mitigations.md

Mitigation Strategies Analysis for activemerchant/active_merchant

Mitigation Strategy: Regularly Update Active Merchant

• Description:

  1. Identify Current Version: Check the Gemfile.lock or gemspec to determine the currently used version of active_merchant.
  2. Check for Updates: Visit the active_merchant GitHub repository or RubyGems.org to see if newer versions are available. Review the changelog or release notes for security patches and bug fixes specifically for active_merchant.
  3. Update Gemfile: If a newer version is available, update the active_merchant version in your Gemfile to the latest stable release. For example, change gem 'active_merchant', '1.50.0' to gem 'active_merchant', '1.55.0' (using the actual latest version).
  4. Run bundle update active_merchant: Execute this command in your terminal to update the gem and its dependencies.
  5. Test Thoroughly: After updating, run your application's test suite, especially payment processing related tests that utilize active_merchant, in a staging environment. Manually test key payment flows to ensure compatibility and no regressions with the updated gem.
  6. Deploy Updated Version: Once testing is successful, deploy the updated application to production.
  7. Schedule Regular Checks: Set a recurring reminder (e.g., monthly) to check for new active_merchant updates and repeat this process.

  • Threats Mitigated:

    • Exploitation of Known Vulnerabilities in Active Merchant (High Severity): Outdated versions of active_merchant may contain publicly known security flaws within the gem itself that attackers can exploit to compromise payment processing.
    • Denial of Service (DoS) related to Active Merchant vulnerabilities (Medium Severity): Some vulnerabilities within active_merchant might lead to DoS attacks, disrupting payment processing functionality specifically through the gem.

  • Impact:

    • Exploitation of Known Vulnerabilities in Active Merchant: High risk reduction. Patching vulnerabilities within active_merchant directly addresses the root cause of potential exploits targeting the gem.
    • Denial of Service (DoS) related to Active Merchant vulnerabilities: Medium risk reduction. Updates to active_merchant often include performance improvements and bug fixes within the gem that can indirectly mitigate some DoS attack vectors targeting the gem's functionality.

  • Currently Implemented: Yes, in the project's dependency management process. The Gemfile is used to manage dependencies, and developers are generally aware of the need to update gems, including active_merchant.

  • Missing Implementation: Formalized scheduled checks specifically for active_merchant updates and automated dependency scanning that flags outdated versions of active_merchant are missing. The update process for active_merchant is currently manual and reactive rather than proactive.

Mitigation Strategy: Securely Store API Keys and Credentials (Used by Active Merchant)

• Description:

  1. Identify Active Merchant Configuration: Review the application code where active_merchant is configured, specifically looking for where API keys, merchant IDs, passwords, or secrets for payment gateways are being set.
  2. Remove Hardcoded Credentials from Active Merchant Configuration: Delete all hardcoded credentials from the code that configures active_merchant.
  3. Choose a Secrets Management Solution: Select a secure method for storing secrets, such as environment variables, HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, or similar. For environment variables, ensure they are properly configured in deployment environments and not exposed in version control. For dedicated solutions, set up the chosen system.
  4. Store Credentials Securely: Store the payment gateway API keys and other sensitive credentials used by active_merchant in the chosen secrets management solution.
  5. Access Credentials in Active Merchant Configuration: Modify the application code to retrieve credentials from the secrets management solution when configuring active_merchant instead of using hardcoded values. Use appropriate libraries or methods to access environment variables or interact with the chosen secrets manager within the active_merchant setup.
  6. Restrict Access to Secrets: Implement access controls on the secrets management solution to limit access to only authorized personnel and processes that need to configure or use active_merchant.

  • Threats Mitigated:

    • Exposure of Payment Gateway Credentials Used by Active Merchant in Source Code (High Severity): Hardcoded credentials used to configure active_merchant are easily discoverable if the codebase is compromised or accidentally exposed.
    • Credential Theft of Payment Gateway Access Used by Active Merchant (High Severity): If credentials used by active_merchant are hardcoded and the application is compromised, attackers can easily steal these credentials and gain unauthorized access to payment gateway accounts through the application's Active Merchant integration.

  • Impact:

    • Exposure of Payment Gateway Credentials Used by Active Merchant in Source Code: High risk reduction. Eliminates the most direct and easily exploitable path for credential exposure related to active_merchant's gateway access.
    • Credential Theft of Payment Gateway Access Used by Active Merchant: High risk reduction. Significantly reduces the risk of credential theft for payment gateway access used by active_merchant by removing them from the codebase and storing them in a more secure, controlled environment.

  • Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. Environment variables might be used for some configuration related to active_merchant, but dedicated secrets management specifically for sensitive API keys used by active_merchant might be missing.

  • Missing Implementation: Adoption of a dedicated secrets management solution like Vault or AWS Secrets Manager specifically for payment gateway API keys used by active_merchant. Consistent use of environment variables across all environments for active_merchant configuration and ensuring they are not accidentally logged or exposed.

Mitigation Strategy: Follow Gateway-Specific Security Best Practices (When Using Active Merchant)

• Description:

  1. Identify Payment Gateways Used with Active Merchant: Determine which payment gateways are integrated with the application using active_merchant.
  2. Review Gateway Security Documentation: For each gateway, thoroughly review their official security documentation, API best practices, and security recommendations.
  3. Implement Gateway-Specific Security Measures in Active Merchant Integration: Adapt the application's active_merchant integration to incorporate the gateway-specific security measures. This might involve:
     • Using specific API endpoints recommended for security.
     • Implementing data validation or formatting required by the gateway for security.
     • Utilizing security features offered by the gateway that can be accessed through active_merchant or directly via API calls alongside active_merchant.
  4. Test Gateway-Specific Security Configurations: Thoroughly test the active_merchant integration with the implemented gateway-specific security measures in staging and sandbox environments provided by the payment gateway.

  • Threats Mitigated:

    • Exploiting Gateway-Specific Vulnerabilities or Misconfigurations (Medium to High Severity): Each payment gateway has its own security nuances. Ignoring gateway-specific best practices when using active_merchant can leave the application vulnerable to exploits or misconfigurations specific to that gateway.
    • Bypassing Gateway Security Features (Medium Severity): Payment gateways often offer security features (like address verification, fraud scoring, etc.). Not utilizing these features through active_merchant integration (or alongside it) reduces the overall security posture.

  • Impact:

    • Exploiting Gateway-Specific Vulnerabilities or Misconfigurations: Medium to High risk reduction. Adhering to gateway-specific security practices minimizes the attack surface related to the chosen payment gateways when using active_merchant.
    • Bypassing Gateway Security Features: Medium risk reduction. Utilizing gateway security features enhances the overall security of payment processing facilitated by active_merchant.

  • Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. Basic integration with payment gateways using active_merchant is likely in place, but a systematic review and implementation of gateway-specific security best practices might be missing.

  • Missing Implementation: A dedicated review of security documentation for each payment gateway used with active_merchant. Implementation of gateway-specific security measures within the active_merchant integration. Documentation of these gateway-specific security configurations.

Mitigation Strategy: Utilize Tokenization Where Possible (Through Active Merchant Gateway Integration)

• Description:

  1. Verify Active Merchant Gateway Tokenization Support: Confirm that the payment gateways integrated with active_merchant support tokenization and that active_merchant provides methods to utilize this feature for those gateways.
  2. Implement Tokenization Flow Using Active Merchant: Modify the payment processing flow in the application to use active_merchant's tokenization capabilities. This typically involves:
     • Use Active Merchant to Request Token from Gateway: When collecting card details, use active_merchant's methods to interact with the gateway API and request a token instead of directly processing card details.
     • Store Token (Not Card Data) Associated with Active Merchant Entities: Store the token received from the gateway in your application's database, associating it with relevant entities (e.g., user, order), but do not store the actual credit card number, CVV, etc.
     • Use Active Merchant with Token for Transactions: For subsequent transactions (e.g., recurring payments, refunds), use active_merchant methods to authorize payments using the stored token instead of re-collecting card details.

  • Threats Mitigated:

    • Cardholder Data Breach Risk Reduction When Using Active Merchant (High Severity): Storing raw cardholder data, even when using active_merchant for processing, significantly increases the risk of a data breach. Tokenization through active_merchant prevents this.
    • PCI DSS Scope Reduction for Active Merchant Integration (High Severity): Storing cardholder data directly, even if processed through active_merchant, brings the application into PCI DSS scope. Tokenization via active_merchant can drastically reduce or eliminate PCI DSS scope related to payment data storage.

  • Impact:

    • Cardholder Data Breach Risk Reduction When Using Active Merchant: High risk reduction. Eliminates the storage of sensitive cardholder data within the application's context when using active_merchant, removing the primary target for attackers seeking payment information processed by the gem.
    • PCI DSS Scope Reduction for Active Merchant Integration: High impact. Significantly simplifies PCI DSS compliance efforts and reduces associated costs and complexities specifically for the payment processing parts of the application using active_merchant.

  • Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. Tokenization might be used for some payment flows handled by active_merchant, but direct card data processing through active_merchant might still exist in certain areas or older parts of the application.

  • Missing Implementation: Full adoption of tokenization for all payment processing scenarios handled by active_merchant. Reviewing and refactoring existing payment flows that use active_merchant to eliminate direct card data handling and ensure tokens are used consistently through active_merchant's API.