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attack-surface.md

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Attack Surface Analysis for realm/realm-kotlin

Attack Surface: Realm File Access Control Vulnerabilities

  • Description: Unauthorized access to the Realm database file on the file system. If file permissions are not correctly configured, malicious actors or processes could read or modify the database directly, bypassing application-level access controls.
  • Realm-Kotlin Contribution: Realm Kotlin creates and manages the .realm database file, which stores all application data. The security of this file directly impacts the application's data security.
  • Example: On Android, if the Realm file is stored in a location with world-readable permissions (e.g., due to developer error or misconfiguration), any application on the device could potentially read sensitive data from the Realm database.
  • Impact: Data breach, data modification, data corruption, denial of service.
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Developers:
      • Set strict file permissions: Ensure the Realm file is stored in a private application directory with permissions restricted to the application's user ID. Follow platform-specific best practices for file protection (e.g., using Android's internal storage).
      • Avoid storing Realm files on external storage: External storage on mobile platforms often has less stringent permission controls.

Attack Surface: Realm Query Language (RQL) Injection Vulnerabilities

  • Description: Injection attacks through the Realm Query Language (RQL). If user-provided input is directly incorporated into RQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization, attackers can manipulate the query logic to access or modify data they are not authorized to.
  • Realm-Kotlin Contribution: Realm Kotlin provides the API for constructing and executing RQL queries. Improper use of this API can lead to RQL injection vulnerabilities.
  • Example: An application allows users to search for items by name. If the search term provided by the user is directly concatenated into an RQL query like realm.query("name == '$userInput'").find(), an attacker could input a malicious string like ' OR 1==1 -- to bypass the intended query logic and potentially retrieve all data or perform other unintended operations.
  • Impact: Data breach, unauthorized data access, data manipulation, potential data deletion.
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Developers:
      • Use Parameterized Queries: Utilize Realm Kotlin's query builder and parameterized queries. This ensures user input is treated as data values and not as part of the query structure, preventing injection. Example: `realm.query("name == $0", userInput).find()$.
      • Input Validation and Sanitization: While parameterized queries are the primary defense, still validate and sanitize user input to prevent unexpected behavior or logical injection flaws.

Attack Surface: Realm Synchronization Protocol Vulnerabilities (If Using Realm Sync)

  • Description: Vulnerabilities in the Realm Synchronization protocol itself, potentially affecting authentication, authorization, data transfer, or conflict resolution mechanisms when using Realm Sync.
  • Realm-Kotlin Contribution: Realm Kotlin integrates with Realm Sync, and the security of the synchronization protocol is crucial for applications using this feature.
  • Example: A vulnerability in the Realm Sync protocol could allow an attacker to perform a man-in-the-middle attack to intercept and modify data during synchronization, or to bypass authentication and gain unauthorized access to synchronized data.
  • Impact: Data breach, unauthorized data modification, man-in-the-middle attacks, denial of service.
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Developers:
      • Use HTTPS for all Sync Communication: Ensure all communication between the client application and the Realm Sync server is encrypted using HTTPS to protect against man-in-the-middle attacks.
      • Keep Realm Kotlin and Realm Sync Server Updated: Regularly update both the Realm Kotlin library and the Realm Sync server to the latest versions to benefit from security patches and protocol improvements.
      • Follow Realm Sync Security Best Practices: Adhere to security recommendations provided in the Realm Sync documentation for deployment, configuration, and authentication.

Attack Surface: Authentication and Authorization Bypass in Realm Sync (If Using Realm Sync)

  • Description: Weaknesses or misconfigurations in the authentication and authorization mechanisms used by Realm Sync could allow unauthorized users to access or modify synchronized data.
  • Realm-Kotlin Contribution: Realm Kotlin applications implement and rely on the authentication and authorization mechanisms provided by Realm Sync.
  • Example: If an application uses a weak or easily guessable authentication scheme for Realm Sync, or if authorization rules are not properly configured on the Realm Sync server, an attacker could potentially bypass these controls and gain unauthorized access to synchronized Realms.
  • Impact: Data breach, unauthorized data access, unauthorized data modification.
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Developers:
      • Implement Strong Authentication: Use strong and robust authentication methods provided by Realm Sync (e.g., token-based authentication, OAuth 2.0). Avoid weak or default credentials.
      • Enforce Proper Authorization Rules: Configure granular authorization rules on the Realm Sync server to control access to specific data and operations based on user roles and permissions.
      • Regularly Audit Access Control Policies: Periodically review and audit authentication and authorization configurations to ensure they are still effective and aligned with security requirements.

Attack Surface: Native Library Vulnerabilities in Realm Core

  • Description: Vulnerabilities present in the underlying Realm Core native library, which is responsible for core database operations. These vulnerabilities could include memory corruption issues, buffer overflows, or other native code vulnerabilities.
  • Realm-Kotlin Contribution: Realm Kotlin directly depends on Realm Core for its functionality. Vulnerabilities in Realm Core directly impact the security of Realm Kotlin applications.
  • Example: A buffer overflow vulnerability in Realm Core's query execution engine could be exploited by crafting a specific query that triggers the overflow, potentially leading to code execution or denial of service.
  • Impact: Denial of service, remote code execution, data corruption, data breach.
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Developers:
      • Keep Realm Kotlin Library Updated: Regularly update to the latest version of Realm Kotlin. The Realm team is responsible for patching vulnerabilities in Realm Core and releasing updated versions.
      • Monitor Security Advisories: Stay informed about security advisories related to Realm and its dependencies to be aware of potential vulnerabilities and necessary updates.