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attack-surface.md

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Attack Surface Analysis for home-assistant/core

Attack Surface: Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerabilities in Lovelace UI

  • Description: Injection of malicious JavaScript code into the Lovelace UI due to vulnerabilities in how Home Assistant Core renders user configurations and custom components.
  • Core Contribution:
    • Core is responsible for rendering Lovelace UI based on user-defined YAML configurations and custom card definitions.
    • Core's code might lack sufficient sanitization of user-provided input when generating the UI, leading to XSS.
    • Core includes frontend dependencies that might contain XSS vulnerabilities if not properly managed and updated.
  • Example: A malicious administrator injects JavaScript code through a crafted Lovelace configuration that steals session cookies of other users accessing the Home Assistant instance.
  • Impact: Account takeover, unauthorized actions performed on behalf of legitimate users, data theft from the Home Assistant interface.
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Developers:
      • Implement robust input sanitization and output encoding within the core rendering engine for Lovelace UI.
      • Enforce Content Security Policy (CSP) headers by default to mitigate XSS risks.
      • Regularly update frontend dependencies used by Lovelace UI to patch known XSS vulnerabilities.
      • Provide secure development guidelines and tools for custom card developers to prevent XSS in their components.

Attack Surface: API Authentication and Authorization Flaws (REST & WebSocket)

  • Description: Weaknesses in the authentication and authorization mechanisms implemented within Home Assistant Core's REST and WebSocket APIs, allowing unauthorized access and control.
  • Core Contribution:
    • Core is responsible for implementing and enforcing authentication and authorization for all API endpoints (REST and WebSocket).
    • Vulnerabilities in core's code related to API key generation, validation, session management, or access control logic.
    • Insufficient security measures within core to prevent brute-force attacks or bypass authentication.
  • Example: An attacker exploits a flaw in the API key validation process within Home Assistant Core to gain unauthorized access to the REST API and remotely control smart home devices.
  • Impact: Full control over the Home Assistant instance, including connected devices, automations, and sensitive data; potential for remote manipulation of the smart home environment.
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Developers:
      • Implement strong and industry-standard authentication protocols (e.g., OAuth 2.0) within the core API framework.
      • Enforce granular authorization checks for all API endpoints based on user roles and permissions, implemented within core.
      • Implement robust rate limiting and account lockout mechanisms within core to prevent brute-force attacks on API authentication.
      • Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing of the core API authentication and authorization implementation.

Attack Surface: Integration Vulnerabilities Leading to Core Compromise

  • Description: Security vulnerabilities within integrations (components) that can be exploited to compromise the Home Assistant Core system itself, due to insufficient isolation or privilege management by the core.
  • Core Contribution:
    • Core provides the framework and runtime environment for integrations, including access to core functionalities and resources.
    • Insufficient isolation or security boundaries within core between integrations and the core system itself.
    • Potential for core to grant excessive privileges to integrations, increasing the impact of integration vulnerabilities.
  • Example: A vulnerability in a poorly written integration allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the Home Assistant server with the privileges of the Home Assistant process, leading to full system compromise.
  • Impact: Full compromise of the Home Assistant Core system, including access to all data, configurations, and potentially the underlying operating system; loss of control over the smart home environment.
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Developers (Core Developers):
      • Implement stronger isolation mechanisms between integrations and the core system to limit the impact of integration vulnerabilities.
      • Enforce principle of least privilege for integrations, restricting their access to core functionalities and resources.
      • Develop and enforce security guidelines for integration developers to minimize vulnerabilities.
      • Implement security review processes for core integrations and provide tools for automated security analysis of integrations.

Attack Surface: Add-on Container Escape Vulnerabilities

  • Description: Vulnerabilities in the containerization implementation or add-on management within Home Assistant Core that allow an attacker to escape an add-on container and gain access to the host system.
  • Core Contribution:
    • Core is responsible for managing add-ons within Docker containers, including container configuration and runtime environment.
    • Vulnerabilities in core's container management code or default container configurations that weaken container isolation.
    • Insufficient security measures within core to prevent container escape attempts.
  • Example: An attacker exploits a vulnerability in the Docker runtime environment managed by Home Assistant Core or a misconfiguration in an add-on container to escape the container and gain root access to the host operating system.
  • Impact: Full compromise of the host system running Home Assistant, including access to all data, configurations, and control over the entire system; potential for wider network compromise if the host system is connected to other networks.
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Developers (Core Developers):
      • Implement secure default container configurations for add-ons, minimizing privileges and enforcing strong isolation.
      • Regularly audit and update the Docker runtime environment and container management code within Home Assistant Core for security vulnerabilities.
      • Implement security mechanisms within core to detect and prevent container escape attempts.
      • Provide secure containerization guidelines and tools for add-on developers.