threat-modeling.md

Threat Model Analysis for grouper/flatuikit

Threat: Threat 1: Arbitrary Code Execution via Malicious flatuikit.js (Supply Chain Attack)

• Description: An attacker compromises the flatuikit repository (GitHub, npm, etc.) or a CDN serving flatuikit.js. They inject malicious JavaScript code into the library. When a user loads the application, the malicious code executes in their browser, giving the attacker full control.
  • Impact:
    • Complete compromise of the user's session and potentially the application.
    • Theft of sensitive data (cookies, tokens, form data, PII).
    • Redirection to phishing sites or malware distribution.
    • Defacement of the application.
    • Potential for lateral movement within the user's network (if browser exploits are used).
  • Affected Component: flatuikit.js (the core JavaScript file, or any JavaScript modules within the library).
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Subresource Integrity (SRI): Mandatory. Use SRI tags when including flatuikit.js from a CDN. This ensures the browser only executes the file if it matches a known, trusted hash. Generate new hashes whenever flatuikit.js is updated.
    • Pin Dependency Version: Specify a precise, audited version of flatuikit in your project's dependencies (e.g., package.json). Do not use latest or wildcard versions. Regularly review and update this pinned version after thorough testing.
    • Regular Dependency Audits: Use tools like npm audit (or equivalent) to automatically check for known vulnerabilities in flatuikit and all of its dependencies (transitive dependencies). Integrate this into your CI/CD pipeline.
    • Content Security Policy (CSP): Implement a strict CSP with a script-src directive that only allows scripts from trusted sources (your domain and the specific CDN hosting the verified flatuikit.js, using the sha256- or sha384- hash from the SRI tag). Avoid unsafe-inline and unsafe-eval.
    • Vendor the Library (with extreme caution): If using a CDN is not possible, copy the audited flatuikit.js file directly into your project's repository. This gives you full control, but requires manual updates and rigorous security audits. This is generally less recommended than SRI + CDN.

Threat: Threat 2: DOM-based XSS in flatuikit JavaScript Components (e.g., flatuikit.tabs.js, flatuikit.dialog.js)

• Description: A flatuikit JavaScript component (e.g., one that handles tabs, dialogs, tooltips, or any dynamic UI element) has a vulnerability where it doesn't properly sanitize user-supplied data or data from external sources before inserting it into the DOM. An attacker crafts malicious input (e.g., a tab label, a tooltip message) containing JavaScript code that executes when the component renders.
  • Impact:
    • Execution of arbitrary JavaScript in the user's browser (XSS).
    • Data theft (cookies, tokens, form data).
    • Session hijacking.
    • Redirection to malicious sites.
    • Defacement.
  • Affected Component: Any flatuikit JavaScript component that dynamically manipulates the DOM based on user input or external data. Examples (hypothetical): flatuikit.tabs.js, flatuikit.dialog.js, flatuikit.tooltip.js, flatuikit.autocomplete.js.
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Input Sanitization and Output Encoding (Mandatory): Before inserting any data into the DOM (especially data from user input or external sources), always sanitize it to remove potentially dangerous characters and then encode it appropriately for the context (HTML encoding, attribute encoding, JavaScript encoding, as needed). Use a well-tested and actively maintained library like DOMPurify. Never rely on custom regular expressions.
    • Avoid innerHTML Where Possible: Prefer using safer DOM manipulation methods like textContent, createElement, and setAttribute instead of directly setting innerHTML. If innerHTML must be used, ensure the input is thoroughly sanitized first.
    • Code Review and Static Analysis: Regularly review the code of all flatuikit JavaScript components for potential DOM-based XSS vulnerabilities. Use static analysis tools (e.g., ESLint with security plugins) to automatically detect potential issues.
    • Content Security Policy (CSP): A strong CSP can help mitigate the impact of XSS, even if a vulnerability exists. Use script-src carefully, and consider using a nonce or hash-based approach to allow only specific inline scripts.
    • Minimize use of vulnerable components: If a component is known or suspected to be vulnerable, and a secure alternative exists (either within flatuikit or a different library), use the alternative.

Threat: Threat 3: Vulnerability in Deprecated flatuikit Components

• Description: The application uses a deprecated flatuikit component (e.g., flatuikit.old-component.js) that is no longer maintained and contains a known, unpatched, and exploitable vulnerability (e.g., a cross-site scripting flaw or a denial-of-service vulnerability).
  • Impact:
    • Exploitation of the known vulnerability, leading to XSS, data theft, denial of service, or other consequences depending on the specific vulnerability.
  • Affected Component: Any deprecated flatuikit component.
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Remove Deprecated Components (Mandatory): The only truly effective mitigation is to completely remove any deprecated components from your application. Replace them with supported alternatives, either from a newer version of flatuikit or from a different library.
    • Upgrade to a Newer Version (if applicable): If a newer version of flatuikit exists that removes the deprecated component or provides a secure replacement, upgrade to that version after thorough testing.
    • Manual Patching (Absolutely Last Resort): Never attempt to manually patch a deprecated component unless you have deep security expertise and understand the full implications. This is extremely risky and almost always the wrong approach.