Mitigation Strategy: Principle of Least Privilege in Dependency Scope
-
Description:
- Analyze Dependency Usage: For each dependency defined in your Koin modules, identify the specific modules or features that actually require it.
- Define Narrow Scopes: Instead of using global scopes (
single
without module context) for all dependencies, use module-specific scopes or more restrictive scopes likescoped
orfactory
where appropriate. - Module-Specific Definitions: Define dependencies within the modules where they are primarily used. Avoid defining dependencies in a central, overly broad module if they are only needed in specific parts of the application.
- Review and Refactor: Regularly review your Koin modules and refactor them to ensure dependencies are scoped as narrowly as possible.
-
List of Threats Mitigated:
- Unauthorized Access to Components (Medium Severity): If a vulnerability exists in one part of the application, a globally scoped dependency might be accessible and exploitable from unrelated parts of the application, even if those parts should not have access to it.
- Increased Attack Surface (Medium Severity): Broader scopes increase the overall attack surface of the application by making more components potentially reachable from more places.
-
Impact:
- Unauthorized Access to Components: Medium reduction in risk. Limits the potential for lateral movement within the application if one component is compromised.
- Increased Attack Surface: Medium reduction in risk. Reduces the number of entry points and components an attacker can potentially target.
-
Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. We are using module-specific definitions for new features in the
feature-x
andfeature-y
modules. -
Missing Implementation: Not fully implemented in legacy modules (
module-legacy-a
,module-legacy-b
). These modules still rely on some globally scopedsingle
definitions that should be refactored to module-specific scopes.
Mitigation Strategy: Regular Review of Koin Modules
-
Description:
- Schedule Regular Reviews: Incorporate Koin module reviews into your regular code review process, ideally during sprint planning or at least monthly.
- Dedicated Review Checklist: Create a checklist specifically for Koin module reviews, focusing on:
- Correct dependency wiring.
- Appropriate scoping of dependencies.
- Exposure of sensitive components or data.
- Unnecessary dependencies.
- Automated Static Analysis: Utilize static analysis tools (if available for Kotlin/Koin configuration) to automatically detect potential misconfigurations or security issues in Koin modules.
- Documentation Updates: Ensure Koin module documentation is kept up-to-date after each review, reflecting any changes or improvements.
-
List of Threats Mitigated:
- Misconfiguration of Dependencies (Medium Severity): Incorrect wiring or unintended exposure of dependencies due to configuration errors.
- Accidental Exposure of Sensitive Components (Medium Severity): Unintentionally making sensitive components or data accessible through dependency injection due to misconfiguration.
-
Impact:
- Misconfiguration of Dependencies: Medium reduction in risk. Catches configuration errors early in the development lifecycle.
- Accidental Exposure of Sensitive Components: Medium reduction in risk. Reduces the likelihood of unintentionally exposing sensitive parts of the application.
-
Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. Koin modules are reviewed during general code reviews, but there is no dedicated checklist or scheduled review process specifically for Koin configurations.
-
Missing Implementation: Missing a dedicated Koin module review checklist and a scheduled, recurring review process. Static analysis tools for Koin configuration are not currently in use.
Mitigation Strategy: Unit Testing for Koin Module Wiring
-
Description:
- Utilize Koin Testing Utilities: Use Koin's testing features like
koinTest
andcheckModules()
to create unit tests for your Koin modules. - Test Dependency Resolution: Write tests that specifically verify that dependencies are resolved correctly and that the expected instances are injected.
- Test Module Configurations: Test different module configurations and scenarios to ensure they behave as expected and that dependencies are wired correctly under various conditions.
- Integrate into CI/CD: Integrate Koin module unit tests into your CI/CD pipeline to ensure they are run automatically with every build.
-
List of Threats Mitigated:
- Misconfiguration of Dependencies (Medium Severity): Incorrect wiring or unexpected dependency resolution due to configuration errors.
- Application Errors due to Dependency Issues (Low to Medium Severity): Application crashes or unexpected behavior caused by incorrectly wired dependencies, which could indirectly lead to security vulnerabilities or denial of service.
-
Impact:
- Misconfiguration of Dependencies: High reduction in risk. Unit tests can effectively catch misconfigurations during development and prevent them from reaching production.
- Application Errors due to Dependency Issues: Medium reduction in risk. Improves application stability and reduces the likelihood of errors that could be exploited.
-
Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. Unit tests exist for some core modules, but coverage is not comprehensive, especially for newer modules.
-
Missing Implementation: Missing comprehensive unit test coverage for all Koin modules, especially for feature-specific modules and modules handling sensitive data. Integration of Koin tests into the CI/CD pipeline needs to be strengthened to ensure consistent execution.
- Utilize Koin Testing Utilities: Use Koin's testing features like
Mitigation Strategy: Avoid Hardcoding Secrets in Koin Modules
-
Description:
- Identify Secrets: Identify all sensitive information (API keys, database credentials, encryption keys, etc.) that your application uses and might be tempted to hardcode.
- Externalize Configuration: Move all secrets out of your Koin modules and code. Store them in secure external configuration sources like environment variables, vault systems (HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager), or dedicated secrets management tools.
- Inject Configuration Objects/Interfaces: Instead of injecting secrets directly, inject configuration objects or interfaces that are responsible for retrieving secrets from the secure external sources.
- Secure Secret Retrieval: Ensure the configuration objects/interfaces retrieve secrets securely, using appropriate authentication and authorization mechanisms for the chosen secrets management system.
-
List of Threats Mitigated:
- Exposure of Secrets in Code Repositories (High Severity): Hardcoded secrets can be accidentally committed to version control systems, making them accessible to anyone with access to the repository.
- Exposure of Secrets in Logs (Medium Severity): Hardcoded secrets might be inadvertently logged, making them vulnerable to exposure through log files.
- Insider Threats (Medium Severity): Hardcoded secrets are easily accessible to developers or anyone with access to the codebase.
-
Impact:
- Exposure of Secrets in Code Repositories: High reduction in risk. Eliminates the primary vector for accidental secret exposure in code repositories.
- Exposure of Secrets in Logs: Medium reduction in risk. Reduces the likelihood of secrets being logged, although secure logging practices are still essential.
- Insider Threats: Medium reduction in risk. Makes it harder for unauthorized individuals to access secrets directly from the codebase.
-
Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. Environment variables are used for some configuration, but database credentials are still partially managed through configuration files within the application.
-
Missing Implementation: Full migration to a dedicated secrets management system (like HashiCorp Vault) for all sensitive credentials. Removal of database credentials and other secrets from configuration files and codebase.
Mitigation Strategy: Secure Configuration Management Integration
-
Description:
- Choose a Secure System: Select a robust and secure configuration management system (e.g., HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault) that meets your security requirements.
- Integrate with Koin: Implement integration between Koin and your chosen configuration management system. This might involve creating custom configuration provider classes or using existing libraries that facilitate integration.
- Secure Authentication and Authorization: Configure secure authentication and authorization for accessing the configuration management system. Ensure only authorized components and services can retrieve secrets.
- Regularly Rotate Secrets: Implement a process for regularly rotating secrets stored in the configuration management system to limit the impact of compromised credentials.
- Audit Access Logs: Enable and monitor audit logs for the configuration management system to track access to secrets and detect any suspicious activity.
-
List of Threats Mitigated:
- Unauthorized Access to Secrets (High Severity): If configuration management is not secure, attackers could potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive secrets.
- Data Breaches due to Compromised Secrets (High Severity): Compromised secrets can lead to data breaches, unauthorized access to systems, and other severe security incidents.
-
Impact:
- Unauthorized Access to Secrets: High reduction in risk. Secure configuration management significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access to secrets.
- Data Breaches due to Compromised Secrets: High reduction in risk. Minimizes the potential for data breaches resulting from compromised credentials.
-
Currently Implemented: Not implemented. We are currently relying on environment variables and configuration files, which are less secure than a dedicated secrets management system.
-
Missing Implementation: Full implementation of a secure configuration management system like HashiCorp Vault or AWS Secrets Manager. Integration of this system with Koin for secure secret retrieval.
Mitigation Strategy: Source Code Review of Critical Dependencies (Especially Custom Modules)
-
Description:
- Identify Critical Modules: Identify Koin modules that handle sensitive logic, data, or interact with external systems. These are considered critical modules.
- Prioritize Reviews: Prioritize source code reviews for these critical Koin modules.
- Security-Focused Reviews: Conduct code reviews with a security focus, looking for potential vulnerabilities, insecure coding practices, and misconfigurations within the Koin modules and the injected components.
- Peer Reviews: Ensure code reviews are conducted by experienced developers with security awareness.
- Document Review Findings: Document the findings of code reviews and track remediation efforts.
-
List of Threats Mitigated:
- Vulnerabilities in Custom Modules (Medium to High Severity): Security flaws or vulnerabilities introduced in the implementation of custom Koin modules, especially those handling sensitive operations.
- Logic Errors in Dependency Wiring (Medium Severity): Logical errors in how dependencies are wired within custom modules, potentially leading to unexpected behavior or security issues.
-
Impact:
- Vulnerabilities in Custom Modules: Medium to High reduction in risk. Code reviews can effectively identify and prevent vulnerabilities in custom code.
- Logic Errors in Dependency Wiring: Medium reduction in risk. Helps catch logical errors in module configurations and dependency wiring.
-
Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. Code reviews are conducted for most code changes, but security-focused reviews are not consistently applied to Koin modules, especially custom modules.
-
Missing Implementation: Formalize security-focused code reviews specifically for critical Koin modules. Develop guidelines and checklists for security reviewers to focus on Koin-specific security concerns.
Mitigation Strategy: Limit Use of Reflection in Koin Modules
-
Description:
- Minimize Reflection Usage: Avoid using reflection directly within your custom Koin modules unless absolutely necessary.
- Prefer Explicit Declarations: Favor explicit dependency declarations using constructor injection or factory functions over reflection-based instantiation.
- Code Review for Reflection: If reflection is unavoidable, carefully review the code that uses reflection in Koin modules to ensure it is secure and does not introduce vulnerabilities.
- Consider Alternatives: Explore alternative approaches that do not rely on reflection if possible.
-
List of Threats Mitigated:
- Circumvention of Security Mechanisms (Low to Medium Severity): Excessive reflection can potentially bypass security mechanisms or make code harder to analyze for vulnerabilities.
- Increased Code Complexity (Low Severity): Reflection can make code more complex and harder to understand and maintain, indirectly increasing the risk of introducing vulnerabilities.
-
Impact:
- Circumvention of Security Mechanisms: Low to Medium reduction in risk. Reduces the potential for reflection to be misused to bypass security controls.
- Increased Code Complexity: Low reduction in risk. Improves code maintainability and reduces the likelihood of subtle errors.
-
Currently Implemented: Generally implemented. We primarily use constructor injection and factory functions in Koin modules. Reflection is not commonly used in custom modules.
-
Missing Implementation: No specific missing implementation, but ongoing vigilance is needed to ensure reflection is not introduced unnecessarily in future module development. Code review processes should continue to discourage unnecessary reflection.
Mitigation Strategy: Input Validation for Dynamic Instantiation (If Necessary)
-
Description:
- Identify Dynamic Instantiation Points: Locate any places in your Koin modules where dynamic instantiation is used (e.g., based on configuration or runtime parameters).
- Validate Input Sources: Identify the sources of input that determine which classes are dynamically instantiated.
- Implement Strict Input Validation: Implement rigorous input validation to ensure that the input used for dynamic instantiation is valid, expected, and does not contain malicious or unexpected values.
- Whitelist Allowed Classes (If Possible): If feasible, create a whitelist of allowed classes that can be dynamically instantiated and only allow instantiation from this whitelist.
- Sanitize Input: Sanitize input to remove or escape any potentially harmful characters before using it for dynamic class loading or instantiation.
-
List of Threats Mitigated:
- Arbitrary Code Execution (High Severity): If input used for dynamic instantiation is not properly validated, attackers could potentially manipulate the input to instantiate and execute malicious classes, leading to arbitrary code execution.
-
Impact:
- Arbitrary Code Execution: High reduction in risk. Input validation for dynamic instantiation is critical to prevent arbitrary code execution vulnerabilities.
-
Currently Implemented: Not applicable. Dynamic instantiation based on external input is not currently used in our Koin modules.
-
Missing Implementation: No missing implementation currently, but this mitigation strategy should be considered if dynamic instantiation based on external input is introduced in the future. Guidelines and secure coding practices should be established for such scenarios.
Mitigation Strategy: Custom Error Handling for Koin Startup and Dependency Resolution
-
Description:
- Implement Error Handling: Implement custom error handling for Koin startup and dependency resolution processes.
- Generic Production Errors: In production environments, configure Koin to return generic, non-verbose error messages to users. Avoid exposing detailed error information that could reveal internal application details.
- Detailed Development Errors: In development and testing environments, configure Koin to log detailed error messages for debugging purposes.
- Secure Logging of Errors: Ensure that error logs are securely stored and accessed, and do not inadvertently log sensitive information.
-
List of Threats Mitigated:
- Information Disclosure (Low to Medium Severity): Verbose error messages in production environments could reveal information about the application's internal structure, dependencies, or configuration to potential attackers.
-
Impact:
- Information Disclosure: Low to Medium reduction in risk. Prevents accidental information disclosure through error messages in production.
-
Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. Generic error pages are used in production, but Koin-specific error handling is not explicitly configured to differentiate between development and production environments.
-
Missing Implementation: Explicit configuration of Koin's error handling to provide different levels of detail in development and production environments. Review and refine error messages to ensure they are generic and do not reveal sensitive information in production.
Mitigation Strategy: Secure Logging Configuration for Koin
-
Description:
- Review Logging Levels: Review the configured logging levels for Koin in production environments. Ensure that logging levels are set appropriately to minimize the amount of information logged.
- Minimize Sensitive Data Logging: Avoid logging sensitive information (secrets, user data, etc.) in Koin logs or any application logs.
- Sanitize Logged Data: If logging data that might contain sensitive information, sanitize or mask the sensitive parts before logging.
- Secure Log Storage: Ensure that log files are stored securely and access is restricted to authorized personnel.
- Regular Log Audits: Periodically audit log files to check for any accidental logging of sensitive information or suspicious activity.
-
List of Threats Mitigated:
- Information Disclosure through Logs (Medium Severity): Accidental logging of sensitive information in Koin logs or application logs, which could be exposed if logs are compromised or accessed by unauthorized individuals.
-
Impact:
- Information Disclosure through Logs: Medium reduction in risk. Reduces the likelihood of sensitive information being exposed through log files.
-
Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. Logging levels are generally configured, but specific review and sanitization of logged data related to Koin and injected dependencies is not consistently performed.
-
Missing Implementation: Dedicated review of Koin logging configuration and application logging practices to ensure minimal logging of sensitive data. Implementation of data sanitization or masking for logged data where necessary. Regular audits of log files for sensitive information.