Objective: Gain Unauthorized Access or Control over the Laminas MVC Application
Gain Unauthorized Access or Control
/ | \
/ | \
---------------------------------- ---------------------------------- ----------------------------------
| Exploit | | Exploit | | Exploit |
| Vulnerabilities in | | Configuration Issues | | Component Issues |
| Laminas MVC | | in Laminas MVC | | in Laminas MVC |
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/ | / | / | \
/ | / | / | \
----------------- ------ ----------------- ------ ----------------- ------ ------
| Input | | ACL | | Improper | | Weak | | Service | | Event | | Plugin|
|Validation| |Bypass| | Error | |Session| | Manager | |Manager| |Manager|
| Failures | | | | Handling | |Config | | Abuse | | Abuse | | Abuse |
----------- ------ ----------- ------ ----------- ------ ------
/ \ [HIGH-RISK] | | | | |
/ \ | | | | |
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
| Route | | Form | | Error | | Session | | DoS | | Plugin | | Plugin |
| Param | |Validation| | Leaks | | Hijacking| | via SM | | Config | | Code |
|Manipulation|[CRITICAL] | Info |[HIGH-RISK] | | | Flaw |[HIGH-RISK]|Injection|
---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
[CRITICAL] [CRITICAL] [CRITICAL] [HIGH-RISK] [HIGH-RISK]
Attack Tree Path: 1. Input Validation Failures [HIGH-RISK]
* **Overall Description:** Failure to properly validate and sanitize user-supplied input, leading to various injection vulnerabilities. This is a broad category encompassing multiple specific attack vectors within Laminas MVC.
* **Likelihood:** Medium to High
* **Impact:** High to Very High
* **Effort:** Low to Medium
* **Skill Level:** Novice to Intermediate
* **Detection Difficulty:** Medium
Attack Tree Path: 1.a. Route Parameter Manipulation [CRITICAL]
* **Specific Description:** Exploiting vulnerabilities in how Laminas MVC extracts and uses parameters from the URL route. Attackers can inject malicious values to alter application behavior.
* **Example:** If a route is defined as `/user/{id}` and the application uses the `id` parameter directly in a database query without sanitization, an attacker could inject SQL code.
* **Mitigation:**
* Use Laminas's built-in validators (`Laminas\Validator`) to strictly validate route parameters (e.g., `Int`, `Alnum`).
* Use prepared statements for all database queries.
* Avoid using route parameters directly in file system operations or `eval()`-like functions.
* Implement whitelisting of allowed values where possible.
Attack Tree Path: 1.b. Form Validation Bypass [CRITICAL]
* **Specific Description:** Bypassing client-side validation or exploiting weaknesses in server-side validation of form data submitted by users.
* **Example:** An attacker could disable JavaScript to bypass client-side validation or manipulate hidden form fields to submit malicious data.
* **Mitigation:**
* *Always* implement server-side validation using `Laminas\Form` and its associated validators and filters.
* Never rely solely on client-side validation.
* Test for common bypass techniques (e.g., manipulating hidden fields, disabling JavaScript).
* Use CSRF protection (`Laminas\Form\Element\Csrf`).
Attack Tree Path: 2. ACL Bypass (ACL Config Flaws) [HIGH-RISK]
* **Description:** Exploiting misconfigurations or logic errors in the application's Access Control List (ACL) implementation (e.g., `Laminas\Permissions\Acl`).
* **Example:** Incorrectly defining roles and permissions, allowing a user with a "guest" role to access resources intended for "admin" users.
* **Likelihood:** Low to Medium
* **Impact:** High
* **Effort:** Medium
* **Skill Level:** Intermediate
* **Detection Difficulty:** Medium to Hard
* **Mitigation:**
* Carefully define roles and permissions, following the principle of least privilege.
* Thoroughly test all ACL rules, including edge cases and negative tests.
* Regularly review and audit ACL configurations.
* Use a centralized ACL component and avoid scattering access control logic throughout the application.
Attack Tree Path: 3. Improper Error Handling (Error Leaks Information) [HIGH-RISK]
* **Description:** Exposing sensitive information through error messages, such as stack traces, database connection details, or internal file paths.
* **Example:** A database error revealing the database username, password, and server address.
* **Likelihood:** Medium to High
* **Impact:** Low to Medium
* **Effort:** Very Low
* **Skill Level:** Novice
* **Detection Difficulty:** Very Easy
* **Mitigation:**
* Configure Laminas to *never* display detailed error messages in a production environment.
* Use a custom error handler to log errors securely and display generic error messages to the user.
* Ensure that the `display_errors` directive in `php.ini` is set to `Off` in production.
* Use a dedicated logging system (e.g., `Laminas\Log`) to record error details securely.
Attack Tree Path: 4. Weak Session Configuration (Session Hijacking) [CRITICAL]
* **Description:** Exploiting weaknesses in session management, allowing an attacker to steal or manipulate user sessions.
* **Example:** Using predictable session IDs, not using HTTPS, or having excessively long session lifetimes.
* **Likelihood:** Medium
* **Impact:** High
* **Effort:** Medium
* **Skill Level:** Intermediate
* **Detection Difficulty:** Medium to Hard
* **Mitigation:**
* Use HTTPS for *all* session-related traffic.
* Configure Laminas to use strong, randomly generated session IDs.
* Set short session lifetimes and implement session regeneration after login.
* Use HTTP-only and secure cookies.
* Implement session fixation protection.
Attack Tree Path: 5. Service Manager Abuse (DoS via SM) [HIGH-RISK]
* **Description:** Causing a Denial of Service by exploiting the Service Manager, potentially by triggering excessive resource consumption.
* **Example:** Repeatedly requesting a large number of complex, resource-intensive services.
* **Likelihood:** Low to Medium
* **Impact:** Medium
* **Effort:** Medium to High
* **Skill Level:** Intermediate to Advanced
* **Detection Difficulty:** Medium
* **Mitigation:**
* Implement rate limiting and resource limits to prevent abuse of the Service Manager.
* Monitor resource usage (CPU, memory, database connections) and set appropriate timeouts.
* Carefully design services to be efficient and avoid unnecessary resource consumption.
Attack Tree Path: 6. Plugin Manager Abuse [HIGH-RISK]
* **Overall Description:** Exploiting vulnerabilities within plugins or their configurations. This is a broad category, as the specific vulnerabilities depend on the plugins used.
* **Likelihood:** Low to Medium
* **Impact:** Medium to High
* **Effort:** Medium to High
* **Skill Level:** Intermediate to Advanced
* **Detection Difficulty:** Medium to Hard
Attack Tree Path: 6.a. Plugin Config Flaw [HIGH-RISK]
* **Specific Description:** Manipulating a plugin's configuration to alter its behavior, potentially leading to code execution or data leaks.
* **Example:** Injecting malicious code into a plugin's configuration file.
* **Mitigation:**
* Validate and sanitize all plugin configurations.
* Use a secure configuration format (e.g., not PHP arrays directly exposed to user input).
* Store sensitive configuration data securely (e.g., using environment variables or a secure configuration store).
Attack Tree Path: 6.b. Code Injection in Plugin [HIGH-RISK]
* **Specific Description:** Exploiting vulnerabilities (e.g., SQL injection, XSS) within the code of a plugin.
* **Example:** A plugin that doesn't properly sanitize user input before using it in a database query.
* **Mitigation:**
* Thoroughly vet all third-party plugins before using them.
* Keep plugins updated to the latest versions.
* Perform security audits of plugin code, especially if the plugin handles user input or interacts with sensitive data.
* Consider using a web application firewall (WAF) to help mitigate common injection attacks.