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Attack Surface Analysis for getgrav/grav

Attack Surface: Grav Core Vulnerabilities

  • Description: Security flaws present in the core Grav CMS codebase itself.
  • How Grav Contributes to Attack Surface: Grav's core code, being the foundation of the CMS, inherently introduces potential vulnerabilities. Complex features like routing, templating (Twig), and content handling can contain security flaws.
  • Example: A Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in Grav's routing mechanism allowing unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code on the server. Another example is a Server-Side Template Injection (SSTI) vulnerability in the Twig templating engine within Grav core.
  • Impact: Remote Code Execution (RCE), arbitrary file read/write, Denial of Service (DoS), significant information disclosure, complete website compromise.
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Immediately Apply Security Updates: Prioritize and immediately apply official Grav core security updates as soon as they are released.
    • Proactive Monitoring: Continuously monitor Grav's security channels and advisories for announcements of core vulnerabilities.
    • Web Application Firewall (WAF): Implement and properly configure a WAF to detect and block exploit attempts targeting known Grav core vulnerabilities.

Attack Surface: Plugin and Theme Vulnerabilities

  • Description: Security flaws within third-party plugins and themes installed on a Grav site.
  • How Grav Contributes to Attack Surface: Grav's plugin and theme architecture allows for extensive customization, but also introduces a significant attack surface. Plugins and themes, often from community developers, may contain vulnerabilities due to insecure coding practices or lack of security review. Grav's design allows these extensions to execute code within the application context, inheriting Grav's permissions.
  • Example: A popular Grav plugin vulnerable to arbitrary file upload, allowing attackers to upload and execute malicious PHP code. A theme with a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability that can be exploited to inject malicious JavaScript into admin sessions.
  • Impact: Remote Code Execution (RCE), arbitrary file read/write, Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) leading to admin account takeover, significant data breaches, website defacement, complete website compromise.
  • Risk Severity: High to Critical (Critical if RCE or admin takeover is possible, High for data breaches or significant defacement).
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Prioritize Trusted Sources: Install plugins and themes only from the official Grav repository or highly reputable and established developers.
    • Vigilant Updates: Maintain a strict update schedule for all installed plugins and themes. Security updates are crucial.
    • Minimize Extensions: Reduce the attack surface by installing only essential plugins and themes. Uninstall or disable any unused extensions.
    • Security-Focused Selection: Before installing, research plugins and themes for known security issues or developer reputation. Check for recent updates and security patches.

Attack Surface: Admin Panel Security

  • Description: Vulnerabilities and weaknesses related to the Grav Admin Panel, which provides privileged access for website management.
  • How Grav Contributes to Attack Surface: The Grav Admin Panel is a critical component that, if compromised, grants full control over the website. Vulnerabilities in the Admin Panel code itself, or weak security practices surrounding its access, directly expose Grav to high-severity attacks.
  • Example: A Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Grav Admin Panel allowing an attacker to perform administrative actions if an admin user is tricked into clicking a malicious link. Brute-force attacks targeting weak admin passwords leading to account takeover.
  • Impact: Full website compromise, complete content manipulation, data theft (including user data and potentially sensitive system information), website defacement, administrative account takeover, potential for further server compromise.
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Enforce Strong Passwords & 2FA: Mandate strong, unique passwords for all admin accounts and strictly enforce Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for all admin logins.
    • Regular Updates: Keep Grav core and Admin Panel components updated to patch any identified vulnerabilities.
    • Restrict Access: Limit Admin Panel access to trusted IP addresses or networks if feasible.
    • Rate Limiting & Account Lockout: Implement robust rate limiting and account lockout mechanisms to prevent brute-force login attempts.
    • Regular Security Audits: Periodically audit admin user accounts, permissions, and security configurations.

Attack Surface: File System Permissions and Access Control (Grav Specific)

  • Description: Security risks arising from incorrect file system permissions and access control configurations specifically within Grav's directory structure.
  • How Grav Contributes to Attack Surface: As a flat-file CMS, Grav's security is intrinsically linked to file system security. Incorrect permissions on Grav's directories (like user/, config/, plugins/, themes/) can directly lead to critical vulnerabilities. Grav's reliance on file-based content and configuration makes proper file system security paramount.
  • Example: World-writable permissions on the user/plugins/ directory allowing attackers to upload and execute malicious plugins. Incorrect permissions on config/system.yaml allowing unauthorized modification of critical Grav settings.
  • Impact: Arbitrary file read/write, Remote Code Execution (RCE), website defacement, data theft, Denial of Service (DoS), complete website and potentially server compromise.
  • Risk Severity: High to Critical (Critical if RCE is easily achievable, High for data breaches and defacement).
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Strict File Permissions: Implement and enforce strict file system permissions based on the principle of least privilege. Specifically, ensure web server user has minimal necessary permissions within Grav's directories.
    • Secure Directory Structure: Follow Grav's recommended directory structure and permission guidelines. Pay close attention to permissions on user/, config/, plugins/, themes/, cache/, logs/, and tmp/.
    • Regular Audits: Periodically audit file system permissions within the Grav installation to detect and correct any misconfigurations.