/:resource_id) can be manipulated. If authorization logic within Ember.js routes or backend services is insufficient or flawed, attackers can craft URLs to access resources they should not be permitted to view or modify.
• Example: An administrative panel is accessible via /admin/users/:user_id/edit. If the Ember.js route or backend only checks if a user is generally logged in as "admin" but not if they are authorized to access specific user_id data, an attacker could potentially change user_id to access and modify any user's profile, leading to privilege escalation and data breach.
• Impact: High to Critical. Privilege escalation to administrator level, unauthorized access and modification of sensitive user data, potential data breach affecting multiple users, compromise of critical application functionalities.
• Risk Severity: High.
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Developers:
    • Granular Server-Side Authorization: Implement robust and granular server-side authorization checks that verify user permissions based on the specific resource being accessed (identified by route parameters). Do not rely solely on client-side checks or general role-based checks.
    • Parameter Validation and Sanitization: Validate and sanitize all route parameters on both client-side and server-side to prevent unexpected input from bypassing authorization logic or causing errors.
    • Secure Route Handlers: Ensure Ember.js route handlers (model, beforeModel, etc.) correctly implement authorization logic and securely fetch data based on validated and authorized parameters.
    • Principle of Least Privilege in Routing: Design routes and access control so users only have access to the absolute minimum resources required for their role.
    • Security Testing of Route Authorization: Specifically test route authorization logic with various user roles and parameter manipulations to identify potential bypass vulnerabilities.

Attack Surface: Vulnerabilities in Widely Used Ember Addons with Security Implications

• Description: Exploiting known or zero-day security vulnerabilities within popular and widely adopted Ember.js addons that are integrated into the application.
• Ember.js Contribution: Ember.js's addon ecosystem encourages code reuse, making applications reliant on third-party code. Vulnerabilities in frequently used addons can have a widespread impact, affecting many Ember.js applications simultaneously.
• Example: A popular Ember.js authentication addon has a discovered vulnerability allowing session hijacking. Applications using this vulnerable addon are then susceptible to session hijacking attacks, potentially leading to widespread account compromise.
• Impact: High to Critical. Depending on the addon vulnerability, impacts can range from XSS and CSRF to Remote Code Execution (RCE) and data breaches, potentially affecting a large number of users if the addon is widely used.
• Risk Severity: High to Critical.
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Developers:
    • Proactive Addon Security Monitoring: Actively monitor security advisories and vulnerability databases for known vulnerabilities in Ember.js addons used in the application.
    • Dependency Auditing and Updates: Regularly use dependency auditing tools (e.g., npm audit, yarn audit) to identify vulnerable addons and promptly update to patched versions.
    • Careful Addon Selection and Vetting: Thoroughly vet addons before adoption, considering maintainership, community activity, security history, and code quality. Prioritize addons with active maintenance and a good security track record.
    • Addon Security Scans: Incorporate addon security scanning into the development pipeline to automatically detect known vulnerabilities in dependencies.
    • Consider Alternatives to Vulnerable Addons: If a critical vulnerability is found in an essential addon and no patch is available, consider switching to a more secure alternative addon or developing the functionality in-house if feasible.

Attack Surface: Client-Side Routing Logic Flaws Leading to Unauthorized Access

• Description: Exploiting logical vulnerabilities or misconfigurations in Ember.js client-side routing logic, particularly within route hooks, to bypass intended navigation flows and gain unauthorized access to application sections or data.
• Ember.js Contribution: Ember.js Router's powerful route hooks (beforeModel, model, afterModel, redirect) control navigation and data loading. Logical errors or insecure implementations within these hooks, especially when handling authentication or authorization state, can create bypass opportunities.
• Example: A route intended for authenticated users has a beforeModel hook that checks for a user session. If this hook has a logical flaw (e.g., incorrect conditional logic, race condition, or reliance on easily manipulated client-side state), an attacker might be able to manipulate the application state or timing to bypass the authentication check and access the protected route without proper credentials.
• Impact: High. Unauthorized access to protected application features and data, bypass of authentication or authorization mechanisms, potential information disclosure, and in some cases, denial of service if routing logic errors cause application crashes.
• Risk Severity: High.
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Developers:
    • Rigorous Testing of Routing Hooks: Extensively test all route hooks, especially beforeModel and redirect, with various authentication states, user roles, and edge cases to ensure they function as intended and cannot be bypassed.
    • Secure State Management in Routing: Avoid relying solely on easily manipulated client-side state for critical routing decisions. Validate authentication and authorization state on the server-side as the source of truth.
    • Clear and Simple Routing Logic: Keep routing logic as clear and simple as possible to reduce the chance of introducing logical errors. Avoid overly complex conditional logic within route hooks.
    • Code Reviews Focused on Routing Security: Conduct specific code reviews focused on the security aspects of Ember.js routing logic, paying close attention to authentication and authorization implementations within route hooks.
    • Server-Side Route Protection Reinforcement: Always reinforce client-side routing protection with server-side checks to prevent attackers from bypassing client-side logic entirely.