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Attack Tree Analysis for vlucas/phpdotenv

Objective: Gain Unauthorized Access to Sensitive Information in .env [!]

Attack Tree Visualization

                                     [G] Gain Unauthorized Access to Sensitive Information in .env [!]
                                                    /                                                                     \
                                                   /                                                                       \
                      [1] Direct Access to .env File                                                     [3] Exploiting Incorrect Usage of phpdotenv [!]
                                     /                                                                             /       |       \
                                    /                                                                            /        |        \
[1.1] Web Server Misconfiguration [!]--->                                                  [3.1]      [3.2]      [3.3] [!]
                                                                                             .env file    .env file    .env file
                                                                                             in Prod.   committed to loaded in
                                                                                             Environment  public repo [!]---> insecure
                                                                                                                               location (web root) [!]--->
                                                                                                                               /      \
                                                                                                                              /        \
                                                                                                                   [3.3.1]     [3.3.2]
                                                                                                                   No .htaccess  Web Server
                                                                                                                   protection    Misconfiguration [!]
                                                                                                                   (Apache)      (Nginx, etc.)

Attack Tree Path: [G] Gain Unauthorized Access to Sensitive Information in .env [!]

  • Description: The ultimate objective of the attacker is to obtain the contents of the .env file, which contains sensitive configuration data such as API keys, database credentials, and other secrets.
  • Likelihood: (Overall, dependent on the specific path)
  • Impact: Very High. Exposure of these secrets can lead to complete system compromise, data breaches, financial loss, and reputational damage.
  • Effort: Varies depending on the attack path.
  • Skill Level: Varies depending on the attack path.
  • Detection Difficulty: Varies depending on the attack path.

Attack Tree Path: [1] Direct Access to .env File

  • Description: The attacker attempts to directly download the .env file via a web request.

Attack Tree Path: [1.1] Web Server Misconfiguration (Exposes .env to the web) [!] ---> [G]

  • Description: The web server (Apache, Nginx, etc.) is not configured to deny access to files starting with a dot (.). This allows anyone to access the .env file by simply requesting it via a URL (e.g., http://example.com/.env).
  • Likelihood: Medium. This is a common misconfiguration, especially among less experienced developers.
  • Impact: Very High. Direct and complete access to all secrets in the .env file.
  • Effort: Very Low. The attacker only needs to try a standard URL.
  • Skill Level: Very Low. No specialized skills are required.
  • Detection Difficulty: Medium. The request will appear in web server access logs, but it might be overlooked if logs aren't actively monitored or if the attacker uses a less obvious URL.

Attack Tree Path: [3] Exploiting Incorrect Usage of phpdotenv [!]

  • Description: This branch encompasses vulnerabilities arising from how developers use (or misuse) the phpdotenv library and handle .env files.

Attack Tree Path: [3.1] .env file in Production Environment

  • Description: While phpdotenv is useful for development, using .env files directly in a production environment is discouraged. Production systems should use proper environment variable setting mechanisms. The presence of a .env file in production increases the attack surface.
  • Likelihood: Medium. Developers may forget to remove the file or may not be aware of best practices.
  • Impact: Very High. Exposes production credentials if the file is accessible.
  • Effort: Very Low. The attacker simply needs to check for the file's existence.
  • Skill Level: Very Low. No special skills are needed.
  • Detection Difficulty: High. Requires proactive checks and audits to ensure .env files are not present in production.

Attack Tree Path: [3.2] .env file committed to public repo [!] ---> [G]

  • Description: The .env file, containing sensitive credentials, is accidentally committed to a public version control repository (e.g., GitHub, GitLab). This makes the credentials publicly accessible to anyone.
  • Likelihood: High. This is a surprisingly frequent mistake, often due to oversight or lack of awareness.
  • Impact: Very High. Immediate and complete exposure of all secrets in the .env file.
  • Effort: Very Low. Attackers can use automated tools (e.g., trufflehog, GitHub's secret scanning) to find exposed secrets in public repositories.
  • Skill Level: Very Low. No specialized skills are required.
  • Detection Difficulty: Low. Many tools and services exist to detect this specific issue.

Attack Tree Path: [3.3] .env file loaded in insecure location (web root) [!] ---> [1.1] ... ---> [G]

  • Description: The .env file is placed within the web root directory, making it potentially accessible via a direct web request (especially if [1.1] is also true).
  • Likelihood: Medium. Developers might not fully understand the implications of placing files within the web root.
  • Impact: Very High. Significantly increases the risk of direct access to the .env file.
  • Effort: Very Low. The attacker simply needs to try accessing the file via a URL.
  • Skill Level: Very Low. No specialized skills are required.
  • Detection Difficulty: Medium. Similar to [1.1], the request would appear in web server logs.

Attack Tree Path: [3.3.1] No .htaccess protection (Apache)

  • Description: If using Apache, and the .env is in webroot, but there is no .htaccess file to protect files starting with ., then the file is exposed.
  • Likelihood: Medium.
  • Impact: Very High.
  • Effort: Very Low.
  • Skill Level: Very Low.
  • Detection Difficulty: Medium.

Attack Tree Path: [3.3.2] Web Server Misconfiguration (Nginx, etc.) [!]

  • Description: Similar to [3.3.1], but for other web servers like Nginx. Each server has its own configuration for access control. If the server is not configured to deny access to files starting with a dot, the .env file is vulnerable.
  • Likelihood: Medium. Misconfigurations are common.
  • Impact: Very High. Direct access to the .env file.
  • Effort: Very Low. The attacker just needs to try a URL.
  • Skill Level: Very Low. No specialized skills are needed.
  • Detection Difficulty: Medium. The request would appear in web server logs.