BUSINESS POSTURE

The laravel-excel library is a package for the Laravel framework that enables developers to import and export Excel and CSV files.

Business Priorities:
- Ease of Integration: The library should be easy to integrate into existing and new Laravel applications.
- Data Interchange: Facilitate seamless data exchange between Laravel applications and external systems or users through Excel and CSV formats.
- Developer Productivity: Provide a simple and efficient API for handling Excel and CSV data, reducing development time and effort.
- Data Accuracy: Ensure accurate and reliable data import and export processes, minimizing data loss or corruption.
Business Goals:
- Enable Laravel applications to efficiently process and manage data in Excel and CSV formats.
- Streamline data import and export workflows for users interacting with Laravel applications.
- Reduce the complexity of handling spreadsheet data within Laravel projects.
- Improve the overall functionality and versatility of Laravel applications by adding robust Excel and CSV capabilities.
Business Risks:
- Data Integrity Risk: Incorrect parsing or formatting of Excel/CSV files could lead to data corruption or loss during import and export processes.
- Data Breach Risk: Vulnerabilities in the library or its dependencies could be exploited to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data contained within Excel/CSV files.
- Denial of Service Risk: Processing maliciously crafted or excessively large Excel/CSV files could lead to resource exhaustion and denial of service for applications using the library.
- Compatibility Risk: Incompatibility with certain Excel/CSV file formats or versions could limit the library's usability and require additional development effort.
- Supply Chain Risk: Vulnerabilities in third-party libraries or dependencies used by laravel-excel could introduce security risks into applications using the library.

SECURITY POSTURE

Security Controls:
- security control: Laravel Framework Security: The library benefits from the security features provided by the Laravel framework, such as protection against common web vulnerabilities (CSRF, XSS, SQL Injection when used with Eloquent ORM). Implemented by: Laravel Framework. Described in: Laravel documentation.
- security control: Input Validation: Laravel provides input validation mechanisms that can be used to validate data imported from Excel/CSV files. Implemented by: Laravel Application using the library. Described in: Laravel documentation.
- security control: Dependency Management: Composer is used to manage dependencies, allowing for updates and security patches of underlying libraries. Implemented by: Composer. Described in: Composer documentation.
- security control: Open Source Review: As an open-source project, the code is publicly available for review, increasing the likelihood of identifying and addressing security vulnerabilities. Implemented by: Community and maintainers. Described in: GitHub repository.
Accepted Risks:
- accepted risk: Vulnerabilities in third-party libraries: The library relies on external libraries for parsing and generating Excel/CSV files. Vulnerabilities in these libraries could indirectly affect laravel-excel. Mitigation: Dependency updates and security scanning.
- accepted risk: Misuse by developers: Developers using the library might not implement proper input validation or security measures in their applications, leading to vulnerabilities. Mitigation: Documentation and best practices guidelines.
- accepted risk: Complexity of file formats: Excel and CSV formats can be complex and have various features, increasing the potential for parsing vulnerabilities. Mitigation: Thorough testing and use of well-established parsing libraries.
Recommended Security Controls:
- security control: Dependency Scanning: Implement automated dependency scanning to identify and address known vulnerabilities in third-party libraries used by laravel-excel.
- security control: Static Application Security Testing (SAST): Integrate SAST tools into the development process to automatically analyze the library's code for potential security vulnerabilities.
- security control: Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST): Perform DAST on applications using laravel-excel to identify runtime vulnerabilities related to file handling and data processing.
- security control: Security Code Review: Conduct regular security code reviews by experienced security professionals to identify and address potential security flaws in the library's code.
- security control: Input Sanitization Examples: Provide clear examples and best practices in the documentation for sanitizing and validating data imported from Excel/CSV files to prevent common injection attacks.
- security control: Rate Limiting: For applications using laravel-excel to handle file uploads, implement rate limiting to mitigate potential denial-of-service attacks through excessive file uploads.
Security Requirements:
- Authentication: Not directly applicable to the library itself. Authentication is the responsibility of the Laravel application using the library to control access to import/export functionalities.
- Authorization: Not directly applicable to the library itself. Authorization is the responsibility of the Laravel application using the library to control which users or roles can perform import/export operations.
- Input Validation:
  - Requirement: The library and applications using it MUST validate all data imported from Excel/CSV files to prevent injection attacks (e.g., CSV injection, formula injection) and data corruption.
  - Requirement: Input validation SHOULD include checks for data type, format, length, and allowed characters.
  - Requirement: The library SHOULD provide mechanisms or guidance for developers to easily validate imported data.
- Cryptography:
  - Requirement: If sensitive data is handled within Excel/CSV files, the Laravel application using the library MUST implement appropriate encryption mechanisms to protect data at rest and in transit.
  - Requirement: The library itself does not need to implement cryptography, but it SHOULD not hinder the ability of applications to implement encryption when needed.

DESIGN

C4 CONTEXT

flowchart LR
    subgraph "Organization System"
        C(["Laravel Excel Library"])
    end
    U1["Laravel Developer"]
    S1["Laravel Application"]
    S2["File System"]

    U1 -->|Uses| C
    C -->|Used by| S1
    S1 -->|Reads/Writes Excel/CSV Files| S2

    style C fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px

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C4 Context Elements:
- Element:
  - Name: Laravel Excel Library
  - Type: Software System
  - Description: A Laravel package that provides functionality to import and export Excel and CSV files within Laravel applications.
  - Responsibilities:
    - Parsing Excel and CSV files into data structures usable by Laravel applications.
    - Generating Excel and CSV files from Laravel data structures.
    - Providing an API for developers to easily integrate Excel and CSV functionality into their Laravel applications.
  - Security controls:
    - Relies on underlying parsing libraries (accepted risk: vulnerabilities in these libraries).
    - Input validation guidance for developers in documentation (recommended security control).
- Element:
  - Name: Laravel Developer
  - Type: Person
  - Description: Software developers who use the laravel-excel library to build Laravel applications.
  - Responsibilities:
    - Integrating the laravel-excel library into Laravel applications.
    - Using the library's API to implement import and export functionalities.
    - Implementing security controls in their applications, such as input validation and authorization, when using the library.
  - Security controls:
    - Responsible for implementing application-level security controls (security control: Laravel Framework Security, security control: Input Validation).
- Element:
  - Name: Laravel Application
  - Type: Software System
  - Description: A web application built using the Laravel framework that utilizes the laravel-excel library.
  - Responsibilities:
    - Providing user interfaces and business logic for importing and exporting data using Excel and CSV files.
    - Handling user authentication and authorization for import/export functionalities.
    - Validating and sanitizing data imported from Excel/CSV files.
    - Storing and processing data imported from Excel/CSV files.
  - Security controls:
    - Implements Laravel Framework Security features (security control: Laravel Framework Security).
    - Should implement input validation for data from Excel/CSV files (security control: Input Validation, recommended security control: Input Sanitization Examples).
    - Should implement authentication and authorization controls.
- Element:
  - Name: File System
  - Type: External System
  - Description: The local or remote file system where Excel and CSV files are stored and accessed by the Laravel application.
  - Responsibilities:
    - Storing Excel and CSV files.
    - Providing access to Excel and CSV files for the Laravel application.
  - Security controls:
    - File system permissions to control access to files.
    - Encryption at rest for sensitive data stored in files (security requirement: Cryptography - application responsibility).

C4 CONTAINER

flowchart LR
    subgraph "Organization System"
        C(["Laravel Excel Library"])
    end
    U1["Laravel Developer"]
    S1["Laravel Application"]
    S2["File System"]
    C1(["Import Component"])
    C2(["Export Component"])
    C3(["Parsing Libraries"])
    C4(["Generation Libraries"])

    U1 -->|Uses| C
    C -->|Used by| S1
    S1 -->|Reads/Writes Excel/CSV Files| S2
    C --> C1
    C --> C2
    C --> C3
    C --> C4
    C1 --> C3
    C2 --> C4

    style C fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style C1 fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style C2 fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style C3 fill:#eee,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style C4 fill:#eee,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px

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C4 Container Elements:
- Element:
  - Name: Laravel Excel Library
  - Type: Software System (Container in this context)
  - Description: A Laravel package providing Excel and CSV import/export functionality. Composed of several components.
  - Responsibilities:
    - Orchestrating import and export operations.
    - Providing a high-level API for developers.
    - Managing interactions between components.
  - Security controls:
    - Inherits security considerations from its components.
- Element:
  - Name: Import Component
  - Type: Software Component
  - Description: Handles the import of data from Excel and CSV files.
  - Responsibilities:
    - Receiving file input.
    - Delegating parsing to Parsing Libraries.
    - Transforming parsed data into a format usable by Laravel applications.
  - Security controls:
    - Input validation (security requirement: Input Validation).
    - Error handling for malformed files.
- Element:
  - Name: Export Component
  - Type: Software Component
  - Description: Handles the export of data to Excel and CSV files.
  - Responsibilities:
    - Receiving data from Laravel applications.
    - Formatting data for Excel/CSV output.
    - Delegating file generation to Generation Libraries.
  - Security controls:
    - Output encoding to prevent injection vulnerabilities in generated files.
- Element:
  - Name: Parsing Libraries
  - Type: External Library
  - Description: Third-party libraries used for parsing Excel and CSV file formats (e.g., PhpSpreadsheet).
  - Responsibilities:
    - Low-level parsing of Excel and CSV file formats.
    - Handling different file formats and versions.
  - Security controls:
    - Dependency scanning (recommended security control: Dependency Scanning).
    - Regular updates to address vulnerabilities (security control: Dependency Management).
- Element:
  - Name: Generation Libraries
  - Type: External Library
  - Description: Third-party libraries used for generating Excel and CSV file formats (e.g., PhpSpreadsheet).
  - Responsibilities:
    - Low-level generation of Excel and CSV file formats.
    - Ensuring correct file format and structure.
  - Security controls:
    - Dependency scanning (recommended security control: Dependency Scanning).
    - Regular updates to address vulnerabilities (security control: Dependency Management).
- Element:
  - Name: Laravel Developer, Laravel Application, File System
  - Type: Person, Software System, External System
  - Description: Same as in C4 Context diagram.
  - Responsibilities: Same as in C4 Context diagram.
  - Security controls: Same as in C4 Context diagram.

DEPLOYMENT

Deployment of the laravel-excel library is as part of a Laravel application. A typical deployment architecture for a Laravel application is described below.

flowchart LR
    subgraph "Deployment Environment"
        subgraph "Web Server (e.g., Nginx, Apache)"
            WS1["Web Server Instance"]
        end
        subgraph "Application Server (PHP-FPM)"
            AS1["Application Server Instance"]
        end
        subgraph "Database Server (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL)"
            DB1["Database Server Instance"]
        end
        subgraph "File Storage"
            FS1["File Storage Instance"]
        end
    end

    Internet --> WS1
    WS1 --> AS1
    AS1 --> DB1
    AS1 --> FS1

    style WS1 fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style AS1 fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style DB1 fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style FS1 fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px

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Deployment Elements:
- Element:
  - Name: Web Server Instance (WS1)
  - Type: Infrastructure - Web Server
  - Description: Handles incoming HTTP requests from the internet and serves static content. Proxies dynamic requests to the Application Server. Examples: Nginx, Apache.
  - Responsibilities:
    - Receiving and routing HTTP requests.
    - Serving static files.
    - TLS termination (HTTPS).
    - Basic security features like request filtering.
  - Security controls:
    - HTTPS configuration for secure communication.
    - Web Application Firewall (WAF) integration (optional).
    - Rate limiting to prevent DoS attacks.
- Element:
  - Name: Application Server Instance (AS1)
  - Type: Infrastructure - Application Server
  - Description: Executes the Laravel application code, including the laravel-excel library, using PHP-FPM.
  - Responsibilities:
    - Running the Laravel application.
    - Processing business logic.
    - Interacting with the database and file storage.
    - Executing laravel-excel library functions for import/export.
  - Security controls:
    - Application-level security controls (security control: Laravel Framework Security).
    - Input validation and sanitization (security requirement: Input Validation, recommended security control: Input Sanitization Examples).
    - Secure coding practices.
- Element:
  - Name: Database Server Instance (DB1)
  - Type: Infrastructure - Database Server
  - Description: Stores application data, typically a relational database like MySQL or PostgreSQL.
  - Responsibilities:
    - Storing and managing application data.
    - Providing data persistence.
    - Handling database queries from the Application Server.
  - Security controls:
    - Database access controls and authentication.
    - Data encryption at rest and in transit (optional, security requirement: Cryptography - application responsibility if sensitive data is stored).
    - Regular security patching.
- Element:
  - Name: File Storage Instance (FS1)
  - Type: Infrastructure - File Storage
  - Description: Stores files, including Excel and CSV files processed by the application. Can be local storage or cloud storage (e.g., AWS S3).
  - Responsibilities:
    - Storing Excel and CSV files.
    - Providing file access to the Application Server.
  - Security controls:
    - File system permissions and access controls.
    - Data encryption at rest (optional, security requirement: Cryptography - application responsibility if sensitive data is stored).
    - Regular backups.
- Element:
  - Name: Internet
  - Type: External Environment
  - Description: The public internet from which users access the Laravel application.
  - Responsibilities:
    - Providing network connectivity for users.
  - Security controls:
    - None directly controlled by the application deployment, but represents the external threat landscape.

BUILD

flowchart LR
    subgraph "Developer Environment"
        DEV["Developer"]
    end
    subgraph "Version Control System (e.g., GitHub)"
        VCS["VCS Repository"]
    end
    subgraph "CI/CD Pipeline (e.g., GitHub Actions)"
        CI["CI/CD System"]
    end
    subgraph "Package Registry (e.g., Packagist)"
        REG["Package Registry"]
    end

    DEV -->|Code Changes| VCS
    VCS -->|Trigger Build| CI
    CI -->|Build & Test| VCS
    CI -->|Security Checks (SAST, Dependency Scan)| CI
    CI -->|Publish Package| REG
    REG -->|Dependency Download| Laravel Application Build Process

    style DEV fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style VCS fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style CI fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style REG fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px

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Build Elements:
- Element:
  - Name: Developer (DEV)
  - Type: Person
  - Description: Software developers who contribute code to the laravel-excel library.
  - Responsibilities:
    - Writing and testing code for the library.
    - Submitting code changes to the Version Control System.
    - Following secure coding practices.
  - Security controls:
    - Code review process.
    - Security awareness training.
- Element:
  - Name: Version Control System (VCS)
  - Type: Software System
  - Description: A system for managing and tracking changes to the library's source code, e.g., GitHub.
  - Responsibilities:
    - Storing the source code repository.
    - Managing code versions and branches.
    - Controlling access to the codebase.
  - Security controls:
    - Access control and authentication for developers.
    - Branch protection rules.
    - Audit logging of code changes.
- Element:
  - Name: CI/CD System (CI)
  - Type: Software System
  - Description: An automated system for building, testing, and publishing the library, e.g., GitHub Actions.
  - Responsibilities:
    - Automating the build process.
    - Running unit and integration tests.
    - Performing security checks (SAST, dependency scanning).
    - Publishing the library package to the Package Registry.
  - Security controls:
    - Automated security checks (recommended security control: SAST, recommended security control: Dependency Scanning).
    - Secure build environment.
    - Access control for CI/CD pipelines.
- Element:
  - Name: Package Registry (REG)
  - Type: Software System
  - Description: A public registry for PHP packages, e.g., Packagist, where the laravel-excel library is published and distributed.
  - Responsibilities:
    - Hosting and distributing the library package.
    - Providing package versioning and management.
  - Security controls:
    - Package signing (if supported by the registry).
    - Vulnerability scanning of published packages (by the registry).
- Element:
  - Name: Laravel Application Build Process
  - Type: Process
  - Description: The process of building a Laravel application that depends on the laravel-excel library.
  - Responsibilities:
    - Downloading dependencies from the Package Registry (including laravel-excel).
    - Building and deploying the Laravel application.
  - Security controls:
    - Dependency integrity checks (using Composer's lock file).
    - Application-level security build and deployment processes.

RISK ASSESSMENT

Critical Business Processes:
- Data Import from Excel/CSV: Processes that rely on importing data from Excel/CSV files into the Laravel application for business operations (e.g., data entry, system integration, reporting).
- Data Export to Excel/CSV: Processes that rely on exporting data from the Laravel application to Excel/CSV files for reporting, data sharing, or external system integration.
Data Sensitivity:
- Sensitivity Level: Data handled by laravel-excel can range from low to high sensitivity depending on the application using it and the content of the Excel/CSV files.
- Examples of Sensitive Data: Personally Identifiable Information (PII), financial data, confidential business data, health records, etc. Excel/CSV files are often used to exchange sensitive data.
- Data Protection Requirements: Applications using laravel-excel to handle sensitive data MUST implement appropriate security measures to protect data confidentiality, integrity, and availability, including encryption, access control, and input validation.

QUESTIONS & ASSUMPTIONS

Questions:
- What types of Laravel applications will be using this library? (e.g., internal tools, public-facing applications, data analytics platforms).
- What kind of data will be processed using this library, and what is the sensitivity level of this data?
- Are there any specific regulatory compliance requirements that applications using this library need to adhere to (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS)?
- What are the performance and scalability requirements for applications using this library?
- Are there any specific Excel/CSV file formats or features that are heavily used or need special consideration?
Assumptions:
- The laravel-excel library is intended for general-purpose use within Laravel applications for importing and exporting Excel and CSV data.
- Security is a relevant concern for applications using this library, especially when handling potentially sensitive data.
- Developers using this library are expected to have a basic understanding of Laravel security best practices and will implement necessary security controls in their applications.
- The library is deployed as part of standard Laravel application deployments in typical web server environments.
- The build process for the library utilizes common open-source tools and practices, including version control and CI/CD.

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sec-design.md

sec-design.md

BUSINESS POSTURE

SECURITY POSTURE

DESIGN

C4 CONTEXT

C4 CONTAINER

DEPLOYMENT

BUILD

RISK ASSESSMENT

QUESTIONS & ASSUMPTIONS

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sec-design.md

File metadata and controls

BUSINESS POSTURE

SECURITY POSTURE

DESIGN

C4 CONTEXT

C4 CONTAINER

DEPLOYMENT

BUILD

RISK ASSESSMENT

QUESTIONS & ASSUMPTIONS