mitigations.md

Mitigation Strategies Analysis for symfony/console

Mitigation Strategy: Input Validation and Sanitization for Command Arguments and Options

• Description:
  1. Define Expected Input Types: In your command's configure() method, rigorously define the expected data type and format for each argument and option using addArgument() and addOption(). Leverage features like InputArgument::REQUIRED, InputOption::VALUE_OPTIONAL, and descriptive help messages to guide console users on correct input.
  2. Validate Input in Command Execution: Within the execute() or interact() methods, immediately after retrieving user input from the InputInterface (using getArgument(), getOption()), implement validation checks specific to console input. This includes:
     • Type and Format Checks: Verify that the input received from the console matches the defined data type (e.g., integer, string, email format) and adheres to expected patterns (e.g., using regular expressions for specific formats).
     • Allowed Value Sets: If the console command expects input from a predefined list of values, strictly validate against this list.
     • Range Checks: For numerical inputs provided via the console, ensure they fall within acceptable and safe ranges.
  3. Sanitize Console Input for Command Execution: Critically sanitize input obtained from the console before using it in any potentially vulnerable operations within the command, such as:
     • Shell Command Construction: If the console command needs to execute external shell commands based on user input, use PHP's escapeshellarg() or escapeshellcmd() or, preferably, Symfony's Process component which handles escaping automatically.
     • File Path Manipulation: When console input is used to construct or manipulate file paths, sanitize to prevent path traversal attacks. Ensure paths remain within expected directories.
  4. Handle Invalid Console Input Gracefully: If validation of console input fails at any point, halt command execution and provide clear, informative error messages directly in the console.
     • Throw InvalidArgumentException or RuntimeException with messages that are displayed in the console, guiding the user on how to correct their input.
     • Utilize Symfony Console's Style\SymfonyStyle to format user-friendly error messages directly in the console output.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Command Injection (High Severity): Malicious input via console arguments or options can be injected into shell commands executed by the console application.
    • Path Traversal (Medium Severity): Unvalidated file paths provided through the console can allow access to unauthorized files.
    • Data Integrity Issues (Medium Severity): Invalid input from the console can lead to errors and unexpected behavior within the console application.
  • Impact:
    • Command Injection: High Risk Reduction - Direct console input validation is crucial to prevent command injection via the console.
    • Path Traversal: Medium Risk Reduction - Console input sanitization for file paths directly reduces path traversal risks initiated from the console.
    • Data Integrity Issues: Medium Risk Reduction - Improves the robustness of console applications against malformed input from console users.
  • Currently Implemented:
    • Basic input type definitions are used in some console commands, influencing how arguments are parsed from the console.
    • Rudimentary validation might exist in certain commands, like checking if a file path provided via the console exists.
  • Missing Implementation:
    • Comprehensive validation of console input is lacking across many commands, especially for complex or security-sensitive inputs received from the console.
    • Sanitization of console input for shell commands is not consistently applied in console commands that execute external processes.
    • User-friendly error messages for invalid console input are not always implemented, making it harder for console users to correct their commands.

Mitigation Strategy: Restrict Access to Sensitive Commands

• Description:
  1. Identify Sensitive Console Commands: Categorize your console commands based on the sensitivity of operations they perform when executed via the console. Focus on commands that, when run from the console, could:
     • Modify application configuration or infrastructure.
     • Access or manipulate sensitive data.
     • Perform administrative actions.
  2. Implement Console-Specific Authentication/Authorization: Introduce mechanisms to authenticate and authorize users specifically when they are executing console commands. This can involve:
     • Environment Variable Checks (Console Context): Require specific environment variables to be set in the console environment for sensitive commands to execute.
     • API Key/Token Authentication (Console Input): Require an API key or token to be provided as a console option when running sensitive commands. Validate this key within the console command logic.
     • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) Integration (Console User Context): Integrate with your application's user authentication system to check user roles when commands are executed via the console.
     • Interactive Password Prompt (Console Interaction): For highly sensitive console commands, prompt for a password directly in the console before allowing execution.
  3. Enforce Access Control in Console Command Logic: Within the execute() method of sensitive console commands, implement the chosen authentication/authorization logic. If the user executing the command via the console is not authorized, prevent execution and display a clear "access denied" message in the console.
  4. Secure Console Environment Access: In production, restrict physical and remote access to the server and the console environment itself to only authorized administrators and developers. Secure access to the console environment is paramount.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Unauthorized Access to Sensitive Operations (High Severity): Prevents unauthorized users from executing critical console commands.
    • Privilege Escalation (Medium Severity): Limits the potential for privilege escalation through console command abuse.
    • Accidental Misuse of Sensitive Commands (Medium Severity): Reduces the risk of unintentional execution of sensitive console commands by less experienced users with console access.
  • Impact:
    • Unauthorized Access to Sensitive Operations: High Risk Reduction - Console-specific access control directly prevents unauthorized command execution via the console.
    • Privilege Escalation: Medium Risk Reduction - Makes privilege escalation via console commands more difficult.
    • Accidental Misuse of Sensitive Commands: Medium Risk Reduction - Reduces accidental damage from sensitive console operations.
  • Currently Implemented:
    • Basic server access restrictions limit who can access the console environment.
    • Environment variable checks might be used for some deployment-related console commands.
  • Missing Implementation:
    • Formal authentication and authorization are not consistently applied to sensitive console commands.
    • Role-based access control is not implemented for console commands, meaning console access often implies access to all commands.
    • Interactive password prompts or multi-factor authentication are not used for highly sensitive console operations.

Mitigation Strategy: Secure Handling of Sensitive Data in Commands

• Description:
  1. Avoid Hardcoding Sensitive Data in Console Commands: Never embed sensitive information directly within the code of console commands or their configuration files. This includes passwords, API keys, and database credentials used by console commands.
  2. Utilize Secure Configuration for Console Commands: Store sensitive data required by console commands securely using environment variables accessible to the console environment, secret management tools, or encrypted configuration files.
  3. Retrieve Sensitive Data Securely in Console Commands: When console commands need sensitive data, retrieve it from the secure configuration source at runtime. Avoid long-term storage of sensitive data in memory within the console command execution.
  4. Sanitize Sensitive Data in Console Output and Logs: Exercise extreme caution when displaying output from console commands or writing logs.
     • Mask or redact sensitive data in console output displayed to the user running the command.
     • Configure logging levels for console commands to avoid logging sensitive data in production logs.
     • If sensitive data must be logged for debugging console commands, ensure logs are stored securely and access is restricted.
  5. Secure Temporary File Handling in Console Commands: If console commands create temporary files to handle sensitive data:
     • Create temporary files in secure directories with restricted permissions within the console environment.
     • Encrypt sensitive data stored in temporary files used by console commands.
     • Securely delete temporary files after use by console commands, overwriting data before deletion if necessary.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Information Disclosure (High Severity): Sensitive data handled by console commands can be exposed through command output, logs, or insecure storage.
    • Credential Theft (High Severity): Hardcoded or insecurely stored credentials used by console commands can be stolen.
    • Data Breach (High Severity): Compromised sensitive data handled by console commands can lead to data breaches.
  • Impact:
    • Information Disclosure: High Risk Reduction - Secure handling within console commands minimizes data leaks.
    • Credential Theft: High Risk Reduction - Eliminates hardcoded credentials in console commands and promotes secure storage.
    • Data Breach: High Risk Reduction - Reduces the risk of data breaches related to console command operations.
  • Currently Implemented:
    • Environment variables are used for database credentials accessed by console commands.
    • Configuration files generally avoid storing highly sensitive data directly for console commands.
    • Logging levels are configured to limit debug logging in production console environments.
  • Missing Implementation:
    • Secret management tools are not consistently used for all sensitive data used by console commands.
    • Output sanitization for sensitive data in console command output is not consistently implemented.
    • Temporary file handling by console commands might lack encryption or secure deletion practices.

Mitigation Strategy: Prevent Command Injection Vulnerabilities

• Description:
  1. Minimize External Command Execution in Console Commands: Reduce the need to execute external system commands from within console commands. Explore PHP alternatives or libraries that can achieve the same functionality without relying on shell commands executed by console commands.
  2. Use Symfony Process Component in Console Commands: If external commands are necessary in console commands, use Symfony's Process component. It provides built-in argument escaping to prevent command injection when used within console commands.
  3. Argument Escaping with Process in Console Commands: When using Process in console commands, pass command arguments as separate array elements. The component will automatically handle escaping, preventing injection vulnerabilities in console command execution.
  4. Input Validation for Console Command Arguments to External Commands: Even with Process, validate and sanitize any user input from the console that is used as arguments to external commands executed by console commands.
  5. Avoid String Interpolation in Console Commands for Shell Commands: Never construct shell commands within console commands by directly embedding user input into command strings using string interpolation.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Command Injection (High Severity): Prevents attackers from injecting malicious commands into external system calls initiated by console commands.
  • Impact:
    • Command Injection: High Risk Reduction - Using Process and avoiding vulnerable practices in console commands effectively mitigates command injection risks.
  • Currently Implemented:
    • Symfony Process component is used in some console commands that interact with external tools.
  • Missing Implementation:
    • Not all console commands executing external processes consistently use Process. Some might still use shell_exec or similar functions.
    • Argument escaping and input validation for external command arguments are not consistently applied across all console commands using Process.

Mitigation Strategy: Limit Resource Consumption of Commands

• Description:
  1. Implement Timeouts for Console Commands: Set execution timeouts for long-running console commands to prevent them from consuming resources indefinitely when executed from the console. Use PHP's set_time_limit() or Symfony's Process component's timeout functionality.
  2. Optimize Resource-Intensive Console Commands: Analyze and optimize resource-intensive console commands to reduce their execution time and memory footprint when run from the console.
  3. Background Processing for Console Command Tasks: For console commands that trigger long or resource-intensive tasks, offload these tasks to background processing queues. This prevents console commands from blocking server resources when executed.
  4. Resource Monitoring and Throttling for Console Commands: Monitor resource usage of console commands, especially in production console environments. Implement throttling or rate limiting for commands known to be resource-intensive or frequently abused via the console.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Denial of Service (DoS) (Medium to High Severity): Prevents abuse of resource-intensive console commands from causing service disruptions.
    • Resource Starvation (Medium Severity): Prevents resource-intensive console commands from starving other application components of resources.
  • Impact:
    • Denial of Service (DoS): Medium to High Risk Reduction - Timeouts and resource limits for console commands reduce DoS risks.
    • Resource Starvation: Medium Risk Reduction - Background processing and optimization help prevent resource starvation caused by console commands.
  • Currently Implemented:
    • Timeouts might be implicitly set by server configurations, but explicit timeouts in console commands are often missing.
    • Basic performance optimization is considered, but specific resource limits for console commands are not actively managed.
  • Missing Implementation:
    • Explicit timeouts are not consistently implemented for long-running console commands.
    • Background processing queues are not used for all resource-intensive tasks triggered by console commands.
    • Resource monitoring and throttling for console commands are not in place.

Mitigation Strategy: Secure Logging and Error Handling in Commands

• Description:
  1. Appropriate Logging Levels for Console Commands: Configure logging levels for console commands to be suitable for the environment. In production console environments, use logging levels that capture important events and errors but avoid excessive debug logging.
  2. Sanitize Logged Data from Console Commands: Before logging data from console commands, sanitize it to remove or mask sensitive information.
  3. Secure Log Storage for Console Command Logs: Store console command logs securely. Restrict access to log files to authorized personnel.
  4. Custom Error Handling in Console Commands: Implement custom error handling in console commands to prevent the display of stack traces or detailed error messages directly in the console output in production. Display generic error messages in the console while logging detailed errors securely.
  5. Avoid Logging Sensitive Data in Console Command Error Messages: Ensure error messages displayed in the console do not reveal sensitive information.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Information Disclosure via Logs (Medium Severity): Console command logs can unintentionally expose sensitive data.
    • Information Disclosure via Error Messages (Medium Severity): Detailed error messages in the console can reveal sensitive information.
  • Impact:
    • Information Disclosure via Logs: Medium Risk Reduction - Secure logging practices for console commands reduce data leaks.
    • Information Disclosure via Error Messages: Medium Risk Reduction - Custom error handling in console commands prevents overly detailed error messages in the console.
  • Currently Implemented:
    • Basic logging configuration is in place.
    • Error handling is generally implemented to catch exceptions in console commands.
  • Missing Implementation:
    • Data sanitization before logging in console commands is not consistently applied.
    • Log storage security for console command logs might not be fully enforced.
    • Custom error handling might not be fully implemented in all console commands, potentially exposing stack traces in production console output.

Mitigation Strategy: Disable Unnecessary Commands in Production

• Description:
  1. Review Production Console Command List: Review the list of console commands available in production. Identify commands not essential for production operation.
  2. Environment-Specific Console Command Registration: Use environment-specific configuration to control which console commands are registered in different environments. Only register necessary commands in production console environments.
  3. Remove Unnecessary Console Command Files: For commands not needed in production, remove the command class files from production deployments to reduce the attack surface related to console commands.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Reduced Attack Surface (Low to Medium Severity): Disabling unnecessary console commands reduces potential attack vectors.
    • Accidental Misuse of Development/Admin Commands in Production (Low Severity): Prevents accidental execution of development/admin console commands in production.
  • Impact:
    • Reduced Attack Surface: Low to Medium Risk Reduction - Reducing the console command attack surface is a good security practice.
    • Accidental Misuse of Development/Admin Commands in Production: Low Risk Reduction - Minimizes accidental errors in production console environments.
  • Currently Implemented:
    • Some console commands might be less used in production, but no formal disabling mechanism exists.
  • Missing Implementation:
    • Environment-specific console command registration is not implemented.
    • Unnecessary console command files are not removed from production.

Mitigation Strategy: Regular Security Audits and Code Reviews for Console Commands

• Description:
  1. Include Console Commands in Security Audits: Include console commands in regular security audits and penetration testing. Treat console commands as part of the application's attack surface.
  2. Code Reviews for Console Command Security: Incorporate security considerations into code reviews for console commands, focusing on input handling, data processing, external command execution, logging, and authorization within console command code.
  3. Static Analysis Security Testing (SAST) for Console Commands: Use SAST tools to scan console command code for vulnerabilities.
  4. Penetration Testing of Console Command Access: If console commands are remotely accessible, include penetration testing to assess access controls and command execution security.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Undetected Vulnerabilities (Variable Severity): Regular security measures help identify and address vulnerabilities in console commands.
  • Impact:
    • Undetected Vulnerabilities: High Risk Reduction - Proactive security measures are crucial for console command security.
  • Currently Implemented:
    • Code reviews are performed, but security-specific reviews for console commands might not be prioritized.
    • Basic penetration testing might not explicitly include console commands.
  • Missing Implementation:
    • Dedicated security audits for console commands are not regularly performed.
    • SAST tools are not consistently used for console command code.
    • Penetration testing scope does not explicitly include console command security.