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Okay, let's create a design document for the Cachet project, focusing on aspects relevant for threat modeling.

BUSINESS POSTURE

Cachet is an open-source status page system. It allows organizations to communicate service status to their users, reducing support load and improving transparency during incidents.

Priorities and Goals:

  • Provide a clear and reliable communication channel for service status.
  • Reduce the volume of support requests during incidents.
  • Improve user trust and transparency.
  • Offer a customizable and extensible platform.
  • Maintain a simple and easy-to-use interface.
  • Ensure high availability and performance of the status page.

Business Risks:

  • Availability: The status page itself becoming unavailable would be highly detrimental, potentially exacerbating user frustration during an actual service outage.
  • Integrity: Unauthorized modification of the status page (e.g., displaying false information) could damage the organization's reputation and mislead users.
  • Confidentiality: While most status information is public, sensitive data (e.g., internal server names, detailed error messages) could be leaked through misconfiguration or vulnerabilities.
  • Reputation: A poorly maintained or insecure status page reflects badly on the organization, undermining the very trust it's meant to build.
  • Compliance: Depending on the organization and the services it provides, there might be compliance requirements related to incident reporting and communication.

SECURITY POSTURE

Existing Security Controls (based on reviewing the repository and documentation):

  • security control: Authentication: Cachet uses user accounts and passwords for administrative access. Implementation: Laravel's built-in authentication features.
  • security control: Authorization: Cachet has role-based access control (RBAC) to manage permissions for different user roles (e.g., administrator, manager, viewer). Implementation: Laravel's authorization features, likely using policies or gates.
  • security control: Input Validation: Cachet uses Laravel's validation rules to validate user input and prevent common vulnerabilities like cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection. Implementation: Laravel's validation framework.
  • security control: CSRF Protection: Cachet utilizes CSRF tokens to protect against cross-site request forgery attacks. Implementation: Laravel's built-in CSRF protection middleware.
  • security control: Rate Limiting: Cachet likely implements rate limiting to prevent abuse and brute-force attacks. Implementation: Laravel's rate limiting features.
  • security control: Configuration Management: Cachet uses environment variables (.env file) for sensitive configuration settings, keeping them out of the codebase.
  • security control: Dependency Management: Cachet uses Composer for dependency management, allowing for tracking and updating of third-party libraries.
  • security control: Database Security: Cachet supports multiple database systems (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite) and encourages using secure database configurations.
  • security control: Session Management: Cachet uses secure session management practices. Implementation: Laravel's session handling.

Accepted Risks:

  • accepted risk: The project relies heavily on the security of the underlying Laravel framework and its dependencies. Vulnerabilities in these components could impact Cachet's security.
  • accepted risk: The security of the deployment environment (server, network, etc.) is outside the direct control of the Cachet application itself.
  • accepted risk: The effectiveness of security controls depends heavily on proper configuration by the administrator. Misconfiguration could lead to vulnerabilities.
  • accepted risk: While Cachet provides basic user roles, more granular permission control might be needed for larger organizations.

Recommended Security Controls:

  • Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) to mitigate XSS and data injection attacks.
  • Enable HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) to enforce HTTPS connections.
  • Implement Subresource Integrity (SRI) for included scripts and stylesheets to prevent tampering.
  • Regularly audit dependencies for known vulnerabilities using tools like Composer audit or Snyk.
  • Consider implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to provide an additional layer of protection against common web attacks.
  • Implement robust logging and monitoring to detect and respond to security incidents.
  • Provide security hardening guidelines in the documentation, covering topics like server configuration, database security, and network security.
  • Implement two-factor authentication (2FA) for administrative accounts.

Security Requirements:

  • Authentication:
    • All administrative actions must require authentication.
    • Strong password policies must be enforced.
    • Support for 2FA should be considered.
  • Authorization:
    • Access to resources and actions must be controlled based on user roles.
    • The principle of least privilege should be applied.
  • Input Validation:
    • All user-supplied input must be validated before being processed or stored.
    • Validation rules should be strict and specific to the expected data type.
    • Output encoding should be used to prevent XSS.
  • Cryptography:
    • Sensitive data (e.g., passwords) must be stored securely using strong hashing algorithms.
    • HTTPS must be enforced for all communication.
    • API keys and other secrets must be managed securely.

DESIGN

C4 CONTEXT

graph LR
    subgraph Cachet System
        Cachet["Cachet Status Page"]
    end
    User(("User"))
    Administrator(("Administrator"))
    ThirdPartyService(("Third-Party Service\n(Monitoring, Metrics)"))
    EmailService(("Email Service\n(Notifications)"))

    User -- "Views status" --> Cachet
    Administrator -- "Manages status,\nconfigures system" --> Cachet
    ThirdPartyService -- "Provides metrics\nand incident data" --> Cachet
    Cachet -- "Sends notifications" --> EmailService
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Context Diagram Element List:

  • Element:

    • Name: User
    • Type: Person
    • Description: A person who views the status page to check the status of services.
    • Responsibilities: View service status, subscribe to updates.
    • Security controls: None (from the perspective of the Cachet system).
  • Element:

    • Name: Administrator
    • Type: Person
    • Description: A person who manages the Cachet instance, configures settings, and updates status information.
    • Responsibilities: Manage incidents, components, metrics, users, and system settings.
    • Security controls: Authentication, Authorization, Rate Limiting, CSRF Protection.
  • Element:

    • Name: Third-Party Service
    • Type: External System
    • Description: An external service that provides monitoring data or metrics to Cachet, often via an API.
    • Responsibilities: Provide real-time or historical data about service status.
    • Security controls: API Authentication (e.g., API keys, OAuth), Input Validation.
  • Element:

    • Name: Email Service
    • Type: External System
    • Description: An external service used by Cachet to send email notifications to subscribers.
    • Responsibilities: Deliver email messages.
    • Security controls: Secure communication (TLS), API Authentication (if applicable).
  • Element:

    • Name: Cachet Status Page
    • Type: Software System
    • Description: The Cachet application itself, providing the status page functionality.
    • Responsibilities: Display service status, manage incidents, handle subscriptions, provide an API.
    • Security controls: Authentication, Authorization, Input Validation, CSRF Protection, Rate Limiting, Session Management.

C4 CONTAINER

graph LR
    subgraph Cachet System
        WebServer["Web Server\n(Nginx, Apache)"]
        CachetApp["Cachet Application\n(Laravel/PHP)"]
        Database["Database\n(MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite)"]
        Cache["Cache\n(Redis, Memcached)"]

        WebServer -- "Handles requests" --> CachetApp
        CachetApp -- "Reads/Writes data" --> Database
        CachetApp -- "Stores/Retrieves data" --> Cache
    end
        User(("User"))
    Administrator(("Administrator"))
    ThirdPartyService(("Third-Party Service\n(Monitoring, Metrics)"))
    EmailService(("Email Service\n(Notifications)"))

    User -- "Views status" --> WebServer
    Administrator -- "Manages status,\nconfigures system" --> WebServer
    ThirdPartyService -- "Provides metrics\nand incident data" --> WebServer
    CachetApp -- "Sends notifications" --> EmailService
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Container Diagram Element List:

  • Element:

    • Name: Web Server
    • Type: Web Server
    • Description: Handles incoming HTTP requests and serves the Cachet application.
    • Responsibilities: Serve static content, proxy requests to the Cachet application, handle SSL/TLS termination.
    • Security controls: HTTPS configuration, WAF (if applicable), access controls.
  • Element:

    • Name: Cachet Application
    • Type: Web Application
    • Description: The core Cachet application logic, built with Laravel/PHP.
    • Responsibilities: Handle user requests, manage data, interact with the database and cache, provide the API.
    • Security controls: Authentication, Authorization, Input Validation, CSRF Protection, Rate Limiting, Session Management.
  • Element:

    • Name: Database
    • Type: Database
    • Description: Stores persistent data for Cachet, such as incidents, components, metrics, and users.
    • Responsibilities: Store and retrieve data.
    • Security controls: Database user authentication, access controls, encryption (if applicable).
  • Element:

    • Name: Cache
    • Type: Cache
    • Description: Stores frequently accessed data to improve performance.
    • Responsibilities: Store and retrieve cached data.
    • Security controls: Access controls, authentication (if applicable).
  • Element:

    • Name: User
    • Type: Person
    • Description: A person who views the status page to check the status of services.
    • Responsibilities: View service status, subscribe to updates.
    • Security controls: None (from the perspective of the Cachet system).
  • Element:

    • Name: Administrator
    • Type: Person
    • Description: A person who manages the Cachet instance, configures settings, and updates status information.
    • Responsibilities: Manage incidents, components, metrics, users, and system settings.
    • Security controls: Authentication, Authorization, Rate Limiting, CSRF Protection.
  • Element:

    • Name: Third-Party Service
    • Type: External System
    • Description: An external service that provides monitoring data or metrics to Cachet, often via an API.
    • Responsibilities: Provide real-time or historical data about service status.
    • Security controls: API Authentication (e.g., API keys, OAuth), Input Validation.
  • Element:

    • Name: Email Service
    • Type: External System
    • Description: An external service used by Cachet to send email notifications to subscribers.
    • Responsibilities: Deliver email messages.
    • Security controls: Secure communication (TLS), API Authentication (if applicable).

DEPLOYMENT

Possible Deployment Solutions:

  1. Traditional LAMP/LEMP stack on a single server.
  2. Docker-based deployment using Docker Compose.
  3. Cloud-based deployment using services like AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure.
  4. Kubernetes-based deployment.

Chosen Solution (for detailed description): Docker-based deployment using Docker Compose. This is a common and relatively straightforward approach for deploying Cachet.

graph LR
    subgraph Docker Host
        subgraph cachet_network
            cachet_app["Cachet App Container"]
            cachet_db["Database Container\n(MySQL/Postgres)"]
            cachet_cache["Cache Container\n(Redis)"]
        end
    end
    Internet(("Internet"))
    ReverseProxy["Reverse Proxy\n(Nginx, Traefik)"]

    Internet -- "HTTPS" --> ReverseProxy
    ReverseProxy -- "HTTP" --> cachet_app
    cachet_app -- "" --> cachet_db
    cachet_app -- "" --> cachet_cache

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Deployment Diagram Element List:

  • Element:

    • Name: Docker Host
    • Type: Server
    • Description: The physical or virtual server that runs the Docker engine.
    • Responsibilities: Host and run the Docker containers.
    • Security controls: Server hardening, firewall, intrusion detection/prevention system.
  • Element:

    • Name: cachet_network
    • Type: Network
    • Description: Docker network.
    • Responsibilities: Connect containers.
    • Security controls: Network isolation.
  • Element:

    • Name: Cachet App Container
    • Type: Docker Container
    • Description: The container running the Cachet application code.
    • Responsibilities: Execute the application logic.
    • Security controls: Minimal base image, non-root user, read-only filesystem (where possible).
  • Element:

    • Name: Database Container
    • Type: Docker Container
    • Description: The container running the database server (MySQL or PostgreSQL).
    • Responsibilities: Store and manage persistent data.
    • Security controls: Secure configuration, strong passwords, limited network access.
  • Element:

    • Name: Cache Container
    • Type: Docker Container
    • Description: The container running the caching server (Redis).
    • Responsibilities: Store and manage cached data.
    • Security controls: Secure configuration, strong passwords (if applicable), limited network access.
  • Element:

    • Name: Internet
    • Type: External
    • Description: External network.
    • Responsibilities: Provide access to application.
    • Security controls: N/A.
  • Element:

    • Name: Reverse Proxy
    • Type: Software
    • Description: Software that provide access to application from external network.
    • Responsibilities: Provide access to application.
    • Security controls: Firewall, WAF.

BUILD

Cachet's build process involves several steps, leveraging Composer for dependency management and Laravel's asset compilation tools. While the repository doesn't include a dedicated CI/CD pipeline configuration (like GitHub Actions), a typical build process would look like this:

graph LR
    Developer(("Developer"))
    SourceCode["Source Code\n(GitHub)"]
    Composer["Composer\n(Dependency Management)"]
    NodeJS["Node.js/npm\n(Asset Compilation)"]
    BuildServer["Build Server\n(CI/CD - e.g., GitHub Actions)"]
    Artifacts["Build Artifacts\n(Compiled Code, Assets)"]

    Developer -- "Commits code" --> SourceCode
    SourceCode -- "Trigger build" --> BuildServer
    BuildServer -- "Fetches dependencies" --> Composer
    BuildServer -- "Compiles assets" --> NodeJS
    BuildServer -- "Packages application" --> Artifacts
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Build Process Description:

  1. Development: Developers write code and commit changes to the GitHub repository.
  2. Trigger: A commit or pull request triggers the build process (ideally on a CI/CD server).
  3. Dependency Management: Composer is used to install PHP dependencies.
    • Security Control: Composer.lock file ensures consistent dependency versions.
    • Security Control: Regular auditing of dependencies for known vulnerabilities (e.g., using Composer audit or Snyk).
  4. Asset Compilation: Node.js and npm (or Yarn) are used to compile frontend assets (JavaScript, CSS).
    • Security Control: Using pinned versions of npm packages.
    • Security Control: Auditing npm dependencies for vulnerabilities.
  5. Testing: Automated tests (unit tests, integration tests) are executed.
    • Security Control: Test coverage helps identify potential security flaws.
  6. Packaging: The application code, dependencies, and compiled assets are packaged into a deployable artifact.
  7. Artifact Storage: The build artifacts are stored in a repository (e.g., Docker Hub, a private registry).
    • Security Control: SAST tools.
    • Security Control: SCA tools.
    • Security Control: Linters.

RISK ASSESSMENT

Critical Business Processes:

  • Incident Communication: The primary business process is communicating service status to users during incidents. Failure of this process leads to user frustration and potential reputational damage.
  • Service Monitoring Integration: The ability to integrate with monitoring tools to automatically update status is crucial for timely and accurate information.
  • System Administration: Maintaining and updating the Cachet system itself is a critical process to ensure its continued availability and security.

Data Sensitivity:

  • Incident Data: Information about service outages, including descriptions, timelines, and updates. Sensitivity: Generally low, but could contain sensitive details if not carefully managed.
  • Component Data: Information about the services being monitored. Sensitivity: Generally low.
  • Metric Data: Performance metrics and graphs. Sensitivity: Generally low, but could reveal internal infrastructure details.
  • User Data: Information about Cachet users (administrators, subscribers). Sensitivity: Potentially high, especially for subscriber email addresses. Requires protection under privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR).
  • Configuration Data: System settings, API keys, database credentials. Sensitivity: High. Must be protected from unauthorized access.

QUESTIONS & ASSUMPTIONS

Questions:

  • Are there any specific compliance requirements (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA) that apply to the organization using Cachet?
  • What is the expected scale of the deployment (number of users, number of services monitored)?
  • What are the existing monitoring and alerting systems in place?
  • What is the organization's tolerance for downtime of the status page?
  • Are there any specific security policies or guidelines that need to be followed?
  • What level of support is available for the underlying infrastructure (server, network)?

Assumptions:

  • BUSINESS POSTURE: The organization values transparency and communication with its users.
  • BUSINESS POSTURE: The organization has a basic understanding of IT operations and security.
  • SECURITY POSTURE: The deployment environment will be reasonably secure (e.g., firewall, basic server hardening).
  • SECURITY POSTURE: The administrators will follow best practices for securing the Cachet installation.
  • DESIGN: The Docker-based deployment model is suitable for the organization's needs.
  • DESIGN: The default security settings in Cachet and Laravel provide a reasonable baseline level of security.
  • DESIGN: Third-party integrations will use secure API communication (HTTPS).