threat-modeling.md

Threat Model Analysis for gollum/gollum

Threat: Unauthorized Git Repository Write Access via Gollum

Description: An attacker bypasses Gollum's access controls or exploits vulnerabilities in Gollum's write permission handling. They can then modify wiki pages, commit malicious content, vandalize the wiki, or manipulate Git history through Gollum's interface.

Impact: Data integrity compromise, wiki defacement, denial of service, injection of malicious content leading to further attacks (e.g., XSS), reputation damage.

Gollum Component Affected: Access Control Module, Git Write Operations, Page Editing Functionality

Risk Severity: Critical

Mitigation Strategies:

• Implement and strictly enforce Gollum's built-in access control mechanisms.
• Carefully configure Gollum's write permissions, limiting them to authorized users only.
• Regularly review and audit Gollum's access control settings.
• Consider using external authentication and authorization systems for enhanced control.

Threat: Git Repository Corruption or Denial of Service

Description: An attacker sends malicious or malformed input through Gollum, exploiting vulnerabilities in Gollum's Git interaction logic or overwhelming the Git repository with excessive requests. This can lead to repository corruption, data loss, or denial of service by making the wiki unavailable.

Impact: Wiki unavailability, data loss, data corruption, operational disruption, potential for long-term instability.

Gollum Component Affected: Git Command Execution, Input Handling, Request Processing

Risk Severity: High

Mitigation Strategies:

• Keep Gollum and Git versions up-to-date with security patches.
• Implement robust input validation and sanitization to prevent malicious input from reaching Git commands.
• Monitor Git repository performance and resource usage for anomalies.
• Implement rate limiting and request throttling to mitigate DoS attempts.
• Regularly back up the Git repository for data recovery.

Threat: Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) through Wiki Content

Description: An attacker injects malicious JavaScript code into wiki pages, exploiting vulnerabilities in Gollum's content rendering or sanitization. When other users view the page, the malicious script executes in their browsers, potentially leading to account compromise, session hijacking, or data theft.

Impact: Account compromise, session hijacking, data theft, website defacement, redirection to malicious sites, malware distribution, loss of user trust.

Gollum Component Affected: Content Rendering Engine (Markdown Parsers, HTML Sanitization), User Input Handling

Risk Severity: High

Mitigation Strategies:

• Enable and properly configure Gollum's built-in HTML sanitization features.
• Keep Gollum and its rendering libraries (Redcarpet, Kramdown, etc.) updated to patch XSS vulnerabilities.
• Implement a Content Security Policy (CSP) to restrict the execution of inline scripts and control resource loading.
• Educate users about the risks of including untrusted content and promote safe content creation practices.

Threat: Weak or Default Authentication Mechanisms

Description: If using Gollum's built-in authentication, an attacker exploits weak or default credentials, or vulnerabilities in the authentication process. This allows them to gain unauthorized access to the wiki, potentially with administrative privileges, if default settings are not changed or strong passwords are not enforced.

Impact: Unauthorized access, data breach, wiki defacement, malicious modifications, potential for complete wiki takeover.

Gollum Component Affected: Authentication Module, User Management

Risk Severity: High

Mitigation Strategies:

• Avoid using Gollum's built-in authentication if possible, opting for stronger external authentication.
• If using built-in authentication, enforce strong password policies and change any default credentials immediately.
• Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for enhanced security.
• Regularly audit user accounts and authentication logs.

Threat: Authorization Bypass or Privilege Escalation

Description: An attacker exploits vulnerabilities in Gollum's authorization logic to bypass access controls or escalate their privileges. This allows them to access or modify pages they are not authorized to, or gain administrative privileges, potentially leading to full control of the wiki.

Impact: Unauthorized access, data breach, wiki defacement, malicious modifications, privilege escalation leading to further system compromise and data manipulation.

Gollum Component Affected: Authorization Module, Access Control Logic, User Role Management

Risk Severity: Critical

Mitigation Strategies:

• Thoroughly review and test Gollum's authorization logic and access control implementation.
• Ensure authorization checks are consistently applied and enforced throughout the application.
• Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning user roles and permissions.
• Regularly audit user permissions and access logs to detect and prevent unauthorized access or privilege escalation.