Attack Surface: Reliance on Client-Side Network State for Security Decisions
- Description: Applications incorrectly depend solely on the reachability status reported by the library to make security-sensitive decisions, such as disabling critical security features when "not reachable" is detected.
- Reachability Contribution: The library provides the network reachability status, which the application then uses as a direct input for security logic. This direct dependency creates a vulnerability if the reachability status is manipulated or misinterpreted.
- Example: An application disables certificate pinning or downgrades to HTTP communication when reachability to a specific server is reported as "not reachable," under the assumption that the server is offline. An attacker on the local network could then manipulate the reachability status (e.g., through DNS poisoning or ARP spoofing) to appear as "not reachable" even when the server is online. This allows the attacker to perform a Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack and intercept or modify communication that would otherwise be protected by certificate pinning and HTTPS.
- Impact: Security bypass, complete data interception, unauthorized access to sensitive data and functionalities, potential for account compromise and data manipulation.
- Risk Severity: Critical
- Mitigation Strategies:
- Eliminate Reachability Dependency for Security: Completely decouple security mechanisms from reachability status. Security features like certificate pinning, strong authentication, and encryption should always be enforced regardless of perceived network connectivity.
- Server-Side Security Enforcement: Implement all critical security checks and enforcement on the server-side. Relying on client-side reachability for security decisions is inherently insecure.
- Assume Hostile Network: Design applications to operate securely even in potentially hostile network environments. Never trust the client-side network status for security-critical operations.
- Regular Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing to identify and address any instances where reachability status might be inadvertently influencing security decisions.