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Attack Tree Analysis for kotlin/kotlinx.cli

Objective: Execute Arbitrary Code or Access Sensitive Data via Malicious Command-Line Input

Attack Tree Visualization

Execute Arbitrary Code or Access Sensitive Data
    via Malicious Command-Line Input
    (Likelihood: Medium, Impact: High, Effort: Medium, Skill: Medium, Detection: Medium)
    |
    └── Manipulate Application Logic via Unexpected Input
        (Likelihood: Medium, Impact: High, Effort: Medium, Skill: Medium, Detection: Medium)
        |
        └── Injection (Likelihood: High, Impact: High, Effort: Medium, Skill: Medium, Detection: Medium)
            |
            ├── G. Command Injection (Likelihood: High, Impact: High, Effort: Medium, Skill: Medium, Detection: Medium)
            |
            ├── H. SQL Injection (Likelihood: High, Impact: High, Effort: Medium, Skill: Medium, Detection: Medium)
            |
            └── I. Other Injection Types (Likelihood: Medium, Impact: Medium-High, Effort: Medium, Skill: Medium, Detection: Medium)

Attack Tree Path: Root Node: Execute Arbitrary Code or Access Sensitive Data via Malicious Command-Line Input

  • Description: The attacker's ultimate objective is to gain unauthorized control over the application or access sensitive data by exploiting vulnerabilities related to how the application processes command-line input.
  • Likelihood: Medium: The probability depends heavily on the application's implementation and how it uses the parsed arguments from kotlinx.cli. If the application directly uses user-supplied input in sensitive operations (like system calls or database queries) without proper sanitization, the likelihood increases significantly.
  • Impact: High: Successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, data breaches, data modification, or denial of service.
  • Effort: Medium: The effort required varies depending on the specific vulnerability and the application's security measures. Simple injection attacks might require minimal effort, while exploiting more complex vulnerabilities could be more challenging.
  • Skill Level: Medium: The attacker needs a moderate understanding of command-line interfaces, common injection vulnerabilities, and potentially some scripting or programming skills.
  • Detection Difficulty: Medium: Detection depends on the application's logging and monitoring capabilities. Malicious input might be logged, but it might not be immediately obvious that it's malicious without proper analysis and intrusion detection systems.

Attack Tree Path: Level 1: Manipulate Application Logic via Unexpected Input

  • Description: The attacker provides carefully crafted input that, while syntactically valid according to kotlinx.cli, is semantically malicious and causes the application to behave in unintended ways. This is the primary attack vector.
  • Likelihood: Medium: This is more likely than finding a direct vulnerability in kotlinx.cli itself. Many applications fail to properly validate and sanitize user input, even if the parsing library is secure.
  • Impact: High: The consequences can range from data corruption to complete system compromise, depending on how the manipulated input is used.
  • Effort: Medium: The attacker needs to understand the application's logic and how it processes command-line arguments.
  • Skill Level: Medium: Requires knowledge of common web application vulnerabilities and how they can be adapted to command-line interfaces.
  • Detection Difficulty: Medium: Requires monitoring application behavior and logs for anomalous activity.

Attack Tree Path: Level 2: Injection (High-Risk Path)

  • Description: The attacker injects malicious code or commands into the application through command-line arguments. This is the most dangerous category of vulnerabilities.

  • Likelihood: High: This is the most probable attack vector if the application doesn't properly sanitize user input before using it in sensitive operations.

  • Impact: High: Can lead to complete system compromise, data breaches, and other severe consequences.

  • Effort: Medium: Exploitation can be relatively straightforward if the application is vulnerable.

  • Skill Level: Medium: Requires knowledge of injection techniques (e.g., command injection, SQL injection).

  • Detection Difficulty: Medium: Can be detected with input validation, intrusion detection systems, and careful monitoring of system activity.

    • G. Command Injection:

      • Description: The attacker injects shell commands into a command-line argument that is subsequently executed by the application. This is particularly dangerous if the application uses Runtime.getRuntime().exec() or similar functions without proper sanitization.
      • Example: If the application has a command like myapp --run-script <script_name>, an attacker might try myapp --run-script "my_script; rm -rf /".
      • Likelihood: High (if vulnerable).
      • Impact: High (potential for complete system compromise).
      • Effort: Medium.
      • Skill Level: Medium.
      • Detection Difficulty: Medium.

    • H. SQL Injection:

      • Description: The attacker injects SQL code into a command-line argument that is used to construct a database query. This allows the attacker to manipulate the database, potentially reading, modifying, or deleting data.
      • Example: If the application has a command like myapp --user <username>, an attacker might try myapp --user "admin' OR '1'='1".
      • Likelihood: High (if vulnerable).
      • Impact: High (data breach, data modification).
      • Effort: Medium.
      • Skill Level: Medium.
      • Detection Difficulty: Medium.

    • I. Other Injection Types:

      • Description: This encompasses other forms of injection, such as LDAP injection, XML injection, or even injection into configuration files if the application uses command-line arguments to generate them. The specific type depends on how the application uses the parsed arguments.
      • Example: If the application uses arguments to construct an LDAP query, an attacker could inject LDAP metacharacters to modify the query's logic.
      • Likelihood: Medium (depends on the application).
      • Impact: Medium to High (depends on the context).
      • Effort: Medium.
      • Skill Level: Medium.
      • Detection Difficulty: Medium.