attack-tree.md

Attack Tree Analysis for docusealco/docuseal

Objective: Compromise Application Using Docuseal by Exploiting Docuseal's Vulnerabilities to Gain Unauthorized Access, Data Breach, or Disrupt Service.

Attack Tree Visualization

• [2] Exploit Docuseal Weaknesses to Achieve Compromise
  • [2.A] Exploit Vulnerabilities in Document Handling [HIGH RISK PATH]
    • [2.A.1] Malicious Document Upload & Processing [HIGH RISK PATH]
      • [2.A.1.c] Exploit Vulnerability during Processing [CRITICAL NODE] (e.g., Code Execution, SSRF, XXE, Buffer Overflow)
  • [2.B] Exploit Authentication/Authorization Flaws in Docuseal [HIGH RISK PATH]
    • [2.B.1] Authentication Bypass [HIGH RISK PATH]
      • [2.B.1.b] Find Authentication Bypass Vulnerability [CRITICAL NODE] (e.g., JWT signature forgery, session hijacking, default credentials)
    • [2.B.2] Authorization Flaws [HIGH RISK PATH]
      • [2.B.2.b] Find Authorization Bypass Vulnerability [CRITICAL NODE] (e.g., Privilege Escalation, IDOR)
  • [2.D] Exploit Dependency Vulnerabilities in Docuseal [HIGH RISK PATH]
    • [2.D.3] Exploit Vulnerable Dependency [CRITICAL NODE] (e.g., RCE in a vulnerable library)
  • [2.E] Exploit Misconfigurations in Docuseal Deployment [HIGH RISK PATH]
    • [2.E.1] Insecure Default Settings [HIGH RISK PATH]
      • [2.E.1.a] Default Passwords/Credentials [CRITICAL NODE]
    • [2.E.2] Improper Access Control Configuration [HIGH RISK PATH]
      • [2.E.2.a] Publicly Accessible Docuseal Admin Panel [CRITICAL NODE]

Attack Tree Path: [2.A] Exploit Vulnerabilities in Document Handling [HIGH RISK PATH]

• Attack Vector: This path focuses on exploiting weaknesses in how Docuseal processes documents. Since Docuseal's core function is document handling, vulnerabilities here can be critical.
• Mechanism: Attackers upload specially crafted documents designed to trigger vulnerabilities during parsing, processing, or rendering by Docuseal.
• Potential Vulnerabilities Exploited:
  • Code Execution: Malicious documents can be crafted to execute arbitrary code on the server running Docuseal. This could be achieved through vulnerabilities in document parsing libraries or insecure handling of document content.
  • Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF): If Docuseal processes external resources based on document content (e.g., fetching images or external entities), an attacker might be able to force Docuseal to make requests to internal or external systems, potentially exposing sensitive information or gaining access to internal resources.
  • XML External Entity (XXE) Injection: If Docuseal processes XML documents and is vulnerable to XXE, an attacker can include external entities in the XML document that Docuseal will parse. This can lead to disclosure of local files, internal network scanning, or denial-of-service.
  • Buffer Overflow: Improper memory management during document processing could lead to buffer overflow vulnerabilities, potentially allowing attackers to overwrite memory and execute arbitrary code.

Attack Tree Path: [2.A.1.c] Exploit Vulnerability during Processing [CRITICAL NODE]

• Attack Vector: This is the critical step within the Document Handling path. It represents the actual exploitation of a vulnerability during the document processing stage.
• Mechanism: After uploading a malicious document and triggering Docuseal to process it, the attacker relies on a vulnerability in Docuseal's document processing logic to execute their malicious payload.
• Impact: Successful exploitation at this node can lead to full system compromise, data breaches (access to processed documents and potentially underlying data), and denial of service.

Attack Tree Path: [2.B] Exploit Authentication/Authorization Flaws in Docuseal [HIGH RISK PATH]

• Attack Vector: This path targets weaknesses in Docuseal's mechanisms for verifying user identity (authentication) and controlling access to resources and functionalities (authorization).
• Mechanism: Attackers attempt to bypass authentication or authorization checks to gain unauthorized access to Docuseal and the application using it.
• Potential Vulnerabilities Exploited:
  • Authentication Bypass: Circumventing the login process to gain access without valid credentials. This could involve exploiting vulnerabilities in the authentication logic itself, such as:
    • JWT Signature Forgery: If Docuseal uses JSON Web Tokens (JWT) for authentication and the signature verification is flawed, an attacker might be able to forge valid JWTs.
    • Session Hijacking: If Docuseal uses session-based authentication and sessions are not handled securely, attackers might be able to steal or hijack valid user sessions.
    • Default Credentials: If Docuseal or its components use default usernames and passwords that are not changed, attackers can use these to gain immediate access.
  • Authorization Flaws: Exploiting weaknesses in how Docuseal enforces access control after authentication. This could involve:
    • Privilege Escalation: Gaining access to functionalities or data that should be restricted to higher-privileged users (e.g., administrators).
    • Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR): Accessing resources (like documents or user profiles) by directly manipulating object identifiers (e.g., IDs in URLs) without proper authorization checks, allowing access to resources belonging to other users.

Attack Tree Path: [2.B.1.b] Find Authentication Bypass Vulnerability [CRITICAL NODE]

• Attack Vector: This is the critical step in the Authentication Bypass path. It focuses on discovering and exploiting a specific flaw that allows bypassing the authentication process.
• Mechanism: Attackers actively search for and test potential authentication bypass vulnerabilities in Docuseal's authentication implementation.
• Impact: Successful exploitation at this node grants the attacker full unauthorized access to Docuseal functionalities, potentially including administrative functions and sensitive data.

Attack Tree Path: [2.B.2.b] Find Authorization Bypass Vulnerability [CRITICAL NODE]

• Attack Vector: This is the critical step in the Authorization Flaws path. It focuses on discovering and exploiting a flaw that allows bypassing authorization checks after successful authentication.
• Mechanism: Attackers attempt to identify and exploit weaknesses in Docuseal's authorization logic, allowing them to perform actions or access resources they are not supposed to.
• Impact: Successful exploitation at this node allows attackers to perform actions beyond their intended privileges, potentially leading to data breaches, manipulation of documents, or disruption of service.

Attack Tree Path: [2.D] Exploit Dependency Vulnerabilities in Docuseal [HIGH RISK PATH]

• Attack Vector: This path exploits vulnerabilities in third-party libraries and frameworks that Docuseal depends on.
• Mechanism: Attackers identify the dependencies used by Docuseal and check for known vulnerabilities (e.g., using CVE databases). If vulnerable dependencies are found, attackers attempt to exploit these vulnerabilities in the context of Docuseal.
• Potential Vulnerabilities Exploited:
  • Remote Code Execution (RCE) in a vulnerable library: Many dependency vulnerabilities can lead to remote code execution, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code on the server running Docuseal. This is a critical vulnerability.

Attack Tree Path: [2.D.3] Exploit Vulnerable Dependency [CRITICAL NODE]

• Attack Vector: This is the critical step in the Dependency Vulnerabilities path. It represents the actual exploitation of a known vulnerability in one of Docuseal's dependencies.
• Mechanism: Once a vulnerable dependency is identified, attackers utilize publicly available exploits or develop their own to target the vulnerability within the Docuseal environment.
• Impact: Successful exploitation at this node can lead to full system compromise, data breaches, and denial of service, depending on the nature of the dependency vulnerability.

Attack Tree Path: [2.E] Exploit Misconfigurations in Docuseal Deployment [HIGH RISK PATH]

• Attack Vector: This path focuses on exploiting vulnerabilities arising from improper configuration of Docuseal during deployment.
• Mechanism: Attackers look for common misconfigurations that weaken security, such as default credentials, overly permissive access controls, or publicly exposed administrative interfaces.
• Potential Misconfigurations Exploited:
  • Insecure Default Settings: Using default settings that are not secure, such as:
    • Default Passwords/Credentials: If default usernames and passwords for Docuseal or related services (like databases) are not changed, attackers can easily gain access.
  • Improper Access Control Configuration: Incorrectly configured access controls, such as:
    • Publicly Accessible Docuseal Admin Panel: If the administrative interface of Docuseal is exposed to the public internet without proper authentication or access restrictions, attackers can directly access and potentially compromise the system.

Attack Tree Path: [2.E.1.a] Default Passwords/Credentials [CRITICAL NODE]

• Attack Vector: This is a critical misconfiguration vulnerability. Using default credentials is a very common and easily exploitable weakness.
• Mechanism: Attackers attempt to log in to Docuseal or related services using well-known default usernames and passwords.
• Impact: Successful exploitation at this node grants immediate administrative or privileged access, leading to full system compromise and data breaches.

Attack Tree Path: [2.E.2.a] Publicly Accessible Docuseal Admin Panel [CRITICAL NODE]

• Attack Vector: This is another critical misconfiguration. Exposing the admin panel to the public internet significantly increases the attack surface.
• Mechanism: Attackers directly access the administrative interface of Docuseal, which should ideally be restricted to internal networks or specific IP addresses.
• Impact: If the admin panel is publicly accessible and lacks strong authentication or is vulnerable itself, attackers can gain full administrative control over Docuseal and the application using it.