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BUSINESS POSTURE

This project is an open-source iOS library, slacktextviewcontroller, developed and maintained by Slack. The primary business goal for Slack in open-sourcing this component is likely to contribute to the iOS developer community by providing a reusable, high-quality text view controller similar to the one used in their own Slack iOS application. This can enhance the developer experience for iOS developers in general and potentially attract contributions and improvements from the community back to the library. For companies and developers adopting this library, the goal is to accelerate development and improve the user experience of their iOS applications by leveraging a pre-built, feature-rich text input component.

Key business priorities and goals are:

  • Provide a robust and customizable text view controller for iOS applications.
  • Enhance the user experience of iOS applications using this component by offering rich text editing capabilities.
  • Foster community engagement and contributions to improve the library.
  • Reduce development time and effort for developers needing advanced text input features in their iOS apps.

Most important business risks that need to be addressed:

  • Security vulnerabilities in the library could be inherited by applications that depend on it, potentially impacting end-users and the reputation of those applications.
  • Lack of ongoing maintenance and security updates could lead to the library becoming outdated and insecure over time.
  • Integration issues with different iOS versions or other libraries could hinder adoption and cause compatibility problems for users.
  • Performance issues within the library could negatively impact the performance of applications using it, leading to poor user experience.

SECURITY POSTURE

Existing security controls for the slacktextviewcontroller project:

  • security control: Open Source Codebase - The code is publicly available on GitHub, allowing for community review and scrutiny, which can help identify potential security vulnerabilities. Implemented: GitHub repository.
  • security control: Version Control - Git history provides traceability of changes and facilitates rollback in case of issues, including security vulnerabilities. Implemented: GitHub repository.
  • security control: Issue Tracking - GitHub Issues are used to report bugs and feature requests, which can include security-related issues. Implemented: GitHub repository.
  • security control: Code Review - While not explicitly stated, it is assumed that Slack employs internal code review processes for contributions to their open-source projects before merging changes. Implemented: Slack internal development process (assumed).

Accepted risks for the slacktextviewcontroller project:

  • accepted risk: Reliance on Community Security Contributions - As an open-source project, the project relies on the community to report and potentially contribute fixes for security vulnerabilities. The responsiveness to security issues depends on community engagement and maintainer availability.
  • accepted risk: Third-Party Dependencies - The library may depend on third-party libraries, which could introduce their own vulnerabilities. The security of the slacktextviewcontroller is partially dependent on the security of its dependencies.

Recommended security controls to implement:

  • security control: Automated Security Scanning - Implement automated Static Application Security Testing (SAST) and Dependency Scanning in the CI/CD pipeline to detect potential vulnerabilities in the code and dependencies.
  • security control: Vulnerability Disclosure Policy - Establish a clear vulnerability disclosure policy to guide security researchers and users on how to report security issues responsibly.
  • security control: Security Audits - Conduct periodic security audits or penetration testing by security experts to proactively identify and address potential vulnerabilities.
  • security control: Signed Releases - Sign releases of the library to ensure authenticity and integrity, protecting against tampering during distribution.

Security requirements for the slacktextviewcontroller project:

  • Authentication: Not directly applicable to a UI library. Authentication is handled by the applications that integrate this library.
  • Authorization: Not directly applicable to a UI library. Authorization is handled by the applications that integrate this library.
  • Input Validation: While the library primarily handles text display and input, it should be designed to handle potentially malicious or unexpected input gracefully without causing crashes or unexpected behavior. Input validation should be considered in areas where the library processes external data or user input beyond basic text.
  • Cryptography: Not directly applicable to the core functionality of a text view controller library. Cryptographic operations would be handled by the applications that integrate this library if needed for securing data. However, if the library were to handle any sensitive data internally (which is not expected for a UI component like this), appropriate cryptographic measures would be necessary.

DESIGN

C4 CONTEXT

flowchart LR
    subgraph "Organization"
        style "Organization" fill:transparent,stroke:#999,stroke-dasharray:5 5
        A("iOS Developer")
        B("End User")
    end

    C("slacktextviewcontroller Library")

    D("iOS SDK")
    E("Consuming iOS Application")


    A -- "Integrates and uses" --> C
    B -- "Uses features provided by" --> E
    C -- "Relies on" --> D
    E -- "Uses" --> C
    E -- "Built with" --> D

    classDef plain fill:#ddd,stroke:#fff,stroke-width:1px,color:#000
    class A,B,D,E plain
    class C fill:#444,stroke:#fff,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
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Context Diagram Elements

  • Name: iOS Developer

    • Type: Person
    • Description: Developers who integrate the slacktextviewcontroller library into their iOS applications.
    • Responsibilities: To use the library correctly, integrate it into their projects, and potentially contribute back to the library.
    • Security controls: Follow secure coding practices when integrating and using the library.

  • Name: End User

    • Type: Person
    • Description: Users of iOS applications that utilize the slacktextviewcontroller library.
    • Responsibilities: To use the applications as intended.
    • Security controls: Rely on the security measures implemented by the applications they use.

  • Name: slacktextviewcontroller Library

    • Type: Software System
    • Description: The open-source iOS library providing a customizable text view controller.
    • Responsibilities: Provide rich text editing capabilities, be robust and performant, and maintain code quality and security.
    • Security controls: Implement secure coding practices, undergo security reviews, and address reported vulnerabilities.

  • Name: iOS SDK

    • Type: Software System
    • Description: Apple's iOS Software Development Kit, providing the foundation and APIs for iOS application development.
    • Responsibilities: Provide a secure and stable platform for iOS applications.
    • Security controls: Apple's security features and updates for the iOS platform.

  • Name: Consuming iOS Application

    • Type: Software System
    • Description: iOS applications developed by iOS developers that integrate and use the slacktextviewcontroller library.
    • Responsibilities: Provide specific application functionality to end-users, ensure secure integration of the library, and protect user data.
    • Security controls: Implement application-level security controls, including authentication, authorization, input validation, and data protection, in addition to relying on the security of the integrated libraries.

C4 CONTAINER

flowchart LR
    subgraph "iOS Device"
        style "iOS Device" fill:transparent,stroke:#999,stroke-dasharray:5 5
        A("Consuming iOS Application")
            subgraph "Consuming iOS Application Runtime"
                style "Consuming iOS Application Runtime" fill:transparent,stroke:#ddd,stroke-dasharray:3 3
                B("slacktextviewcontroller Library")
                C("iOS Frameworks")
            end
    end

    D("iOS Developer") -- "Integrates" --> B
    A -- "Uses" --> B
    B -- "Relies on" --> C

    classDef plain fill:#ddd,stroke:#fff,stroke-width:1px,color:#000
    class A,C plain
    class B fill:#444,stroke:#fff,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
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Container Diagram Elements

  • Name: slacktextviewcontroller Library

    • Type: Library
    • Description: A compiled library (e.g., framework or Swift Package) containing the slacktextviewcontroller code, ready to be integrated into iOS applications.
    • Responsibilities: Provide the text view controller functionality, manage its internal state, and interact with iOS Frameworks.
    • Security controls: Secure coding practices during development, potential SAST scanning during build, and reliance on iOS Framework security.

  • Name: iOS Frameworks

    • Type: Platform Component
    • Description: Standard iOS frameworks provided by Apple, used by the slacktextviewcontroller library and the Consuming iOS Application. Examples include UIKit, Foundation, etc.
    • Responsibilities: Provide core functionalities of the iOS platform, including UI components, networking, and security features.
    • Security controls: Security features and updates provided by Apple for the iOS platform.

  • Name: Consuming iOS Application

    • Type: Application
    • Description: The iOS application that integrates and utilizes the slacktextviewcontroller library.
    • Responsibilities: Provide application-specific features to the end-user, manage application state, handle user interactions, and ensure overall application security.
    • Security controls: Application-level security controls, including authentication, authorization, input validation, data protection, and secure integration of third-party libraries.

DEPLOYMENT

flowchart LR
    subgraph "Developer Environment"
        style "Developer Environment" fill:transparent,stroke:#999,stroke-dasharray:5 5
        A("iOS Developer's Machine")
            subgraph "Package Manager"
                style "Package Manager" fill:transparent,stroke:#ddd,stroke-dasharray:3 3
                B("CocoaPods")
                C("Swift Package Manager")
            end
    end

    subgraph "Distribution Platform"
        style "Distribution Platform" fill:transparent,stroke:#999,stroke-dasharray:5 5
        D("GitHub Releases")
        E("CocoaPods Repository")
        F("Swift Package Registry")
    end

    subgraph "End User Environment"
        style "End User Environment" fill:transparent,stroke:#999,stroke-dasharray:5 5
        G("End User iOS Device")
            subgraph "iOS Application Installation"
                style "iOS Application Installation" fill:transparent,stroke:#ddd,stroke-dasharray:3 3
                H("Consuming iOS Application")
                    subgraph "Application Bundle"
                        style "Application Bundle" fill:transparent,stroke:#eee,stroke-dasharray:2 2
                        I("slacktextviewcontroller Library")
                    end
            end
    end


    A -- "Uses to integrate" --> B
    A -- "Uses to integrate" --> C
    B -- "Downloads from" --> E
    C -- "Downloads from" --> F
    D -- "Downloads from" --> A
    E -- "Provides library" --> D
    F -- "Provides library" --> D
    H -- "Contains" --> I

    classDef plain fill:#ddd,stroke:#fff,stroke-width:1px,color:#000
    class B,C,D,E,F plain
    class A,G,H fill:transparent,stroke:#999,stroke-dasharray:5 5
    class I fill:#444,stroke:#fff,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
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Deployment Diagram Elements

  • Name: iOS Developer's Machine

    • Type: Environment
    • Description: The development machine used by iOS developers to build and test applications.
    • Responsibilities: Development, building, and testing of iOS applications.
    • Security controls: Developer machine security practices, code repository access controls.

  • Name: CocoaPods / Swift Package Manager

    • Type: Package Manager
    • Description: Dependency management tools used by iOS developers to integrate libraries like slacktextviewcontroller into their projects.
    • Responsibilities: Manage library dependencies, download and integrate libraries into projects.
    • Security controls: Package integrity checks by package managers, HTTPS for downloads (assumed).

  • Name: GitHub Releases

    • Type: Distribution Platform
    • Description: GitHub's release feature used to distribute source code or pre-built binaries of the library.
    • Responsibilities: Host and distribute releases of the slacktextviewcontroller library.
    • Security controls: GitHub's platform security, HTTPS for downloads.

  • Name: CocoaPods Repository / Swift Package Registry

    • Type: Distribution Platform
    • Description: Central repositories for CocoaPods and Swift Packages, where the slacktextviewcontroller library might be published for easy discovery and integration.
    • Responsibilities: Host and distribute packages, facilitate library discovery.
    • Security controls: Repository platform security, package integrity checks (by package managers).

  • Name: End User iOS Device

    • Type: Device
    • Description: The iOS device (iPhone, iPad) used by end-users to run the Consuming iOS Application.
    • Responsibilities: Run iOS applications, provide user interface, and execute application code.
    • Security controls: iOS platform security features, application sandboxing.

  • Name: Consuming iOS Application

    • Type: Application
    • Description: The installed iOS application on the end-user's device that includes the slacktextviewcontroller library.
    • Responsibilities: Provide application functionality to the end-user, utilize the integrated library.
    • Security controls: Application-level security controls, iOS platform security, and sandboxing.

  • Name: slacktextviewcontroller Library (in Application Bundle)

    • Type: Component
    • Description: The slacktextviewcontroller library as part of the Consuming iOS Application's bundle, deployed on the end-user's device.
    • Responsibilities: Provide text view controller functionality within the deployed application.
    • Security controls: Inherits security controls from the library development and build process, and operates within the application's sandbox on the iOS device.

BUILD

flowchart LR
    A("iOS Developer") --> B{Code Changes}
    B --> C("GitHub Repository")
    C --> D("CI System (GitHub Actions - Assumed)")
    D --> E{Build & Test}
    E -- "SAST, Dependency Scan (Recommended)" --> E
    E --> F("Build Artifacts (Framework/Package)")
    F --> G("Distribution Platforms (GitHub Releases, Package Registries)")

    classDef plain fill:#ddd,stroke:#fff,stroke-width:1px,color:#000
    class A,C,G plain
    class D,E,F fill:#eee,stroke:#999,stroke-dasharray:2 2
    class B fill:transparent,stroke:#999,stroke-dasharray:5 5
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Build Process Description

The build process for the slacktextviewcontroller library starts with iOS developers committing code changes to the GitHub repository. It is assumed that a CI system, likely GitHub Actions given it's a GitHub repository, is configured to automatically trigger builds upon code changes (e.g., push to main branch, pull requests).

The CI system performs the following steps:

  1. Checkout Code: Retrieves the latest code from the GitHub repository.
  2. Build & Test: Compiles the iOS library code and runs automated tests to ensure code quality and functionality.
  3. Security Checks (Recommended): Integrate security checks into the build pipeline. This should include:
    • Static Application Security Testing (SAST): Analyze the source code for potential security vulnerabilities.
    • Dependency Scanning: Check for known vulnerabilities in third-party dependencies.
  4. Create Build Artifacts: Packages the compiled library into distributable artifacts, such as iOS Frameworks or Swift Packages.
  5. Publish Artifacts: Releases the build artifacts to distribution platforms, such as GitHub Releases and package registries like CocoaPods and Swift Package Registry, making the library available to iOS developers.

Security controls in the build process:

  • security control: Code Repository Access Control - GitHub repository access controls manage who can commit code changes. Implemented: GitHub repository settings.
  • security control: CI/CD Pipeline - Automated build and test process reduces manual errors and ensures consistent builds. Implemented: Assumed GitHub Actions.
  • security control: Automated Testing - Automated tests help ensure code quality and reduce the likelihood of bugs, including security-related bugs. Implemented: Assumed in CI pipeline.
  • security control: SAST and Dependency Scanning (Recommended) - Proactively identify potential security vulnerabilities in the code and dependencies during the build process. Recommended for CI pipeline.
  • security control: Signed Releases (Recommended) - Signing build artifacts ensures the integrity and authenticity of the distributed library. Recommended for release process.

RISK ASSESSMENT

Critical business process we are trying to protect:

  • The primary critical business process is the secure development and distribution of the slacktextviewcontroller library to ensure that applications using it are not exposed to vulnerabilities originating from the library itself. This indirectly protects the reputation of Slack as the library provider and the security of applications that depend on it. For organizations using this library, the critical process is the secure development and operation of their iOS applications, where the library is a component.

Data we are trying to protect and their sensitivity:

  • The slacktextviewcontroller library itself does not directly handle sensitive user data. However, applications that integrate this library will likely handle various types of data, including potentially sensitive text data entered by users (e.g., messages, personal information, documents). The sensitivity of this data depends entirely on the context of the consuming application and its purpose. The library should be designed and built in a way that does not introduce vulnerabilities that could compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of data handled by consuming applications.

QUESTIONS & ASSUMPTIONS

BUSINESS POSTURE:

  • Assumption: Slack intends to maintain this library as a valuable open-source resource for the iOS developer community in the long term.
  • Question: What is the planned long-term support and maintenance strategy for this library, including security updates and bug fixes?

SECURITY POSTURE:

  • Assumption: Basic secure coding practices were followed during the development of this library.
  • Question: Have there been any formal security audits or penetration testing performed on the slacktextviewcontroller library?
  • Question: Is there a documented vulnerability disclosure policy for this project?

DESIGN:

  • Assumption: The library is designed to be modular and minimize its attack surface.
  • Question: What are the external dependencies of this library, and are they actively monitored for security vulnerabilities?
  • Question: Are there any specific security considerations or best practices that developers should be aware of when integrating and using this library in their applications?