Attack Surface Analysis for coollabsio/coolify

Attack Surface: 1. API Key/Token Compromise (Due to Coolify's Handling)

Description: Exposure or misuse of API keys/tokens due to vulnerabilities in how Coolify stores, manages, or transmits them. This is distinct from accidental user exposure.
How Coolify Contributes: Coolify is responsible for securely storing and using these keys. Vulnerabilities in this process are the direct risk.
Example: A vulnerability in Coolify's database encryption allows an attacker to extract API keys stored by Coolify. Or, a flaw in Coolify's UI exposes API keys in the browser's developer tools.
Impact: Unauthorized access to cloud resources, data breaches, financial losses, reputational damage.
Risk Severity: High to Critical (depending on the permissions of the compromised key)
Mitigation Strategies:
- Developers: Implement strong encryption at rest for all sensitive data, including API keys. Use secure key management practices. Ensure API keys are never exposed in client-side code or logs. Implement robust input validation and output encoding to prevent injection vulnerabilities that could lead to key exposure. Regularly audit code related to secret handling.

Description: Exploiting vulnerabilities in Coolify's own role-based access control (RBAC) or insecure direct object references (IDOR) to gain unauthorized access to Coolify's resources and functionality.
How Coolify Contributes: This is a direct vulnerability in Coolify's authorization logic.
Example: A user with limited permissions within Coolify discovers they can access or modify Coolify's internal settings or other users' configurations by manipulating URLs or API requests.
Impact: Unauthorized access to or modification of Coolify's internal data and configuration, potential for privilege escalation within Coolify, leading to broader compromise.
Risk Severity: High
Mitigation Strategies:
- Developers: Implement robust RBAC with thorough validation of user permissions for every Coolify resource and API endpoint. Avoid using predictable resource identifiers. Use UUIDs instead of sequential IDs. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing specifically targeting Coolify's internal authorization mechanisms.

Description: Exploiting known vulnerabilities in Coolify's direct dependencies (Node.js packages, etc.) to compromise the Coolify application itself.
How Coolify Contributes: Coolify's choice and management of dependencies directly impact its security.
Example: A critical vulnerability is discovered in a Node.js package used by Coolify for handling user authentication. An attacker exploits this vulnerability to bypass authentication and gain access to the Coolify dashboard.
Impact: Remote code execution, data breaches, complete compromise of the Coolify instance.
Risk Severity: High to Critical (depending on the vulnerability)
Mitigation Strategies:
- Developers: Regularly update Coolify's dependencies to the latest secure versions. Use dependency scanning tools (e.g., npm audit, snyk) continuously as part of the CI/CD pipeline. Carefully vet new dependencies before integrating them. Maintain a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM).

Description: Tricking Coolify's own code into making requests to internal or external systems on behalf of the attacker.
How Coolify Contributes: This is a vulnerability in how Coolify handles user-supplied URLs or network requests within its own features.
Example: A feature within Coolify that allows users to specify a URL for a webhook is vulnerable to SSRF. An attacker uses this to probe internal network resources or access metadata services of the cloud provider.
Impact: Access to internal systems, data exfiltration, potential for further attacks, including against systems not directly managed by Coolify.
Risk Severity: High
Mitigation Strategies:
- Developers: Strictly validate and sanitize all user-supplied URLs within Coolify's code. Use a whitelist of allowed domains or IP addresses if possible. Avoid making requests to internal network addresses from user-provided input. Use a dedicated network for outbound requests initiated by Coolify, with limited access to internal resources.

Description: Exploiting a bug in Coolify's own codebase to execute arbitrary code on the server running Coolify.
How Coolify Contributes: This is a direct vulnerability within Coolify's code, representing the highest level of direct risk.
Example: A flaw in how Coolify processes user input when creating a new application allows an attacker to inject malicious code that is then executed by the Coolify server.
Impact: Complete compromise of the Coolify server, data theft, system destruction, potential for lateral movement.
Risk Severity: Critical
Mitigation Strategies:
- Developers: Conduct thorough code reviews and security testing, focusing on input validation, output encoding, and secure handling of user data. Use static analysis tools to identify potential vulnerabilities. Implement a robust bug bounty program. Follow secure coding practices rigorously.

Description: Injecting malicious Git commands through user-supplied input that Coolify processes.
How Coolify Contributes: Coolify's internal handling of Git operations is vulnerable if user input is not properly sanitized.
Example: An attacker provides a specially crafted repository URL or branch name that, when processed by Coolify's internal Git logic, executes arbitrary commands on the server.
Impact: Remote code execution on the Coolify server, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
Risk Severity: Critical
Mitigation Strategies:
- Developers: Never construct Git commands by directly concatenating user input. Use parameterized Git libraries or APIs that prevent command injection. Implement strict input validation to ensure that only allowed characters and patterns are used in repository URLs, branch names, and any other user-supplied data used in Git operations. Regularly audit all code that interacts with Git.