Skip to content

Latest commit

 

History

History
75 lines (55 loc) · 6.92 KB

attack-tree.md

File metadata and controls

75 lines (55 loc) · 6.92 KB

Attack Tree Analysis for square/leakcanary

Objective: Gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or disrupt the application's functionality by exploiting vulnerabilities introduced or exposed by LeakCanary, focusing on the most probable and impactful attack vectors.

Attack Tree Visualization

Attack: Compromise Application using LeakCanary [CRITICAL]
└─── AND 1: LeakCanary Enabled/Present in Vulnerable Context [CRITICAL]
    ├─── OR 1.1: LeakCanary Enabled in Production Build [CRITICAL]
    │   └─── AND 1.1.1: Accidental Inclusion in Production [CRITICAL]
    │       └─── Leaf 1.1.1.1: Developer Mistake during Build Configuration [CRITICAL]
    └─── OR 1.2: LeakCanary Functionality Exploited in Debug/Test Builds
        └─── AND 1.2.1: Heap Dump Access
            └─── OR 1.2.1.1: Local Device Access (Physical or ADB) [CRITICAL for Debug Exploitation]
                └─── Leaf 1.2.1.1.2: Attacker Uses ADB Debugging Bridge [CRITICAL for Debug Exploitation]
        └─── AND 1.2.2: Heap Dump Analysis for Sensitive Information [CRITICAL]
            └─── Leaf 1.2.2.1: Attacker Analyzes Heap Dump to Extract Secrets, API Keys, User Data, Business Logic, etc. [CRITICAL]

Attack Tree Path: 1. Attack: Compromise Application using LeakCanary [CRITICAL]

  • Description: The ultimate goal of the attacker is to successfully compromise the application by exploiting weaknesses related to LeakCanary.
  • Attack Vector: Exploiting vulnerabilities stemming from the presence and functionality of LeakCanary in vulnerable contexts, leading to information disclosure or disruption.

Attack Tree Path: 2. AND 1: LeakCanary Enabled/Present in Vulnerable Context [CRITICAL]

  • Description: LeakCanary must be active or its artifacts accessible for any related attack to succeed. This node represents the necessary precondition for exploitation.
  • Attack Vector: The application is built and deployed in a configuration where LeakCanary is either actively running or has left behind exploitable artifacts (like heap dumps).

Attack Tree Path: 3. OR 1.1: LeakCanary Enabled in Production Build [CRITICAL]

  • Description: The most critical vulnerability point. LeakCanary in production exposes the application to significant information disclosure risks.
  • Attack Vector: The application is mistakenly or intentionally built and released to production environments with LeakCanary enabled and functional.

Attack Tree Path: 4. AND 1.1.1: Accidental Inclusion in Production [CRITICAL]

  • Description: The most common scenario leading to LeakCanary in production.
  • Attack Vector: Due to errors in build configuration or oversight, LeakCanary dependencies and initialization code are not properly excluded from the production build process.

Attack Tree Path: 5. Leaf 1.1.1.1: Developer Mistake during Build Configuration [CRITICAL]

  • Description: The root cause of accidental production inclusion. Human error during the build setup process.
  • Attack Vector: Developers fail to correctly configure build variants, flavors, or dependency management in Gradle (or other build systems) to exclude LeakCanary from release/production builds. This can be due to:
    • Lack of awareness of the security implications.
    • Complexity of build configurations.
    • Simple oversight or human error during rushed releases.

Attack Tree Path: 6. OR 1.2.1.1: Local Device Access (Physical or ADB) [CRITICAL for Debug Exploitation]

  • Description: A primary method for attackers to access heap dumps in debug/test environments.
  • Attack Vectors:
    • Leaf 1.2.1.1.2: Attacker Uses ADB Debugging Bridge [CRITICAL for Debug Exploitation]:
      • Attack Vector: The attacker leverages the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) to connect to a device running a debug build of the application. This can be achieved through:
        • Network ADB: If ADB debugging over network is enabled and accessible (e.g., in a shared testing environment or if port forwarding is misconfigured).
        • USB ADB: If the attacker gains physical access to a device with USB debugging enabled and authorized their attacking machine.
      • Exploitation: Once connected via ADB, the attacker can use ADB commands to:
        • List files on the device and locate heap dumps generated by LeakCanary.
        • Pull heap dump files from the device to their local machine for analysis.

Attack Tree Path: 7. AND 1.2.2: Heap Dump Analysis for Sensitive Information [CRITICAL]

  • Description: The crucial step after obtaining a heap dump, regardless of how it was acquired.
  • Attack Vector: The attacker analyzes the obtained heap dump file to extract sensitive information present in the application's memory at the time of the dump.

Attack Tree Path: 8. Leaf 1.2.2.1: Attacker Analyzes Heap Dump to Extract Secrets, API Keys, User Data, Business Logic, etc. [CRITICAL]

  • Description: The specific goal of heap dump analysis - to find and extract valuable information.
  • Attack Vectors: Using heap analysis tools (like Android Studio's Memory Analyzer or dedicated heap dump analysis software), the attacker examines the heap dump for:
    • Hardcoded Secrets: API keys, encryption keys, passwords, or other credentials mistakenly hardcoded in the application's code and present in memory.
    • User Data: Personal Identifiable Information (PII), session tokens, authentication credentials, or other user-specific data that might be temporarily stored in memory.
    • Business Logic and Algorithms: Object structures, data flows, and code snippets that reveal proprietary algorithms or business logic, potentially leading to reverse engineering or circumvention of security measures.
    • Database Credentials: If the application maintains database connections in memory, database usernames and passwords might be exposed in the heap dump.
    • Other Sensitive Information: Any other data considered confidential or valuable that happens to be present in the application's memory at the time of the heap dump.