Skip to content

Latest commit

 

History

History
606 lines (538 loc) · 25.1 KB

sec-design.md

File metadata and controls

606 lines (538 loc) · 25.1 KB

BUSINESS POSTURE

Ghost is an open-source publishing platform focused on providing tools for creators and businesses to build and manage online publications.

Business Priorities and Goals:

  • Provide a user-friendly platform for content creation and publishing.
  • Offer a customizable and extensible platform through themes and integrations.
  • Support various content formats and media types.
  • Enable monetization options for creators through subscriptions and memberships.
  • Maintain a stable, reliable, and performant platform.
  • Foster a strong community around the platform.

Business Risks:

  • Data breaches and data loss impacting user trust and platform reputation.
  • Platform downtime leading to loss of revenue and user dissatisfaction.
  • Security vulnerabilities exploited by malicious actors.
  • Lack of scalability to handle growing user base and content volume.
  • Dependence on community contributions for maintenance and feature development.

SECURITY POSTURE

Existing Security Controls:

  • security control: Regular security audits and penetration testing (based on common industry practices for open-source projects).
  • security control: Secure software development lifecycle (likely follows common practices for open-source projects, including code reviews and vulnerability scanning).
  • security control: HTTPS enforced for all communication (standard web application security practice).
  • security control: Input validation and sanitization to prevent common web vulnerabilities (likely implemented within the application code).
  • security control: Authentication and authorization mechanisms to control access to the platform and content (implemented within the application code).
  • security control: Password hashing and secure storage (likely using bcrypt or similar algorithms).
  • security control: Rate limiting to mitigate brute-force attacks (likely implemented at the application or infrastructure level).
  • security control: Regular updates and patching of dependencies and the platform itself (part of open-source project maintenance).

Accepted Risks:

  • accepted risk: Potential vulnerabilities in third-party dependencies.
  • accepted risk: Risk of community-contributed themes and integrations introducing security issues.
  • accepted risk: Reliance on community for timely security vulnerability disclosures and patches.

Recommended Security Controls:

  • security control: Implement a Software Composition Analysis (SCA) tool in the build pipeline to automatically identify and manage vulnerabilities in dependencies.
  • security control: Introduce static application security testing (SAST) tools in the development and build pipeline to identify potential security vulnerabilities in the codebase.
  • security control: Implement a bug bounty program to incentivize external security researchers to find and report vulnerabilities.
  • security control: Enhance security awareness training for developers and contributors, focusing on secure coding practices.
  • security control: Implement robust logging and monitoring for security events and anomalies.

Security Requirements:

  • Authentication:
    • requirement: Secure authentication mechanisms for users (administrators, authors, subscribers).
    • requirement: Multi-factor authentication (MFA) should be supported for administrators and authors.
    • requirement: Password complexity requirements and account lockout policies should be enforced.
  • Authorization:
    • requirement: Role-based access control (RBAC) to manage permissions for different user roles (e.g., administrator, editor, author, subscriber).
    • requirement: Granular permissions to control access to specific features and content.
    • requirement: Secure API authorization for external integrations.
  • Input Validation:
    • requirement: Comprehensive input validation and sanitization for all user inputs to prevent injection attacks (e.g., XSS, SQL injection).
    • requirement: Use of parameterized queries or ORM to prevent SQL injection.
    • requirement: Content Security Policy (CSP) to mitigate XSS attacks.
  • Cryptography:
    • requirement: Use of TLS/SSL for all communication to protect data in transit.
    • requirement: Secure storage of sensitive data (e.g., passwords, API keys) using strong encryption algorithms.
    • requirement: Proper handling of cryptographic keys and secrets.

DESIGN

C4 CONTEXT

flowchart LR
    subgraph "Ghost Platform"
        A["Ghost Application"]
    end
    B["Content Creators"]
    C["Website Visitors"]
    D["Email Service"]
    E["Storage Service"]
    F["Payment Gateway"]
    G["Analytics Platform"]

    B -->|Create & Manage Content| A
    C -->|View Content| A
    A -->|Send Emails| D
    A -->|Store Content & Data| E
    A -->|Process Payments| F
    A -->|Send Analytics Data| G

    style A fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
Loading

Context Diagram Elements:

  • Element:

    • Name: "Ghost Application"
    • Type: Software System
    • Description: The Ghost publishing platform itself, providing content creation, management, and delivery functionalities.
    • Responsibilities:
      • Content creation and management.
      • User authentication and authorization.
      • Content delivery to website visitors.
      • Integration with external services.
    • Security controls:
      • Input validation and sanitization.
      • Authentication and authorization mechanisms.
      • HTTPS enforcement.
      • Regular security updates and patching.

  • Element:

    • Name: "Content Creators"
    • Type: Person
    • Description: Users who create, edit, and manage content within the Ghost platform (e.g., bloggers, journalists, editors).
    • Responsibilities:
      • Creating and managing content.
      • Configuring platform settings.
      • Managing user accounts.
    • Security controls:
      • Strong password management.
      • Multi-factor authentication (recommended).
      • Awareness of phishing and social engineering attacks.

  • Element:

    • Name: "Website Visitors"
    • Type: Person
    • Description: End-users who access and view content published on the Ghost platform through a web browser.
    • Responsibilities:
      • Viewing published content.
      • Interacting with website features (e.g., comments, subscriptions).
    • Security controls:
      • Browser security features.
      • Awareness of phishing and malicious websites.

  • Element:

    • Name: "Email Service"
    • Type: External System
    • Description: Third-party email service provider used by Ghost to send emails (e.g., transactional emails, newsletters).
    • Responsibilities:
      • Sending emails on behalf of the Ghost platform.
      • Managing email delivery and bounce rates.
    • Security controls:
      • API key management and secure storage.
      • SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configuration for email authentication.

  • Element:

    • Name: "Storage Service"
    • Type: External System
    • Description: Cloud storage service used by Ghost to store content assets, media files, and database backups (e.g., AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage).
    • Responsibilities:
      • Secure storage of data.
      • Data backup and recovery.
      • Data access control.
    • Security controls:
      • Access control lists (ACLs) and IAM policies.
      • Encryption at rest and in transit.
      • Regular security audits and compliance certifications.

  • Element:

    • Name: "Payment Gateway"
    • Type: External System
    • Description: Third-party payment processing service used by Ghost to handle subscriptions and payments (e.g., Stripe, PayPal).
    • Responsibilities:
      • Secure payment processing.
      • Handling payment transactions and subscriptions.
      • PCI DSS compliance.
    • Security controls:
      • API key management and secure storage.
      • Secure communication protocols (HTTPS).
      • Tokenization and encryption of payment data.

  • Element:

    • Name: "Analytics Platform"
    • Type: External System
    • Description: Third-party analytics service used by Ghost to track website traffic and user behavior (e.g., Google Analytics, Plausible Analytics).
    • Responsibilities:
      • Collecting and processing website analytics data.
      • Providing insights into website traffic and user behavior.
    • Security controls:
      • Data privacy and anonymization.
      • Compliance with data privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA).
      • Secure data transmission (HTTPS).

C4 CONTAINER

flowchart LR
    subgraph "Ghost Platform"
        subgraph "Web Application"
            A["Admin Client (Browser)"]
            B["Frontend Client (Browser)"]
            C["API Application (Node.js)"]
        end
        D["Database (MySQL/PostgreSQL)"]
        E["Content Storage (File System/Object Storage)"]
        F["Background Worker (Node.js)"]
    end

    A --> C
    B --> C
    C --> D
    C --> E
    C --> F
    F --> D
    F --> E

    style A fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style B fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style C fill:#fcf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style D fill:#eee,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style E fill:#eee,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style F fill:#fcf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
Loading

Container Diagram Elements:

  • Element:

    • Name: "Admin Client (Browser)"
    • Type: Client Application
    • Description: JavaScript application running in a web browser, used by content creators to manage the Ghost platform (admin interface).
    • Responsibilities:
      • User interface for content creation and management.
      • Communication with the API Application.
      • User authentication and session management.
    • Security controls:
      • Browser-based security controls (CSP, XSS protection).
      • Secure session management (HTTP-only cookies, CSRF protection).
      • Input validation on the client-side.

  • Element:

    • Name: "Frontend Client (Browser)"
    • Type: Client Application
    • Description: JavaScript application running in a web browser, used to display the published content to website visitors (frontend website).
    • Responsibilities:
      • Rendering website content.
      • User interface for website visitors.
      • Communication with the API Application (for dynamic content).
    • Security controls:
      • Browser-based security controls (CSP, XSS protection).
      • Secure handling of user data (if any).
      • Input validation on the client-side (for user interactions).

  • Element:

    • Name: "API Application (Node.js)"
    • Type: Server Application
    • Description: Backend application built with Node.js, providing the core logic and API endpoints for the Ghost platform.
    • Responsibilities:
      • Handling API requests from clients (Admin Client, Frontend Client).
      • Business logic and data processing.
      • Authentication and authorization.
      • Data access and management (Database, Content Storage).
      • Background task processing (Background Worker).
    • Security controls:
      • Input validation and sanitization.
      • Authentication and authorization mechanisms.
      • Secure API design and implementation.
      • Rate limiting and DDoS protection.
      • Regular security updates and patching of Node.js and dependencies.

  • Element:

    • Name: "Database (MySQL/PostgreSQL)"
    • Type: Data Store
    • Description: Relational database used to store structured data for the Ghost platform (e.g., posts, users, settings).
    • Responsibilities:
      • Persistent storage of structured data.
      • Data integrity and consistency.
      • Data backup and recovery.
    • Security controls:
      • Database access control and user permissions.
      • Encryption at rest and in transit (if supported by the database).
      • Regular database security updates and patching.
      • Database hardening and security configuration.

  • Element:

    • Name: "Content Storage (File System/Object Storage)"
    • Type: Data Store
    • Description: Storage system used to store unstructured content assets (e.g., images, media files, themes). Can be a local file system or cloud object storage.
    • Responsibilities:
      • Persistent storage of unstructured data.
      • Data access and retrieval.
    • Security controls:
      • Access control lists (ACLs) and file permissions.
      • Encryption at rest and in transit (if using object storage).
      • Regular security audits and vulnerability scanning.

  • Element:

    • Name: "Background Worker (Node.js)"
    • Type: Server Application
    • Description: Node.js application responsible for handling asynchronous and background tasks (e.g., sending emails, processing scheduled jobs).
    • Responsibilities:
      • Asynchronous task processing.
      • Scheduled job execution.
      • Communication with other containers (API Application, Database, Content Storage).
    • Security controls:
      • Secure task processing and queue management.
      • Input validation for task parameters.
      • Logging and monitoring of background tasks.
      • Same security controls as API Application regarding Node.js and dependencies.

DEPLOYMENT

Deployment Architecture Option: Cloud-based Deployment (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud, Azure)

flowchart LR
    subgraph "Cloud Provider (e.g., AWS)"
        subgraph "Virtual Network"
            subgraph "Public Subnet"
                A["Load Balancer"]
            end
            subgraph "Private Subnet"
                B["API Application Instances"]
                C["Background Worker Instances"]
                D["Database Instance"]
                E["Content Storage (Object Storage)"]
            end
        end
        F["CDN (Content Delivery Network)"]
        G["Email Service (External)"]
        H["Payment Gateway (External)"]
        I["Analytics Platform (External)"]
    end
    J["Internet"]

    J --> A
    A --> B
    B --> D
    B --> E
    B --> C
    C --> D
    C --> E
    A --> F
    F --> E

    style A fill:#fcf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style B fill:#fcf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style C fill:#fcf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style D fill:#eee,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style E fill:#eee,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style F fill:#eee,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
Loading

Deployment Diagram Elements (Cloud-based Deployment):

  • Element:

    • Name: "Load Balancer"
    • Type: Infrastructure Component
    • Description: Distributes incoming traffic across multiple API Application instances for high availability and scalability.
    • Responsibilities:
      • Traffic distribution and load balancing.
      • SSL termination.
      • Health checks for application instances.
    • Security controls:
      • DDoS protection.
      • Web Application Firewall (WAF) (optional).
      • Access logs and monitoring.

  • Element:

    • Name: "API Application Instances"
    • Type: Compute Instance (e.g., EC2, Compute Engine)
    • Description: Multiple instances of the API Application running on virtual machines or containers.
    • Responsibilities:
      • Handling API requests.
      • Application logic execution.
    • Security controls:
      • Security hardening of operating system and runtime environment.
      • Regular security patching.
      • Instance-level firewalls and security groups.
      • Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS) (optional).

  • Element:

    • Name: "Background Worker Instances"
    • Type: Compute Instance (e.g., EC2, Compute Engine)
    • Description: Multiple instances of the Background Worker application running on virtual machines or containers.
    • Responsibilities:
      • Background task processing.
      • Scheduled job execution.
    • Security controls:
      • Same as API Application Instances.

  • Element:

    • Name: "Database Instance"
    • Type: Managed Database Service (e.g., RDS, Cloud SQL)
    • Description: Managed database service providing a scalable and reliable database environment.
    • Responsibilities:
      • Database management and maintenance.
      • Data storage and retrieval.
      • Data backup and recovery.
    • Security controls:
      • Database access control and user permissions.
      • Encryption at rest and in transit.
      • Automated backups and disaster recovery.
      • Database monitoring and auditing.

  • Element:

    • Name: "Content Storage (Object Storage)"
    • Type: Cloud Storage Service (e.g., S3, Cloud Storage)
    • Description: Cloud object storage service for storing content assets.
    • Responsibilities:
      • Scalable and durable object storage.
      • Content delivery via CDN.
    • Security controls:
      • Access control lists (ACLs) and IAM policies.
      • Encryption at rest and in transit.
      • Versioning and data lifecycle management.

  • Element:

    • Name: "CDN (Content Delivery Network)"
    • Type: Content Delivery Network
    • Description: Caches and delivers static content (e.g., images, CSS, JavaScript) to improve performance and reduce latency for website visitors.
    • Responsibilities:
      • Content caching and delivery.
      • Reduced latency and improved website performance.
      • DDoS protection (in some CDN services).
    • Security controls:
      • HTTPS delivery.
      • Origin protection.
      • Web Application Firewall (WAF) (optional).

  • Element:

    • Name: "Email Service (External)"
    • Type: External Service
    • Description: Third-party email service provider.
    • Responsibilities:
      • Email sending.
    • Security controls:
      • API key management.
      • SPF, DKIM, DMARC configuration.

  • Element:

    • Name: "Payment Gateway (External)"
    • Type: External Service
    • Description: Third-party payment processing service.
    • Responsibilities:
      • Payment processing.
    • Security controls:
      • API key management.
      • Secure communication protocols.

  • Element:

    • Name: "Analytics Platform (External)"
    • Type: External Service
    • Description: Third-party analytics service.
    • Responsibilities:
      • Website analytics.
    • Security controls:
      • Data privacy and anonymization.
      • Secure data transmission.

BUILD

flowchart LR
    A["Developer"] -->|Code Changes, Commit, Push| B["Version Control (GitHub)"]
    B -->|Webhook Trigger| C["CI/CD Pipeline (GitHub Actions)"]
    subgraph "CI/CD Pipeline"
        C --> D["Build Stage"]
        D -->|Build Artifacts| E["Test Stage"]
        E -->|Test Results| F["Security Scan Stage (SAST, SCA)"]
        F -->|Scan Results| G["Publish Stage"]
        G -->|Release Artifacts| H["Artifact Repository"]
    end
    H -->|Deployment Automation| I["Deployment Environment"]

    style C fill:#fcf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
Loading

Build Process Description:

The build process for Ghost is likely automated using a CI/CD pipeline, such as GitHub Actions, given it's hosted on GitHub.

Build Process Elements:

  • Element:

    • Name: "Developer"
    • Type: Person
    • Description: Software developers who write and maintain the Ghost codebase.
    • Responsibilities:
      • Writing and committing code changes.
      • Performing local testing.
      • Code reviews (likely).
    • Security controls:
      • Secure coding practices.
      • Code review process.
      • Local development environment security.

  • Element:

    • Name: "Version Control (GitHub)"
    • Type: Software System
    • Description: GitHub repository hosting the Ghost source code and managing version control.
    • Responsibilities:
      • Source code management.
      • Version history tracking.
      • Collaboration and code review workflows.
    • Security controls:
      • Access control and permissions for repository access.
      • Branch protection rules.
      • Audit logs for repository activities.

  • Element:

    • Name: "CI/CD Pipeline (GitHub Actions)"
    • Type: Automation System
    • Description: Automated CI/CD pipeline triggered by code changes in the GitHub repository, responsible for building, testing, scanning, and publishing the Ghost application.
    • Responsibilities:
      • Automated build process.
      • Automated testing (unit, integration, etc.).
      • Automated security scanning (SAST, SCA).
      • Artifact publishing.
      • Deployment automation (potentially).
    • Security controls:
      • Secure pipeline configuration and access control.
      • Secret management for API keys and credentials.
      • Isolation of build environments.
      • Audit logs for pipeline execution.

  • Element:

    • Name: "Build Stage"
    • Type: Pipeline Stage
    • Description: Stage in the CI/CD pipeline responsible for compiling the code, packaging dependencies, and creating build artifacts.
    • Responsibilities:
      • Code compilation and packaging.
      • Dependency management.
      • Artifact creation.
    • Security controls:
      • Secure build environment.
      • Dependency vulnerability scanning (SCA).

  • Element:

    • Name: "Test Stage"
    • Type: Pipeline Stage
    • Description: Stage in the CI/CD pipeline responsible for running automated tests to ensure code quality and functionality.
    • Responsibilities:
      • Unit testing.
      • Integration testing.
      • End-to-end testing (potentially).
    • Security controls:
      • Test environment security.
      • Security testing (DAST - potentially in later stages or separate pipeline).

  • Element:

    • Name: "Security Scan Stage (SAST, SCA)"
    • Type: Pipeline Stage
    • Description: Stage in the CI/CD pipeline responsible for performing static application security testing (SAST) and software composition analysis (SCA) to identify potential vulnerabilities.
    • Responsibilities:
      • Static code analysis (SAST).
      • Dependency vulnerability scanning (SCA).
      • Reporting security vulnerabilities.
    • Security controls:
      • SAST and SCA tool configuration and management.
      • Vulnerability reporting and tracking.

  • Element:

    • Name: "Publish Stage"
    • Type: Pipeline Stage
    • Description: Stage in the CI/CD pipeline responsible for publishing build artifacts to an artifact repository.
    • Responsibilities:
      • Artifact publishing.
      • Versioning and release management.
    • Security controls:
      • Secure artifact repository access control.
      • Artifact integrity verification (e.g., signing).

  • Element:

    • Name: "Artifact Repository"
    • Type: Data Store
    • Description: Repository for storing build artifacts (e.g., container images, packages).
    • Responsibilities:
      • Secure storage of build artifacts.
      • Artifact versioning and management.
    • Security controls:
      • Access control and permissions.
      • Artifact integrity verification.

  • Element:

    • Name: "Deployment Environment"
    • Type: Infrastructure
    • Description: Target environment where the Ghost application is deployed (e.g., cloud environment, on-premises servers).
    • Responsibilities:
      • Running the Ghost application.
      • Providing runtime environment.
    • Security controls:
      • Infrastructure security controls (as described in Deployment section).

RISK ASSESSMENT

Critical Business Processes:

  • Content publishing and delivery: Ensuring content is available to website visitors without interruption.
  • User authentication and authorization: Protecting access to the platform and content management features.
  • Payment processing (if monetization features are used): Securely handling financial transactions.
  • Data storage and backup: Protecting content and user data from loss or corruption.

Data Sensitivity:

  • User credentials (passwords, email addresses): Highly sensitive, requiring strong protection.
  • Content data (posts, media files): Sensitive, as loss or unauthorized access can impact reputation and business operations.
  • Payment information (if collected): Highly sensitive, requiring PCI DSS compliance if applicable.
  • Website analytics data: Less sensitive, but still important to protect user privacy.

QUESTIONS & ASSUMPTIONS

Questions:

  • What specific security audits and penetration testing are performed for Ghost?
  • What SAST and SCA tools are currently used in the development and build pipeline?
  • Is there a bug bounty program in place for Ghost?
  • What is the process for handling security vulnerability disclosures and patching?
  • What specific logging and monitoring mechanisms are in place for security events?
  • What are the data retention policies for user data and content?
  • What is the disaster recovery plan for Ghost?

Assumptions:

  • BUSINESS POSTURE: Ghost prioritizes user experience, content creation, and platform stability. Security is a significant concern for maintaining user trust and platform reputation.
  • SECURITY POSTURE: Ghost follows common secure development practices for open-source projects. HTTPS is enforced, and basic input validation and authentication are implemented. There is room for improvement in automated security scanning and proactive vulnerability management.
  • DESIGN: Ghost follows a typical three-tier web application architecture with a frontend, backend API, and database. Deployment is flexible and can be cloud-based or self-hosted. The build process is automated using CI/CD principles.