attack-tree.md

Attack Tree Analysis for bcit-ci/codeigniter

Objective: To compromise a CodeIgniter application by focusing on high-risk vulnerabilities and weaknesses.

Attack Tree Visualization

High-Risk Attack Sub-Tree:

Attack Goal: Compromise CodeIgniter Application (High-Risk Focus)
    ├───[OR]─ **[HIGH-RISK PATH]** Exploit Configuration Weaknesses
    │   ├───[AND]─ Exposed Debug Mode
    │   │   └─── **[CRITICAL NODE]** Gain Sensitive Information (Path Disclosure, Config Details, Database Queries)
    │   └───[AND]─ Publicly Accessible Writable Directories (Uploads, Cache, Logs)
    │       └─── **[HIGH-RISK PATH]** **[CRITICAL NODE]** File Upload Vulnerabilities, Log Poisoning, Cache Poisoning
    ├───[OR]─ **[HIGH-RISK PATH]** Exploit Insecure Development Practices Enabled by CodeIgniter
    │   ├───[AND]─ **[HIGH-RISK PATH]** Insufficient Input Validation/Sanitization
    │   │   ├─── Lack of Input Validation in Controllers/Models
    │   │   │   └─── **[CRITICAL NODE]** SQL Injection (If Directly Querying without Query Builder Safely)
    │   │   │   └─── **[HIGH-RISK PATH]** **[CRITICAL NODE]** Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) (If Outputting Unescaped User Input)
    │   ├───[AND]─ **[HIGH-RISK PATH]** Insecure File Upload Handling (Developer Error, Not Framework Core Issue)
    │   │   ├─── Lack of File Type/Size/Content Validation
    │   │   │   └─── **[CRITICAL NODE]** Unrestricted File Upload (Malware Upload, Web Shell)
    │   │   ├─── Insecure File Storage Location (Web-Accessible Uploads Directory)
    │   │   │   └─── **[CRITICAL NODE]** Direct Access to Uploaded Files, Web Shell Execution
    │   ├───[AND]─ **[HIGH-RISK PATH]** Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerabilities (View Templating Issues)
    │   │   ├─── Unescaped Output in Views (Using `echo` directly instead of CodeIgniter's output functions)
    │   │   │   └─── **[HIGH-RISK PATH]** **[CRITICAL NODE]** Reflected XSS, Stored XSS

Attack Tree Path: [HIGH-RISK PATH] Exploit Configuration Weaknesses

• Attack Vector: Misconfiguration of the CodeIgniter application or the server environment leading to exposure of sensitive information or unintended functionality.
• Breakdown:
  • Exposed Debug Mode:
    • Vulnerability: Leaving debug mode enabled in production environments.
    • Exploitation: Accessing the CodeIgniter Debug Toolbar/Profiler or encountering verbose error messages.
    • Critical Node: Gain Sensitive Information (Path Disclosure, Config Details, Database Queries):
      • Impact: Disclosure of sensitive paths, configuration details (potentially including database credentials), and database query information. This information can be used for further attacks, including direct database access or exploiting revealed vulnerabilities.
      • Mitigation: Ensure debug mode is disabled in production by setting ENVIRONMENT to production in index.php and config/config.php. Remove or disable any debugging helpers or libraries in production code.
  • Publicly Accessible Writable Directories (Uploads, Cache, Logs):
    • Vulnerability: Incorrect web server configuration or file permissions allowing public access to writable directories like writable/uploads, writable/cache, or writable/logs.
    • Exploitation: Directly accessing these directories via web browser or crafting requests to interact with files within them.
    • High-Risk Path & Critical Node: File Upload Vulnerabilities, Log Poisoning, Cache Poisoning:
      • Impact:
        • File Upload Vulnerabilities: If the uploads directory is publicly writable and executable scripts can be uploaded, attackers can upload web shells and gain Remote Code Execution (RCE).
        • Log Poisoning: If logs are publicly writable, attackers can inject malicious entries into logs, potentially misleading administrators or exploiting log analysis tools.
        • Cache Poisoning: If the cache directory is publicly writable, attackers might be able to manipulate cached data, leading to application malfunction or data manipulation.
      • Mitigation:
        • Configure the web server to prevent direct access to writable directory and its subdirectories from the web.
        • Ensure proper file permissions are set on writable directories, restricting web server user write access only where necessary and preventing public access.

Attack Tree Path: [HIGH-RISK PATH] Exploit Insecure Development Practices Enabled by CodeIgniter

• Attack Vector: Vulnerabilities introduced due to common insecure coding practices by developers when building CodeIgniter applications.
• Breakdown:
  • [HIGH-RISK PATH] Insufficient Input Validation/Sanitization:
    • Vulnerability: Failure to properly validate and sanitize user inputs before processing them within the application.
    • Exploitation: Injecting malicious payloads into input fields to exploit vulnerabilities.
    • Lack of Input Validation in Controllers/Models:
      • Critical Node: SQL Injection (If Directly Querying without Query Builder Safely):
        • Impact: Attackers can execute arbitrary SQL queries against the database, leading to data breaches, data modification, or complete database takeover.
        • Mitigation: Always use CodeIgniter's Query Builder for database interactions. If direct queries are absolutely necessary, use parameterized queries or prepared statements to prevent SQL injection. Validate all user inputs against expected formats and types.
      • High-Risk Path & Critical Node: Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) (If Outputting Unescaped User Input):
        • Impact: Attackers can inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, leading to session hijacking, account takeover, defacement, or information theft.
        • Mitigation: Always escape user-generated content before displaying it in views. Use CodeIgniter's html_escape() function or templating engine features to automatically escape output. Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) to further mitigate XSS risks.
  • [HIGH-RISK PATH] Insecure File Upload Handling (Developer Error, Not Framework Core Issue):
    • Vulnerability: Improper handling of file uploads, allowing attackers to upload malicious files.
    • Exploitation: Uploading files that can be executed by the web server or that can cause harm when accessed.
    • Lack of File Type/Size/Content Validation:
      • Critical Node: Unrestricted File Upload (Malware Upload, Web Shell):
        • Impact: Attackers can upload web shells (e.g., PHP scripts) and gain Remote Code Execution (RCE) on the server, leading to complete system compromise. Malware can also be uploaded and potentially spread.
        • Mitigation: Implement strict file upload validation:
          • Validate file type based on file extension and MIME type (using functions like mime_content_type and checking against a whitelist).
          • Validate file size to prevent denial-of-service attacks and storage exhaustion.
          • Validate file content (e.g., using antivirus scanning or content analysis libraries).
    • Insecure File Storage Location (Web-Accessible Uploads Directory):
      • Critical Node: Direct Access to Uploaded Files, Web Shell Execution:
        • Impact: If uploaded files are stored in a publicly accessible directory and can be executed by the web server (e.g., PHP files in a PHP-enabled directory), attackers can directly access and execute uploaded web shells, gaining RCE.
        • Mitigation: Store uploaded files outside the web root (document root) if possible. If they must be within the web root, prevent direct execution of scripts in the uploads directory (e.g., using .htaccess rules or web server configuration). Generate unique, non-predictable filenames for uploaded files.
  • [HIGH-RISK PATH] Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerabilities (View Templating Issues):
    • Vulnerability: Developers directly outputting user input in views without proper escaping, especially when using raw PHP echo statements instead of CodeIgniter's templating features or escaping functions.
    • Exploitation: Injecting malicious scripts into user input that is then displayed on the page without sanitization.
    • High-Risk Path & Critical Node: Reflected XSS, Stored XSS:
      • Impact: Similar to general XSS, attackers can hijack sessions, steal credentials, deface websites, and perform other malicious actions on behalf of users.
      • Mitigation: Avoid using raw echo for outputting user input in views. Utilize CodeIgniter's templating engine and ensure all user-generated content is properly escaped using html_escape() or equivalent functions before being displayed. Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) to provide an additional layer of defense against XSS.