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Attack Tree Analysis for filp/whoops

Objective: Compromise application using Whoops by exploiting its weaknesses.

Attack Tree Visualization

Attack Goal: Compromise Application via Whoops

└───[OR]─> [HIGH-RISK PATH] Exploit Information Leakage via Whoops Error Pages │ └───[OR]─> Access Whoops Error Page in Production Environment │ │ └───[OR]─> Trigger Application Error to Invoke Whoops │ │ │ └───[OR]─> Provide Invalid Input to Application │ │ │ └───[OR]─> Force Application Error │ │ │ └───[OR]─> Exploit Known Application Vulnerability to Trigger Error │ │ │ │ │ └───[AND]─> [CRITICAL NODE] Whoops Enabled in Production (Misconfiguration) │ │ │ └───[OR]─> Access Whoops Error Page in Production Environment (Overall for this branch) │ └───[OR]─> [HIGH-RISK PATH] Extract Sensitive Information from Whoops Error Details │ └───[OR]─> File Path Disclosure │ └───[OR]─> Code Snippet Disclosure │ └───[OR]─> Environment Variable Disclosure (Less Likely, but Possible) │ └───[OR]─> Database Information Disclosure (Indirectly via Error Messages) │ └───[OR]─> Extract Sensitive Information from Whoops Error Details (Overall for this branch)

Attack Tree Path: Whoops Enabled in Production (Misconfiguration)

  • Attack Vector:

    • Misconfiguration during deployment: Developers or operations teams may accidentally deploy the application with Whoops enabled in the production environment. This is often due to incorrect environment variable settings, configuration file errors, or oversight in the deployment process.
    • Social Engineering (Indirect): An attacker might socially engineer a developer or administrator into enabling Whoops in production under the guise of debugging or troubleshooting, without understanding the security implications.

  • Consequences:

    • This misconfiguration is the fundamental enabler for all information leakage attacks via Whoops. If Whoops is not enabled in production, these attack paths are largely blocked.
    • It significantly increases the attack surface of the application by exposing detailed error information to potential attackers.

  • Mitigation:

    • Strictly disable Whoops in production environments: Ensure application configuration (e.g., environment variables, configuration files) is correctly set to disable Whoops when deployed to production.
    • Automated Configuration Checks: Implement automated checks in the deployment pipeline to verify that Whoops is disabled in production configurations before deployment.
    • Principle of Least Privilege: Limit access to production configuration settings to authorized personnel only.
    • Developer Training: Educate developers about the critical security risk of enabling Whoops in production and proper configuration management.

Attack Tree Path: Exploit Information Leakage via Whoops Error Pages

  • Attack Vectors:

    • Triggering Application Errors via Invalid Input:
      • SQL Injection: Injecting malicious SQL code into input fields or parameters to cause database errors that are displayed by Whoops.
      • Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): Injecting malicious scripts into input fields to trigger JavaScript errors or server-side errors related to XSS handling, which Whoops might display.
      • File Path Manipulation/Traversal: Providing invalid file paths in input fields or URLs to cause file system errors that Whoops will handle.
      • Invalid Data Types/Formats: Sending unexpected data types or formats to API endpoints or form fields to trigger application logic errors.
    • Forcing Application Errors via Resource Access:
      • Accessing Non-existent URLs (404 Errors): While less informative, repeated 404 errors might reveal application structure and endpoints to an attacker.
      • Accessing Protected Resources without Authentication/Authorization: Attempting to access resources that require authentication or specific roles, potentially triggering errors related to access control that Whoops might display.
      • Triggering Logic Errors: Crafting requests that exploit application logic flaws to cause unexpected errors and exceptions.
    • Exploiting Known Application Vulnerabilities to Trigger Errors:
      • Leveraging existing vulnerabilities in the application code (e.g., outdated libraries, custom code flaws) to trigger exceptions that are then handled and displayed by Whoops. This could be any type of vulnerability that leads to an error condition.

  • Consequences:

    • Successful exploitation leads to the display of Whoops error pages in the production environment.
    • This exposes sensitive information embedded within the error details, as described in the next high-risk path.

  • Mitigation:

    • Disable Whoops in Production (Primary Mitigation - as mentioned above).
    • Robust Input Validation and Sanitization: Implement strong input validation and sanitization on all application input points to prevent common vulnerabilities that can trigger errors.
    • Secure Coding Practices: Follow secure coding guidelines to minimize application vulnerabilities that could be exploited to cause errors.
    • Regular Security Audits and Penetration Testing: Conduct regular security assessments to identify and remediate application vulnerabilities proactively.
    • Rate Limiting and Error Monitoring: Implement rate limiting to mitigate brute-force attempts to trigger errors and monitor error logs for suspicious patterns.

Attack Tree Path: Extract Sensitive Information from Whoops Error Details

  • Attack Vectors (Information Types Disclosed by Whoops):

    • File Path Disclosure: Whoops displays full file paths of application code involved in errors. Attackers can analyze these paths to understand application structure, identify sensitive files, and potentially locate configuration or credential files.
    • Code Snippet Disclosure: Whoops shows code snippets surrounding the error line. Attackers can analyze these snippets to understand application logic, identify vulnerabilities in the code, and gain insights into algorithms and data handling.
    • Environment Variable Disclosure (Less Likely): In some cases, Whoops might inadvertently display environment variables in the error context. Attackers can look for API keys, database credentials, or other sensitive configuration values exposed in environment variables.
    • Database Information Disclosure (Indirectly): Database error messages displayed by Whoops can reveal database server versions, table names, column names, and potentially hints about database structure, aiding further database attacks.

  • Consequences:

    • Information Leakage: Disclosure of sensitive application details, architecture, code logic, and potentially credentials or configuration data.
    • Increased Attack Surface: Leaked information can be used to plan and execute more targeted and sophisticated attacks against the application.
    • Credential Disclosure: If credentials or API keys are exposed, attackers can gain unauthorized access to application resources, databases, or external services.

  • Mitigation:

    • Disable Whoops in Production (Primary Mitigation - as mentioned above).
    • Generic Error Handling in Production: Replace Whoops in production with a generic error handler that logs errors securely (without revealing details to users) and displays user-friendly, generic error pages.
    • Secure Error Logging: Ensure error logs are stored securely, with restricted access, and are regularly reviewed for security issues and anomalies. Avoid logging sensitive data in error messages.
    • Minimize Sensitive Data in Code and Configuration: Reduce the amount of sensitive information directly embedded in code or configuration files. Use secure configuration management practices and externalize secrets where possible.
    • Regular Security Awareness Training: Educate developers about the risks of information leakage and the importance of secure error handling practices.