threat-modeling.md

Threat Model Analysis for symfony/console

Threat: Command Injection via Unvalidated Input

• Threat: Command Injection via Unvalidated Input

  • Description: An attacker provides malicious input (arguments, options, or interactive prompts) to a console command. This input is then used unsafely within the command's logic, particularly within functions like exec(), shell_exec(), passthru(), or when constructing database queries. The attacker crafts the input to execute arbitrary shell commands or SQL queries on the server. This is a direct threat to the console command itself.
  • Impact:
    • Complete server compromise (if the command runs with sufficient privileges).
    • Data exfiltration (reading sensitive files or database contents).
    • Data modification or deletion.
    • Denial of service.
  • Affected Component: Any console command that uses user-provided input without proper validation and sanitization, especially those interacting with the shell or database. Specifically, the InputInterface (and its implementations like ArgvInput) and any custom code that handles input are vulnerable. The Process component is a high-risk area if used improperly.
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Strict Input Validation: Use Symfony Console's built-in validation features (argument/option types, constraints). Define expected data types and formats.
    • Avoid exec(), shell_exec(), etc.: Prefer Symfony's Process component, and configure it very carefully to avoid command injection. Use its argument escaping features.
    • Parameterized Queries: If interacting with a database, always use parameterized queries (prepared statements) and never build queries by concatenating strings with user input.
    • Input Sanitization: If you must use shell commands, use escapeshellarg() and escapeshellcmd() correctly and with extreme caution. Understand their limitations.
    • Principle of Least Privilege: Run console commands with the lowest necessary privileges.

Threat: Unauthorized Command Execution (Role Bypass)

• Threat: Unauthorized Command Execution (Role Bypass)

  • Description: An attacker gains access to an account (developer, operator, or a compromised service account) that has some console command execution privileges. The attacker then leverages this access to execute commands they are not authorized to run, exceeding their intended permissions. This is a direct threat because it involves abusing the console's intended functionality.
  • Impact:
    • Data modification or deletion (e.g., running a database migration command they shouldn't).
    • Configuration changes (e.g., disabling security features).
    • Information disclosure (e.g., running a command that dumps sensitive data).
    • Potential privilege escalation (if the unauthorized command can be used to gain further access).
  • Affected Component: The entire Symfony Console application, specifically the command registration and execution logic. The security context (if any) used within the console application is a key area.
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Implement Command-Level Authorization: Use a security framework (like Symfony's Security component, adapted for console use) to define granular permissions. Associate roles/users with specific commands and arguments/options. Use #[IsGranted] or similar.
    • Strong Authentication: Enforce strong passwords and multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all accounts that can access the server and execute console commands.
    • Least Privilege: Ensure users and service accounts have only the minimum necessary permissions to perform their tasks.
    • Auditing: Log all command executions, including the user, timestamp, command, arguments, and output.

Threat: Sensitive Data Exposure in Command Output

• Threat: Sensitive Data Exposure in Command Output

  • Description: A console command, either intentionally or unintentionally, prints sensitive information (API keys, database credentials, internal IP addresses, user data) to the console output. This output might be visible to unauthorized users, logged to insecure files, or transmitted over insecure channels. This is a direct threat because the console command itself is the source of the leak.
  • Impact:
    • Credential compromise.
    • Exposure of internal network details.
    • Privacy violations.
    • Facilitates further attacks.
  • Affected Component: Any console command that outputs data. The OutputInterface (and its implementations) are the primary concern. Commands that interact with configuration files or databases are high-risk.
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Review Command Output: Carefully examine all command output to ensure it never includes sensitive data.
    • Redaction/Masking: Implement mechanisms to redact or mask sensitive information in the output.
    • Output Control: Provide options to suppress sensitive output or redirect it to a secure location (e.g., a specific log file with restricted access).
    • Secure Logging: Configure logging to exclude sensitive data. Use a secure logging system with appropriate access controls.
    • Don't Store Secrets in Code: Never hardcode secrets in command logic or configuration files. Use environment variables or a secrets management solution.

Threat: Configuration Tampering via Console Commands

• Threat: Configuration Tampering via Console Commands

  • Description: An attacker uses a console command designed to manage application configuration (e.g., setting environment variables, modifying configuration files) to inject malicious settings or alter existing ones, compromising the application's security or functionality. This is a direct threat because the console command is the intended mechanism for configuration changes, but it's being abused.
  • Impact:
    • Disabling security features.
    • Changing database connection strings.
    • Redirecting application traffic.
    • Injecting malicious code (if configuration values are used unsafely).
  • Affected Component: Console commands that interact with configuration files (e.g., .env, YAML files) or environment variables. The Dotenv component and any custom configuration management logic are relevant.
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Secure Configuration Storage: Store sensitive configuration values securely (environment variables, secrets management system).
    • Input Validation: Strictly validate all input to configuration-related commands.
    • File Permissions: Implement strict file permissions to prevent unauthorized modification of configuration files.
    • Integrity Checks: Use checksums or other mechanisms to detect unauthorized changes to configuration files.
    • Auditing: Log all configuration changes.

Threat: Insecure Deserialization in Console Commands

• Threat: Insecure Deserialization in Console Commands

  • Description: A console command takes serialized data as input (e.g., from a file, a message queue, or user input) and deserializes it without proper validation. An attacker crafts a malicious serialized payload that, when deserialized, executes arbitrary code. This is a direct threat because the vulnerability exists within the console command's handling of input.
  • Impact:
    • Remote code execution.
    • Data breaches.
    • System compromise.
  • Affected Component: Any console command that uses unserialize() or similar deserialization functions (e.g., from libraries like jms/serializer) on untrusted data.
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Avoid Deserializing Untrusted Data: If possible, avoid deserializing data from untrusted sources.
    • Use Safe Deserialization Libraries: If deserialization is necessary, use a secure deserialization library that provides protection against common vulnerabilities.
    • Validate Deserialized Data: After deserialization, thoroughly validate the data to ensure it conforms to expected types and constraints.
    • Implement a Whitelist: If possible, maintain a whitelist of allowed classes that can be deserialized.