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Threat Model Analysis for vercel/next.js

Threat: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) in Data Fetching

  • Description: An attacker can manipulate user-controlled input used in getServerSideProps, getStaticProps, or API routes to make the Next.js server send requests to unintended destinations. This could involve accessing internal network resources, external services, or leaking sensitive information from internal systems. The attacker achieves this by injecting malicious URLs or hostnames into parameters used in data fetching functions. This threat is directly related to Next.js's server-side data fetching capabilities.
  • Impact: Access to internal resources, data breaches, denial of service of internal services, potential for further exploitation of internal systems.
  • Affected Next.js Component: getServerSideProps, getStaticProps, API Routes (pages/api)
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Input Validation: Strictly validate and sanitize all user-provided input used in URL construction or hostname resolution within data fetching functions.
    • URL Whitelisting: Maintain a whitelist of allowed domains or URLs for external requests and only allow requests to these whitelisted destinations.
    • Avoid User Input in URLs: Minimize or eliminate the use of user-controlled input directly in URLs for external requests. If necessary, use indirect methods like mapping user input to predefined safe URLs.
    • Network Segmentation: Isolate the Next.js server from sensitive internal networks if possible, limiting the impact of potential SSRF.

Threat: Exposure of Server-Side Secrets in Client Bundles

  • Description: Developers might unintentionally include server-side environment variables or sensitive configuration data in client-side JavaScript bundles. This occurs when server-side environment variables are accessed directly in client components or passed to client components without proper filtering via props from server-side data fetching functions. Attackers can then inspect the client-side JavaScript code to extract these secrets. This is a direct consequence of Next.js's server and client component architecture and environment variable handling.
  • Impact: Exposure of sensitive information like API keys, database credentials, internal service URLs, leading to unauthorized access, data breaches, or service disruption.
  • Affected Next.js Component: Client Components, Environment Variable Handling, Data Passing from Server to Client (props from getServerSideProps, getStaticProps)
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Environment Variable Separation: Clearly distinguish between server-side and client-side environment variables. Use Next.js's built-in environment variable features to control which variables are exposed to the client.
    • .env.local and .env Usage: Understand the difference between .env.local (server-side only) and .env (potentially client-side). Use .env.local for sensitive server-side secrets.
    • Careful Prop Passing: When passing data from server-side functions (getServerSideProps, getStaticProps) to client components, carefully filter and sanitize the data to ensure no secrets are inadvertently included.
    • Code Reviews: Conduct thorough code reviews to identify and prevent accidental exposure of secrets in client-side code.

Threat: Denial of Service (DoS) through Resource Intensive SSR

  • Description: Attackers can craft requests that trigger computationally expensive server-side rendering logic. By sending a high volume of such requests, they can overload the Next.js server, exhausting its resources and making the application unresponsive. This is amplified by Next.js's SSR approach where server resources are directly involved in rendering each page.
  • Impact: Application unavailability, service disruption, financial losses, damage to reputation.
  • Affected Next.js Component: Server-Side Rendering (getServerSideProps, getStaticProps, Server Components), Routing
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Optimize SSR Logic: Optimize server-side rendering logic for performance. Reduce computational complexity, optimize database queries, and minimize external API calls.
    • Caching: Implement caching mechanisms for server-rendered pages and data to reduce the load on the server for repeated requests. Utilize Next.js's built-in caching features or external caching solutions.
    • Rate Limiting: Implement rate limiting to restrict the number of requests from a single IP address or user within a given time frame.
    • Request Throttling: Use request throttling techniques to manage and prioritize incoming requests, preventing overload during peak traffic or attack attempts.
    • Resource Monitoring and Autoscaling: Monitor server resource usage and implement autoscaling to automatically scale server resources based on demand.

Threat: Vulnerabilities in Next.js API Routes

  • Description: API routes in Next.js are server-side functions that handle API requests. If these routes are not developed securely, they can be vulnerable to various attacks. This is directly related to Next.js's feature of providing backend API capabilities within the frontend framework. Common vulnerabilities include insecure data handling, lack of input validation, improper authorization, and injection flaws.
  • Impact: Data breaches, data manipulation, unauthorized access, application compromise, potential for further exploitation of backend systems.
  • Affected Next.js Component: API Routes (pages/api)
  • Risk Severity: High to Critical (depending on the vulnerability and data sensitivity)
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Secure API Design: Design API routes with security in mind. Follow secure coding practices for API development.
    • Input Validation and Sanitization: Thoroughly validate and sanitize all input received by API routes to prevent injection attacks and ensure data integrity.
    • Output Encoding: Properly encode output from API routes to prevent XSS vulnerabilities if the output is rendered in the client-side.
    • Authentication and Authorization: Implement robust authentication and authorization mechanisms to control access to API routes and ensure only authorized users can perform specific actions.
    • Rate Limiting: Implement rate limiting for API routes to prevent abuse and DoS attacks.
    • Regular Security Testing: Conduct regular security testing, including penetration testing and vulnerability scanning, on API routes.

Threat: Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) during Hydration

  • Description: Even if server-rendered HTML appears safe initially, if it contains unsanitized user input and is then hydrated by the client-side React application, XSS vulnerabilities can arise. This is a specific issue related to Next.js's hydration process, where server-rendered HTML is enhanced with client-side interactivity.
  • Impact: Client-side code execution, session hijacking, cookie theft, defacement, redirection to malicious sites, information disclosure.
  • Affected Next.js Component: Server-Side Rendering, Client-Side Hydration, React Components
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Server-Side Sanitization: Sanitize user input on the server-side before rendering HTML. Use a robust HTML sanitization library.
    • Context-Aware Output Encoding: Use context-aware output encoding techniques to properly escape user input based on the context where it is being rendered (HTML, JavaScript, CSS).
    • Content Security Policy (CSP): Implement a strong Content Security Policy to mitigate the impact of XSS attacks by controlling the sources from which the browser is allowed to load resources.
    • Regular Security Audits: Regularly audit code for potential XSS vulnerabilities, especially in areas where user input is rendered.