Skip to content

Latest commit

 

History

History
44 lines (31 loc) · 6.41 KB

mitigations.md

File metadata and controls

44 lines (31 loc) · 6.41 KB

Mitigation Strategies Analysis for swisspol/gcdwebserver

Mitigation Strategy: Restrict File Access via gcdwebserver Configuration

Description:

  1. Identify a dedicated directory: Choose a specific directory on your server's file system that will exclusively house the files intended to be served by gcdwebserver. This directory should be isolated from sensitive application code, configuration files, and system directories.
  2. Configure gcdwebserver document root: When initializing your GCDWebServer instance, explicitly set its documentRoot property to the path of the dedicated directory identified in the previous step. This configuration parameter dictates the base directory from which gcdwebserver will serve files. Ensure this path is absolute and correctly points to the intended directory.
  3. Avoid serving from application root or sensitive paths: Do not configure gcdwebserver to serve files from the root directory of your application or any directory containing sensitive information. Restrict the documentRoot to the specifically prepared directory for public files.
  4. Review configuration: Regularly review the documentRoot configuration of your gcdwebserver instance to ensure it remains correctly set and prevents access to unintended file system locations.

Threats Mitigated:

  • Path Traversal (Directory Traversal): High Severity - Attackers can potentially access files and directories outside the intended web server root if gcdwebserver is misconfigured to serve from a broader directory than intended. This could lead to exposure of sensitive data, configuration files, or even system files.

Impact:

  • Path Traversal: High Reduction - By correctly configuring the documentRoot, you directly limit gcdwebserver's file serving scope, effectively preventing path traversal attacks originating from requests handled by gcdwebserver's static file serving capabilities.

Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. A dedicated directory is used for uploaded files, but the documentRoot configuration of gcdwebserver might not be explicitly set or reviewed to ensure it's strictly limited to this directory and no broader paths are inadvertently accessible.

Missing Implementation: Explicitly set and verify the documentRoot property of the GCDWebServer instance in the application's initialization code. Regularly review this configuration as part of security checks. Ensure no default or overly permissive documentRoot is being used.

Mitigation Strategy: Enable and Enforce HTTPS using gcdwebserver SSL/TLS Configuration

Description:

  1. Obtain SSL/TLS Certificate: Acquire an SSL/TLS certificate for the domain or hostname your application will be accessed through. This certificate is essential for enabling HTTPS encryption.
  2. Configure gcdwebserver for SSL/TLS: Utilize gcdwebserver's capabilities to configure SSL/TLS. This typically involves:
    • Providing Certificate and Key: Specify the path to your SSL/TLS certificate file (e.g., in .pem format) and the corresponding private key file when initializing or configuring gcdwebserver. Refer to gcdwebserver documentation for the specific configuration methods (likely involving setting properties on the GCDWebServer instance or using configuration options).
    • Enabling HTTPS Listener: Ensure that gcdwebserver is configured to listen for HTTPS connections on the standard HTTPS port (443) or a custom port if needed. This might involve specifying the protocol scheme (e.g., "https") and port during server initialization.
  3. Verify HTTPS is active: After configuring SSL/TLS, thoroughly test your application to confirm that it is accessible via HTTPS and that the connection is properly encrypted. Use browser developer tools or online SSL checkers to verify the certificate and encryption details.
  4. (Application Level) Redirect HTTP to HTTPS: While not directly gcdwebserver configuration, at the application level (potentially within your request handling logic or using a separate component), implement redirects to automatically forward all incoming HTTP requests (port 80) to their HTTPS equivalents (port 443). This ensures users are always directed to the secure HTTPS version of your application.

Threats Mitigated:

  • Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks: High Severity - Without HTTPS, communication between the client and server is unencrypted, making it vulnerable to eavesdropping and manipulation by attackers positioned in the network path.
  • Data Eavesdropping: High Severity - Sensitive data transmitted over HTTP (e.g., login credentials, personal information) can be intercepted and read by attackers.
  • Protocol Downgrade Attacks: Medium Severity - Attackers might attempt to force users to connect over insecure HTTP even if HTTPS is available.

Impact:

  • MitM Attacks: High Reduction - Enabling HTTPS with proper SSL/TLS configuration in gcdwebserver provides strong encryption, making MitM attacks significantly more difficult and costly for attackers.
  • Data Eavesdropping: High Reduction - HTTPS encrypts data in transit, protecting the confidentiality of sensitive information exchanged between the client and server via gcdwebserver.
  • Protocol Downgrade Attacks: Medium Reduction - While gcdwebserver configuration itself doesn't directly prevent downgrade attacks, enabling HTTPS is the fundamental step. Application-level HTTP to HTTPS redirection and HSTS headers (though not directly gcdwebserver configuration) further strengthen protection against downgrade attempts.

Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. HTTPS might be enabled for some parts of the application, but consistent enforcement and proper gcdwebserver SSL/TLS configuration across all endpoints served by gcdwebserver might be missing. HTTP to HTTPS redirection is likely not fully implemented in conjunction with gcdwebserver.

Missing Implementation: Fully configure gcdwebserver with valid SSL/TLS certificates and ensure HTTPS is enabled for all services provided through it. Implement application-level HTTP to HTTPS redirection to guarantee secure connections. Verify the correct SSL/TLS configuration of gcdwebserver and test HTTPS access thoroughly.