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attack-surface.md

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Attack Surface Analysis for cachethq/cachet

Attack Surface: Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerabilities

  • Description: Injection of malicious scripts into CachetHQ status pages or administrative interfaces, viewed by other users or administrators.
  • How CachetHQ Contributes: Insufficient input sanitization within CachetHQ's codebase when handling user-provided data for components, incidents, metrics, custom CSS/JS, and Markdown content. This allows attackers to inject scripts that execute in the browsers of CachetHQ users.
  • Example: An attacker injects malicious JavaScript into an incident update. When administrators or users view this incident on the status page, the script executes, potentially stealing admin session cookies or redirecting them to a phishing site.
  • Impact: Account compromise (especially administrator accounts), unauthorized data access, defacement of the status page, and potential further attacks on users visiting the status page.
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Developers:
      • Implement rigorous input sanitization and output encoding across the CachetHQ codebase for all user-generated content displayed in the application.
      • Utilize a security-focused Markdown rendering library and configure it to prevent XSS attacks.
      • Implement and enforce Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the sources from which browsers can load resources, significantly reducing the impact of XSS.

Attack Surface: SQL Injection Vulnerabilities

  • Description: Exploiting weaknesses in CachetHQ's database queries to inject malicious SQL code, allowing unauthorized database access and manipulation.
  • How CachetHQ Contributes: Vulnerabilities in CachetHQ's custom database queries, especially if not using parameterized queries or proper ORM practices (despite Laravel's Eloquent ORM being used), can lead to SQL injection. This is particularly relevant in features involving dynamic data filtering or custom reporting within CachetHQ.
  • Example: An attacker crafts a malicious input to a CachetHQ feature that uses a vulnerable SQL query. This could allow them to bypass authentication, extract sensitive data like user credentials, modify incident history, or even gain control over the entire CachetHQ database.
  • Impact: Complete data breach, data integrity compromise, data loss, potential full compromise of the CachetHQ application and underlying server infrastructure.
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Developers:
      • Strictly adhere to using parameterized queries or the ORM's query builder (Eloquent in Laravel) throughout the CachetHQ codebase to prevent SQL injection.
      • Conduct thorough code reviews specifically focused on database interactions to identify and eliminate any potential SQL injection points.
      • Implement robust input validation to restrict the format and type of user input that interacts with database queries.
      • Apply the principle of least privilege to the database user CachetHQ uses, limiting its database permissions to only what is absolutely necessary for operation.

Attack Surface: Authentication Bypass and Weak Session Management

  • Description: Circumventing CachetHQ's authentication mechanisms or exploiting weaknesses in its session handling to gain unauthorized administrative access.
  • How CachetHQ Contributes: Flaws in CachetHQ's authentication logic, such as reliance on default credentials that are not enforced to be changed, predictable session token generation, or vulnerabilities like session fixation within CachetHQ's session management implementation.
  • Example: An attacker uses default administrative credentials if they were not changed after CachetHQ installation. Alternatively, they exploit a session fixation vulnerability in CachetHQ to hijack an administrator's session, gaining full administrative control over the status page.
  • Impact: Complete unauthorized administrative access to CachetHQ, allowing manipulation of status information, user accounts, and potentially leading to further system compromise.
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Developers:
      • Eliminate any default administrative credentials in CachetHQ. Enforce a strong password setup process during initial installation.
      • Implement secure session management practices within CachetHQ, including using cryptographically strong session IDs, session ID regeneration after login, and appropriate session timeouts.
      • Implement protections against session fixation attacks by regenerating session IDs upon successful authentication.
      • Enforce strong password policies (complexity, length, expiration) for CachetHQ user accounts.
      • Integrate Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) options for administrator accounts within CachetHQ for enhanced security.
    • Users:
      • Immediately change any default administrative credentials upon deploying CachetHQ.
      • Use strong, unique passwords for all CachetHQ accounts, especially administrator accounts.
      • Enable and enforce Multi-Factor Authentication for all administrator accounts to add an extra layer of security.
      • Regularly audit user accounts and permissions within CachetHQ, removing or restricting access for unnecessary accounts.

Attack Surface: Insecure File Uploads

  • Description: Uploading malicious files through CachetHQ's file upload features, potentially leading to remote code execution on the server.
  • How CachetHQ Contributes: If CachetHQ allows file uploads (e.g., for logos, component images, or attachments) without proper validation and security measures in its file upload handling logic, it becomes vulnerable to malicious file uploads.
  • Example: An attacker uploads a PHP script disguised as a logo image through CachetHQ's administrative interface. If the web server executes PHP files in the upload directory, the attacker can then access this script and execute arbitrary code on the server hosting CachetHQ.
  • Impact: Remote code execution on the server, full server compromise, data breach, defacement of the status page, and potential use of the server for further malicious activities.
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Developers:
      • Implement robust file type validation in CachetHQ based on file content (magic numbers) and not solely on file extensions.
      • Sanitize uploaded filenames to prevent directory traversal vulnerabilities.
      • Store uploaded files outside of the web root directory if feasible, or in a directory with strictly enforced no-execution permissions.
      • Implement file size limits within CachetHQ to prevent potential denial-of-service attacks through excessive file uploads.
    • Users:
      • Keep CachetHQ updated to the latest version to benefit from any security patches related to file uploads.
      • Restrict file upload permissions within CachetHQ to only trusted administrators.
      • Monitor file uploads and server logs for any suspicious activity related to file uploads.

Attack Surface: API Security Vulnerabilities (Authentication & Authorization)

  • Description: Weaknesses in CachetHQ's API authentication and authorization mechanisms, allowing unauthorized access and manipulation of status data and administrative functions via the API.
  • How CachetHQ Contributes: If CachetHQ's API uses weak authentication methods (e.g., API keys exposed in URLs, easily guessable tokens) or lacks proper authorization checks on API endpoints, it can be exploited for unauthorized access.
  • Example: An attacker discovers a weakly generated API key for CachetHQ. They can then use this key to bypass the web interface and directly manipulate component statuses, create incidents, or even access administrative functionalities through the API without proper authorization.
  • Impact: Data breach through API access, unauthorized manipulation of status information leading to misinformation, potential denial of service through API abuse, and unauthorized access to administrative functions.
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Developers:
      • Implement strong API authentication methods within CachetHQ, such as OAuth 2.0 or JWT (JSON Web Tokens), instead of relying on simple API keys in URLs.
      • Enforce strict authorization checks on all API endpoints in CachetHQ to ensure users or API clients can only access resources and actions they are explicitly permitted to.
      • Implement rate limiting on CachetHQ's API endpoints to prevent brute-force attacks on API keys and denial-of-service attempts.
      • Ensure secure storage and transmission of API keys/tokens within CachetHQ (e.g., using HTTPS, environment variables, secure vaults).
      • Provide clear API documentation and versioning for CachetHQ's API to prevent misuse and confusion.
    • Users:
      • Securely manage CachetHQ API keys and tokens, avoiding embedding them in client-side code or public repositories.
      • Always use HTTPS for all communication with the CachetHQ API.
      • Regularly review API access logs for any suspicious or unauthorized activity.