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Mitigation Strategies Analysis for cucumber/cucumber-ruby

Mitigation Strategy: Principle of Least Privilege for Step Definitions

  • Mitigation Strategy: Enforce the Principle of Least Privilege (POLP) for all Cucumber step definitions.

  • Description:

    1. Identify Actions: For each cucumber-ruby step definition, list all the actions it performs.
    2. Determine Minimum Permissions: For each action, determine the absolute minimum permissions required. Favor interacting with the application through its API or UI within the step definition, rather than direct system access.
    3. Refactor Step Definitions: Rewrite cucumber-ruby step definitions to use only these minimum permissions.
    4. Code Review: During code reviews, specifically check that cucumber-ruby step definitions adhere to POLP.
    5. Regular Audits: Periodically review all cucumber-ruby step definitions.

  • List of Threats Mitigated:

    • Privilege Escalation (High Severity): A compromised cucumber-ruby step definition could be used for unauthorized access.
    • Unintended Side Effects (Medium Severity): Limits the potential for a cucumber-ruby step definition to cause unintended changes.
    • Data Breaches (High Severity): Reduces the impact if a cucumber-ruby step definition is exploited.

  • Impact:

    • Privilege Escalation: Significantly reduces risk (High impact).
    • Unintended Side Effects: Moderately reduces risk (Medium impact).
    • Data Breaches: Reduces the impact (Medium impact).

  • Currently Implemented:

    • Partially implemented in the user_management steps (Ruby code within these steps interacts via the API).
    • Fully implemented in the reporting steps (Ruby code only has read-only access).

  • Missing Implementation:

    • email_sending steps (Ruby code uses a generic account). Needs refactoring.
    • file_upload steps (Ruby code interacts directly with the filesystem). Needs refactoring.

Mitigation Strategy: Secure Input Handling in Feature Files (and Step Definitions)

  • Mitigation Strategy: Treat all data from cucumber-ruby feature files as untrusted; validate and escape within step definitions.

  • Description:

    1. Identify Input Sources: Identify all places where data from cucumber-ruby feature files is used within step definitions.
    2. Parameterization: Use cucumber-ruby's parameterization features (<parameter>, data tables).
    3. Type Validation: Within cucumber-ruby step definitions, validate the type of each parameter.
    4. Content Validation: Within cucumber-ruby step definitions, validate the content of each parameter.
    5. Escaping/Sanitization: Before using parameters in any potentially dangerous operation within the Ruby code of the step definition, escape or sanitize them.
    6. Avoid Dynamic Code: Never directly execute code from cucumber-ruby feature files within the step definition.

  • List of Threats Mitigated:

    • Code Injection (High Severity): Prevents injecting malicious code through cucumber-ruby feature files.
    • SQL Injection (High Severity): Protects against SQL injection if feature file data is used in database queries within the step definition's Ruby code.
    • Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) (High Severity): If feature file data is used in web UI output via the step definition, escaping prevents XSS.
    • Command Injection (High Severity): Prevents injecting shell commands via the step definition.

  • Impact:

    • Code Injection: Significantly reduces risk (High impact).
    • SQL Injection: Significantly reduces risk (High impact).
    • XSS: Significantly reduces risk (High impact).
    • Command Injection: Significantly reduces risk (High impact).

  • Currently Implemented:

    • Partially implemented in user_management steps (Ruby code does basic type validation).
    • Implemented for parameters used in database queries (parameterized queries within the Ruby code).

  • Missing Implementation:

    • reporting steps: Parameters used to construct report filters (within the Ruby code) are not fully validated.
    • file_upload steps: File names and paths from feature files are not sanitized (within the Ruby code).

Mitigation Strategy: Secure Hook Management (Cucumber-Ruby Hooks)

  • Mitigation Strategy: Design and audit cucumber-ruby hooks (Background, Before, After) securely.

  • Description:

    1. Minimize Hook Usage: Use cucumber-ruby hooks only for essential setup/teardown.
    2. Secure Setup: If cucumber-ruby hooks perform setup, ensure they use secure methods and POLP (within the Ruby code of the hook).
    3. Reliable Cleanup: cucumber-ruby After hooks must reliably clean up. Handle errors during cleanup within the Ruby code.
    4. No Security Disabling: Never use cucumber-ruby hooks to disable security features.
    5. Regular Audits: Regularly review cucumber-ruby hook code.

  • List of Threats Mitigated:

    • Data Leakage (Medium Severity): Ensures cleanup to prevent sensitive information from being left behind.
    • Privilege Escalation (High Severity): Prevents cucumber-ruby hooks from bypassing security.
    • Test Interference (Low Severity): Ensures tests don't leave the system inconsistent.

  • Impact:

    • Data Leakage: Moderately reduces risk (Medium impact).
    • Privilege Escalation: Significantly reduces risk (High impact).
    • Test Interference: Reduces risk (Low impact).

  • Currently Implemented:

    • cucumber-ruby After hooks delete test users and clean up records.
    • cucumber-ruby Before hooks set up the environment.

  • Missing Implementation:

    • More robust error handling in cucumber-ruby After hooks.
    • Review of cucumber-ruby Before hooks for unnecessary operations.

Mitigation Strategy: Preventing Test-Induced Denial of Service (DoS) (via Cucumber-Ruby)

  • Mitigation Strategy: Design cucumber-ruby tests to avoid causing DoS.

  • Description:

    1. Rate Limiting: Implement rate limiting within the Ruby code of step definitions that interact with external services.
    2. Realistic Data: Use realistic data in cucumber-ruby feature files.
    3. Avoid loops: Avoid using loops in the cucumber-ruby feature files.

  • List of Threats Mitigated:

    • Denial of Service (DoS) (Medium Severity): Prevents cucumber-ruby tests from overwhelming the system.
    • Performance Degradation (Low Severity): Ensures tests don't impact performance.

  • Impact:

    • Denial of Service (DoS): Moderately reduces risk (Medium impact).
    • Performance Degradation: Reduces risk (Low impact).

  • Currently Implemented:

    • None

  • Missing Implementation:

    • Rate limiting is not implemented in cucumber-ruby step definitions interacting with external APIs.
    • Some cucumber-ruby scenarios use large datasets. Review and potentially scale down.
    • Avoid loops in the cucumber-ruby feature files.