threat-modeling.md

Threat Model Analysis for jonschlinkert/kind-of

Threat: Incorrect Type Identification Leading to Security Vulnerability

• Description: An attacker crafts malicious input specifically designed to exploit potential weaknesses or edge cases in kind-of's type detection logic. This input causes kind-of to misidentify the data type. If the application directly and critically relies on kind-of's output for security-sensitive decisions (e.g., access control, data processing logic, input validation for critical operations), this misidentification can lead to severe security vulnerabilities. For example, if the application uses kind-of to verify if user-provided data is of a safe type before executing privileged operations, a misidentification could allow the attacker to bypass these checks and execute unauthorized actions or inject malicious data.
• Impact: Bypass of security controls, execution of unintended code paths, potential for data breaches or unauthorized access depending on the application's security logic and how critically it relies on kind-of's type identification. In severe cases, this could lead to significant data compromise or system takeover if application logic is critically flawed due to incorrect type assumptions.
• Affected Component: Core type detection logic within kind-of (functions responsible for identifying JavaScript types, specifically when handling edge cases or unusual inputs).
• Risk Severity: High (in specific application contexts where type checking by kind-of is security-critical and directly relied upon without further robust validation).
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Avoid Security-Critical Reliance: Do not rely solely on kind-of for security-critical input validation or access control decisions. kind-of is a utility library for type detection, not a robust security validation tool.
  • Defense in Depth: Implement layered security measures. Even when using kind-of, always perform robust input validation and sanitization independently of kind-of's output, especially for security-sensitive operations.
  • Context-Specific Validation: Tailor input validation to the specific requirements of your application logic, rather than generically relying on type detection alone.
  • Thorough Security Testing: Conduct rigorous security testing, including penetration testing and fuzzing, specifically targeting the application's logic that uses kind-of to identify potential vulnerabilities arising from incorrect type identification.
  • Regular Updates and Monitoring: Stay updated with kind-of releases and security advisories. Monitor for any reported bugs or vulnerabilities related to type detection and update the library promptly.