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BUSINESS POSTURE

Rocket.Chat is an open-source team communication platform. The primary business priority is to provide a reliable, feature-rich, and secure communication solution for organizations of all sizes. The goal is to enable efficient collaboration, improve team productivity, and foster a connected work environment.

Key business risks associated with Rocket.Chat include:

  • Data breaches and leaks of sensitive communication data.
  • Service disruptions impacting business operations and communication flow.
  • Compliance violations related to data privacy and security regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA).
  • Reputational damage due to security incidents or platform instability.
  • Loss of user trust and adoption if the platform is perceived as insecure or unreliable.

SECURITY POSTURE

Existing security controls:

  • security control: Access control to the application via username and password authentication. (Implemented in application code)
  • security control: Role-based access control (RBAC) for managing user permissions and access to features. (Implemented in application code)
  • security control: HTTPS encryption for communication between clients and the server. (Implemented in web server configuration)
  • security control: Regular security updates and patches for the platform and its dependencies. (Described in project documentation and release notes)
  • security control: Data encryption at rest for sensitive data in the database. (Configurable database feature)
  • security control: Input validation and sanitization to prevent common web vulnerabilities. (Implemented in application code)

Accepted risks:

  • accepted risk: Potential vulnerabilities in third-party dependencies. (Mitigated by regular updates and vulnerability scanning)
  • accepted risk: Risk of social engineering attacks targeting users. (Mitigated by user security awareness training)
  • accepted risk: Availability risks associated with infrastructure failures. (Mitigated by redundancy and monitoring)

Recommended security controls:

  • security control: Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for enhanced user login security.
  • security control: Integrate with Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system for security monitoring and incident response.
  • security control: Conduct regular penetration testing and vulnerability assessments.
  • security control: Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to protect against web-based attacks.
  • security control: Implement static and dynamic application security testing (SAST/DAST) in the CI/CD pipeline.
  • security control: Enhance logging and auditing capabilities for security events.

Security requirements:

  • Authentication:
    • requirement: Secure user authentication mechanism to verify user identity.
    • requirement: Support for strong password policies and enforcement.
    • requirement: Option for multi-factor authentication (MFA).
    • requirement: Secure session management to prevent session hijacking.
  • Authorization:
    • requirement: Role-based access control (RBAC) to manage user permissions.
    • requirement: Granular access control to features and data based on user roles and context.
    • requirement: Principle of least privilege should be applied to user and system accounts.
  • Input Validation:
    • requirement: Comprehensive input validation on all user inputs to prevent injection attacks (e.g., XSS, SQL injection).
    • requirement: Input sanitization and encoding to neutralize malicious input.
    • requirement: Use of secure coding practices to minimize vulnerabilities related to input handling.
  • Cryptography:
    • requirement: Use of strong encryption algorithms for data in transit (HTTPS/TLS).
    • requirement: Encryption of sensitive data at rest (e.g., database encryption).
    • requirement: Secure storage and management of cryptographic keys.
    • requirement: Proper use of hashing and salting for password storage.

DESIGN

C4 CONTEXT

graph LR
    subgraph "Organization"
        U1("Internal User")
        U2("External User")
        U3("Administrator")
    end
    RC("Rocket.Chat Server")
    LDAP("LDAP/AD Server")
    Email("Email Server")
    Push("Push Notification Service")
    DB("Database Server")
    OS("Object Storage")

    U1 --> RC
    U2 --> RC
    U3 --> RC
    RC --> LDAP
    RC --> Email
    RC --> Push
    RC --> DB
    RC --> OS
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Context Diagram Elements:

  • Element:

    • Name: Internal User
    • Type: Person
    • Description: Employees or members within the organization who use Rocket.Chat for internal communication and collaboration.
    • Responsibilities: Communicate with colleagues, collaborate on projects, access internal information.
    • Security controls: Username/password authentication, MFA (recommended), RBAC permissions within Rocket.Chat.

  • Element:

    • Name: External User
    • Type: Person
    • Description: Users outside the organization (e.g., clients, partners) who may be granted limited access to Rocket.Chat for communication and collaboration.
    • Responsibilities: Communicate with internal users, collaborate on specific projects, access limited information.
    • Security controls: Username/password authentication, MFA (recommended), RBAC permissions within Rocket.Chat, access control lists for external users.

  • Element:

    • Name: Administrator
    • Type: Person
    • Description: Users responsible for managing and configuring the Rocket.Chat server, including user management, system settings, and security configurations.
    • Responsibilities: System administration, user management, security configuration, monitoring, backups.
    • Security controls: Strong authentication (username/password, MFA), role-based access control with administrative privileges, audit logging of administrative actions.

  • Element:

    • Name: Rocket.Chat Server
    • Type: Software System
    • Description: The core Rocket.Chat application server that provides real-time messaging, team collaboration features, and user management.
    • Responsibilities: Real-time communication, user management, channel management, data storage, API access, integrations.
    • Security controls: HTTPS encryption, authentication, authorization, input validation, session management, data encryption at rest, security updates, logging, monitoring.

  • Element:

    • Name: LDAP/AD Server
    • Type: Software System
    • Description: Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) or Active Directory (AD) server used for user authentication and directory services integration.
    • Responsibilities: User authentication, user directory management, providing user information to Rocket.Chat.
    • Security controls: Secure communication protocols (LDAPS), access control to directory information, password policies.

  • Element:

    • Name: Email Server
    • Type: Software System
    • Description: Email server used for sending email notifications, password resets, and other email-based communication.
    • Responsibilities: Sending email notifications, handling password resets, email communication.
    • Security controls: SMTP authentication, TLS encryption for email transmission, spam filtering.

  • Element:

    • Name: Push Notification Service
    • Type: Software System
    • Description: Service used to send push notifications to users' mobile devices or desktop applications for new messages and alerts.
    • Responsibilities: Delivering push notifications to users.
    • Security controls: Secure API communication, authentication for push notification requests, data encryption in transit.

  • Element:

    • Name: Database Server
    • Type: Software System
    • Description: Database server used to store Rocket.Chat data, including messages, user information, channel details, and settings.
    • Responsibilities: Data persistence, data retrieval, data integrity.
    • Security controls: Access control, data encryption at rest, database hardening, regular backups.

  • Element:

    • Name: Object Storage
    • Type: Software System
    • Description: Object storage system used to store file uploads, avatars, and other media files.
    • Responsibilities: Storage of files and media, file retrieval.
    • Security controls: Access control, data encryption at rest, secure API access, integrity checks.

C4 CONTAINER

graph LR
    subgraph "Rocket.Chat Server"
        WebApp("Web Application")
        APIServer("API Server")
        RealtimeServer("Realtime Server")
    end
    DB("Database Server")
    OS("Object Storage")
    Push("Push Notification Service")
    LDAP("LDAP/AD Server")
    Email("Email Server")
    Browser("User Browser")
    MobileApp("Mobile App")

    Browser --> WebApp
    MobileApp --> WebApp
    MobileApp --> RealtimeServer
    WebApp --> APIServer
    APIServer --> DB
    APIServer --> OS
    APIServer --> LDAP
    APIServer --> Email
    RealtimeServer --> APIServer
    RealtimeServer --> Push
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Container Diagram Elements:

  • Element:

    • Name: Web Application
    • Type: Container
    • Description: The web interface of Rocket.Chat, providing users with a browser-based client to access the platform. Built using JavaScript frameworks (e.g., React).
    • Responsibilities: User interface rendering, handling user interactions, communication with API Server and Realtime Server.
    • Security controls: Input validation, output encoding, session management, HTTPS, Content Security Policy (CSP), protection against XSS and CSRF.

  • Element:

    • Name: API Server
    • Type: Container
    • Description: REST API backend for Rocket.Chat, handling business logic, data access, and communication with other services. Built using Node.js.
    • Responsibilities: API endpoint management, authentication and authorization, data processing, database interactions, object storage interactions, email and LDAP integration.
    • Security controls: Authentication, authorization, input validation, secure API design, rate limiting, logging, protection against injection attacks, secure configuration management.

  • Element:

    • Name: Realtime Server
    • Type: Container
    • Description: Handles real-time communication using WebSockets, enabling instant messaging and live updates. Built using Node.js.
    • Responsibilities: Real-time message broadcasting, connection management, presence management, push notification integration.
    • Security controls: Secure WebSocket communication (WSS), authentication, authorization, input validation, rate limiting, protection against denial-of-service attacks.

  • Element:

    • Name: Database Server
    • Type: Container
    • Description: Database system (e.g., MongoDB) used to persist Rocket.Chat data.
    • Responsibilities: Data storage, data retrieval, data persistence, data integrity.
    • Security controls: Access control, data encryption at rest, database hardening, regular backups, audit logging.

  • Element:

    • Name: Object Storage
    • Type: Container
    • Description: Object storage system (e.g., AWS S3, MinIO) for storing files and media.
    • Responsibilities: File storage, file retrieval, media storage.
    • Security controls: Access control, data encryption at rest, secure API access, integrity checks, versioning.

  • Element:

    • Name: Push Notification Service
    • Type: External System
    • Description: External service (e.g., Firebase Cloud Messaging, Apple Push Notification service) for sending push notifications.
    • Responsibilities: Push notification delivery.
    • Security controls: Secure API communication, authentication for push notification requests, data encryption in transit (TLS).

  • Element:

    • Name: LDAP/AD Server
    • Type: External System
    • Description: External LDAP or Active Directory server for user authentication.
    • Responsibilities: User authentication, user directory.
    • Security controls: Secure communication protocols (LDAPS), access control to directory information, password policies.

  • Element:

    • Name: Email Server
    • Type: External System
    • Description: External email server for sending emails.
    • Responsibilities: Email delivery.
    • Security controls: SMTP authentication, TLS encryption for email transmission.

  • Element:

    • Name: User Browser
    • Type: Client
    • Description: Web browser used by users to access Rocket.Chat Web Application.
    • Responsibilities: Rendering web application, user interaction.
    • Security controls: Browser security features, user awareness of phishing and social engineering.

  • Element:

    • Name: Mobile App
    • Type: Client
    • Description: Mobile application (iOS, Android) for accessing Rocket.Chat.
    • Responsibilities: Mobile user interface, push notification handling, communication with WebApp and Realtime Server.
    • Security controls: Mobile OS security features, secure storage of credentials, app security hardening, code obfuscation.

DEPLOYMENT

Deployment Solution: Cloud-based Deployment (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP)

graph LR
    subgraph "Cloud Provider (e.g., AWS)"
        subgraph "Virtual Network"
            subgraph "Public Subnet"
                LB("Load Balancer")
            end
            subgraph "Private Subnet - Application Tier"
                WebAppInstance("Web Application Instance")
                APIServerInstance("API Server Instance")
                RealtimeServerInstance("Realtime Server Instance")
            end
            subgraph "Private Subnet - Data Tier"
                DBInstance("Database Instance")
                OSInstance("Object Storage Instance")
            end
        end
    end
    Internet("Internet")

    Internet --> LB
    LB --> WebAppInstance
    LB --> APIServerInstance
    LB --> RealtimeServerInstance
    WebAppInstance --> APIServerInstance
    WebAppInstance --> RealtimeServerInstance
    APIServerInstance --> DBInstance
    APIServerInstance --> OSInstance
    RealtimeServerInstance --> Push("Push Notification Service")
    APIServerInstance --> LDAP("LDAP/AD Server")
    APIServerInstance --> Email("Email Server")
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Deployment Diagram Elements:

  • Element:

    • Name: Cloud Provider (e.g., AWS)
    • Type: Infrastructure
    • Description: Cloud infrastructure provider hosting the Rocket.Chat deployment.
    • Responsibilities: Providing infrastructure resources, network connectivity, security services.
    • Security controls: Physical security of data centers, network security controls, infrastructure security services (firewalls, IDS/IPS), compliance certifications.

  • Element:

    • Name: Virtual Network
    • Type: Infrastructure
    • Description: Isolated network within the cloud provider environment for deploying Rocket.Chat resources.
    • Responsibilities: Network isolation, network routing, security boundary.
    • Security controls: Network Access Control Lists (NACLs), Security Groups, network segmentation.

  • Element:

    • Name: Public Subnet
    • Type: Infrastructure
    • Description: Subnet within the virtual network with public internet access, hosting the Load Balancer.
    • Responsibilities: Publicly accessible entry point for the application.
    • Security controls: Network firewall rules, DDoS protection.

  • Element:

    • Name: Load Balancer
    • Type: Infrastructure
    • Description: Distributes incoming traffic across multiple Web Application, API Server, and Realtime Server instances.
    • Responsibilities: Traffic distribution, high availability, SSL termination.
    • Security controls: SSL/TLS encryption, DDoS protection, access logs.

  • Element:

    • Name: Private Subnet - Application Tier
    • Type: Infrastructure
    • Description: Private subnet hosting Web Application, API Server, and Realtime Server instances. No direct internet access.
    • Responsibilities: Application execution, processing user requests.
    • Security controls: Security Groups, network segmentation, internal firewalls.

  • Element:

    • Name: Web Application Instance
    • Type: Infrastructure
    • Description: Virtual machine or container instance running the Web Application container.
    • Responsibilities: Serving the web application, handling user interface.
    • Security controls: Operating system hardening, application security controls (as described in Container section).

  • Element:

    • Name: API Server Instance
    • Type: Infrastructure
    • Description: Virtual machine or container instance running the API Server container.
    • Responsibilities: API processing, business logic execution.
    • Security controls: Operating system hardening, application security controls (as described in Container section).

  • Element:

    • Name: Realtime Server Instance
    • Type: Infrastructure
    • Description: Virtual machine or container instance running the Realtime Server container.
    • Responsibilities: Real-time communication handling.
    • Security controls: Operating system hardening, application security controls (as described in Container section).

  • Element:

    • Name: Private Subnet - Data Tier
    • Type: Infrastructure
    • Description: Private subnet hosting Database and Object Storage instances. No direct internet access.
    • Responsibilities: Data persistence, data storage.
    • Security controls: Security Groups, network segmentation, database access controls, object storage access policies.

  • Element:

    • Name: Database Instance
    • Type: Infrastructure
    • Description: Managed database service or virtual machine running the Database Server.
    • Responsibilities: Database management, data persistence.
    • Security controls: Database security controls (as described in Container section), access control lists, encryption at rest.

  • Element:

    • Name: Object Storage Instance
    • Type: Infrastructure
    • Description: Managed object storage service or virtual machine running the Object Storage Server.
    • Responsibilities: Object storage management, file storage.
    • Security controls: Object storage security controls (as described in Container section), access control policies, encryption at rest.

  • Element:

    • Name: Push Notification Service
    • Type: External System
    • Description: External push notification service.
    • Responsibilities: Push notification delivery.
    • Security controls: Secure API communication.

  • Element:

    • Name: LDAP/AD Server
    • Type: External System
    • Description: External LDAP/AD server.
    • Responsibilities: User authentication.
    • Security controls: Secure communication protocols.

  • Element:

    • Name: Email Server
    • Type: External System
    • Description: External email server.
    • Responsibilities: Email delivery.
    • Security controls: Secure communication protocols.

  • Element:

    • Name: Internet
    • Type: External System
    • Description: Public internet network.
    • Responsibilities: Public network access.
    • Security controls: General internet security considerations.

BUILD

graph LR
    Developer("Developer") --> VCS("Version Control System (e.g., GitHub)")
    VCS --> CI("CI/CD Pipeline (e.g., GitHub Actions)")
    subgraph CI Pipeline
        Build("Build Stage")
        Test("Test Stage")
        SecurityScan("Security Scan Stage (SAST/DAST)")
        Publish("Publish Stage")
    end
    CI --> Build
    Build --> Test
    Test --> SecurityScan
    SecurityScan --> Publish
    Publish --> ArtifactRepo("Artifact Repository (e.g., Docker Registry)")
    ArtifactRepo --> DeploymentEnv("Deployment Environment")
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Build Process Description:

The build process for Rocket.Chat typically involves the following stages, often automated using a CI/CD pipeline:

  1. Developer commits code changes to a Version Control System (VCS) like GitHub.
  2. The CI/CD pipeline is triggered automatically upon code commits or pull requests.
  3. Build Stage:
    • Source code is retrieved from the VCS.
    • Dependencies are downloaded and managed.
    • Application code is compiled and packaged into build artifacts (e.g., Docker images, JavaScript bundles).
  4. Test Stage:
    • Automated unit tests, integration tests, and functional tests are executed to ensure code quality and functionality.
  5. Security Scan Stage:
    • Static Application Security Testing (SAST) tools are used to analyze the source code for potential vulnerabilities.
    • Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) tools are used to scan the running application for vulnerabilities.
    • Dependency vulnerability scanning is performed to identify vulnerable dependencies.
    • Linters and code quality checks are executed.
  6. Publish Stage:
    • Build artifacts that pass all tests and security checks are published to an Artifact Repository (e.g., Docker Registry, npm registry).
    • Release notes and changelogs are generated.
  7. Deployment Environment:
    • The deployment process retrieves the build artifacts from the Artifact Repository and deploys them to the target environment (e.g., cloud infrastructure, on-premises servers).

Build Diagram Elements:

  • Element:

    • Name: Developer
    • Type: Person
    • Description: Software developers writing and committing code changes.
    • Responsibilities: Code development, code review, committing code changes.
    • Security controls: Secure development practices, code review process, access control to VCS.

  • Element:

    • Name: Version Control System (VCS) (e.g., GitHub)
    • Type: Tool
    • Description: System for managing and tracking code changes.
    • Responsibilities: Source code management, version control, collaboration.
    • Security controls: Access control, branch protection, audit logging, secure code storage.

  • Element:

    • Name: CI/CD Pipeline (e.g., GitHub Actions)
    • Type: Tool
    • Description: Automated pipeline for building, testing, and deploying software.
    • Responsibilities: Build automation, testing automation, security scanning automation, deployment automation.
    • Security controls: Secure pipeline configuration, access control to pipeline, secret management, audit logging.

  • Element:

    • Name: Build Stage
    • Type: Stage
    • Description: Stage in the CI/CD pipeline responsible for compiling and packaging the application.
    • Responsibilities: Code compilation, dependency management, artifact creation.
    • Security controls: Secure build environment, dependency vulnerability scanning, build process integrity.

  • Element:

    • Name: Test Stage
    • Type: Stage
    • Description: Stage in the CI/CD pipeline responsible for running automated tests.
    • Responsibilities: Unit testing, integration testing, functional testing.
    • Security controls: Test environment isolation, secure test data management.

  • Element:

    • Name: Security Scan Stage (SAST/DAST)
    • Type: Stage
    • Description: Stage in the CI/CD pipeline responsible for performing security scans.
    • Responsibilities: Static code analysis, dynamic application scanning, dependency vulnerability scanning.
    • Security controls: SAST/DAST tool configuration, vulnerability reporting, integration with security workflows.

  • Element:

    • Name: Publish Stage
    • Type: Stage
    • Description: Stage in the CI/CD pipeline responsible for publishing build artifacts.
    • Responsibilities: Artifact publishing, release management, versioning.
    • Security controls: Secure artifact repository access, artifact integrity checks, signing and verification of artifacts.

  • Element:

    • Name: Artifact Repository (e.g., Docker Registry)
    • Type: Tool
    • Description: Repository for storing and managing build artifacts.
    • Responsibilities: Artifact storage, artifact versioning, artifact distribution.
    • Security controls: Access control, artifact integrity checks, vulnerability scanning of artifacts, secure storage.

  • Element:

    • Name: Deployment Environment
    • Type: Environment
    • Description: Target environment where the application is deployed (e.g., cloud, on-premises).
    • Responsibilities: Running the application, providing runtime environment.
    • Security controls: Environment security controls (as described in Deployment section), secure configuration management, monitoring.

RISK ASSESSMENT

Critical business processes we are trying to protect:

  • Real-time communication between users.
  • Storage and retrieval of communication history and files.
  • User authentication and authorization.
  • System availability and reliability.

Data we are trying to protect and their sensitivity:

  • Chat messages: Sensitive, containing business communications, potentially confidential information, personal data. Sensitivity: High.
  • User credentials (passwords, API keys): Highly sensitive, critical for authentication and authorization. Sensitivity: Critical.
  • User profiles and personal information: Sensitive, containing personal data. Sensitivity: Medium to High (depending on regulations).
  • Files and media uploads: Potentially sensitive, depending on content. Sensitivity: Medium to High.
  • System logs and audit trails: Sensitive, containing security-related information. Sensitivity: Medium.
  • Configuration data: Sensitive, containing system settings and potentially secrets. Sensitivity: High.

QUESTIONS & ASSUMPTIONS

Questions:

  • What is the specific deployment environment (cloud provider, on-premises)?
  • What are the specific compliance requirements (GDPR, HIPAA, etc.)?
  • What is the organization's risk appetite?
  • Are there any existing security policies or standards that need to be followed?
  • What are the specific integrations with other systems beyond LDAP/AD, Email, and Push Notifications?
  • What is the expected user base size and growth?

Assumptions:

  • The project is intended for organizational use, requiring a focus on security and compliance.
  • The deployment will be in a cloud environment for scalability and availability.
  • Security is a high priority for the project, given the nature of communication data.
  • Standard security best practices for web applications and cloud deployments are applicable.
  • The organization has a moderate risk appetite and is willing to invest in security controls.