mitigations.md

Mitigation Strategies Analysis for heartcombo/devise

Mitigation Strategy: Enable Devise's Paranoid Mode

• Description:

  1. Open the Devise initializer file: config/initializers/devise.rb.
  2. Locate the line config.paranoid = ....
  3. Ensure it's set to true: config.paranoid = true.
  4. Restart your Rails server.
  5. Test password reset with valid/invalid emails to confirm identical response times.

• Threats Mitigated:

  • Account Enumeration (Timing Attack on Password Reset): High Severity. Attackers identify registered emails via timing differences.
  • Account Enumeration (Error Messages - Password Reset): Medium Severity. Specific error messages reveal registered emails.

• Impact:

  • Account Enumeration (Timing Attack): Risk reduced from High to Low.
  • Account Enumeration (Error Messages): Risk reduced from Medium to Low (with generic error messages).

• Currently Implemented: Yes/No (Specify: e.g., "Yes, in config/initializers/devise.rb")

• Missing Implementation: (Specify: e.g., "None" or "Need to verify in production")

Mitigation Strategy: Use Generic Error Messages (Within Devise Views/Controllers)

• Description:

  1. Generate Devise views: rails generate devise:views.
  2. Review these views (and any custom Devise controllers):
     • app/views/devise/sessions/new.html.erb
     • app/views/devise/passwords/new.html.erb
     • app/views/devise/passwords/edit.html.erb
     • app/views/devise/registrations/new.html.erb
  3. Replace specific error messages (e.g., "Email not found") with generic ones (e.g., "Invalid email or password"). Use flash[:alert].
  4. Review custom controllers inheriting from Devise for similar issues.
  5. Test all authentication flows.

• Threats Mitigated:

  • Account Enumeration (Error Messages - Login): Medium Severity. Specific messages reveal existing accounts.
  • Account Enumeration (Error Messages - Password Reset): Medium Severity.
  • Information Disclosure: Low Severity.

• Impact:

  • Account Enumeration (Login/Password Reset): Risk reduced from Medium to Low.
  • Information Disclosure: Risk reduced from Low to Negligible.

• Currently Implemented: Yes/No (Specify: e.g., "Partially, views updated, need to check controllers")

• Missing Implementation: (Specify: e.g., "Custom controller Users::CustomAuthController")

Mitigation Strategy: Implement Devise's Lockable Module

• Description:

  1. Add :lockable to your Devise model (e.g., app/models/user.rb):

     devise :database_authenticatable, :registerable,
            :recoverable, :rememberable, :validatable, :lockable

  2. Run migrations if needed.
  3. Configure in config/initializers/devise.rb:

     config.lock_strategy = :failed_attempts
     config.maximum_attempts = 5
     config.unlock_strategy = :time
     config.unlock_in = 1.hour

  4. Test by entering incorrect passwords.
  5. If using :email unlock, ensure email configuration is correct.

• Threats Mitigated:

  • Brute-Force Attacks (Login): High Severity.
  • Credential Stuffing: High Severity.

• Impact:

  • Brute-Force Attacks: Risk reduced from High to Low.
  • Credential Stuffing: Risk reduced from High to Low.

• Currently Implemented: Yes/No (Specify: e.g., "Yes, with defaults in devise.rb and user.rb")

• Missing Implementation: (Specify: e.g., "Configure email notifications for unlocks")

Mitigation Strategy: Regenerate Session ID on Login (Verify Devise Default)

• Description:

  1. This is Devise's default behavior. No explicit configuration is usually needed.
  2. Crucially: Review your code (especially custom authentication) to ensure you are not manually setting the session ID before Devise's authentication. Avoid session[:user_id] = user.id prematurely.
  3. Test by logging in and checking the session cookie before/after.

• Threats Mitigated:

  • Session Fixation: High Severity.

• Impact:

  • Session Fixation: Risk reduced from High to Low (assuming no interference).

• Currently Implemented: Yes/No (Specify: e.g., "Yes, using Devise default. Code reviewed.")

• Missing Implementation: (Specify: e.g., "None, assuming default behavior")

Mitigation Strategy: Use Strong Parameters (Within Devise Controllers)

• Description:

  1. For custom controllers inheriting from Devise (e.g., Users::RegistrationsController), define configure_permitted_parameters.
  2. Use devise_parameter_sanitizer.permit to whitelist allowed attributes for sign_up and account_update:

     class Users::RegistrationsController < Devise::RegistrationsController
       before_action :configure_permitted_parameters
     
       protected
     
       def configure_permitted_parameters
         devise_parameter_sanitizer.permit(:sign_up, keys: [:email, :password, :password_confirmation, :username])
         devise_parameter_sanitizer.permit(:account_update, keys: [:email, :password, :password_confirmation, :current_password, :username])
       end
     end

  3. Crucially: Only include user-modifiable attributes. Exclude admin, role, etc.
  4. If not using custom controllers, Devise's default sanitization is usually safe, but explicit is better.
  5. Test by submitting requests with unexpected parameters.

• Threats Mitigated:

  • Mass Assignment: High Severity.

• Impact:

  • Mass Assignment: Risk reduced from High to Low.

• Currently Implemented: Yes/No (Specify: e.g., "Yes, in Users::RegistrationsController")

• Missing Implementation: (Specify: e.g., "Users::ProfilesController")

Mitigation Strategy: Manage "Remember Me" Token Duration (Devise Setting)

• Description:

  1. Open config/initializers/devise.rb.
  2. Set config.remember_for to a reasonable duration:

     config.remember_for = 2.weeks # Or shorter

  3. Test the "remember me" functionality.

• Threats Mitigated:

  • Replay Attacks (Remember Me Token): Medium Severity.

• Impact:

  • Replay Attacks: Risk reduced from Medium to Low (depending on duration).

• Currently Implemented: Yes/No (Specify: e.g., "Yes, 1 week in devise.rb")

• Missing Implementation: (Specify: e.g., "None")

Mitigation Strategy: Enforce Email Confirmation (Devise Confirmable Module)

• Description:

  1. Add :confirmable to your Devise model (e.g., app/models/user.rb).
  2. Run migrations.
  3. Ensure email configuration is correct.
  4. Use before_action :authenticate_user! to protect routes. Devise blocks unconfirmed users.
  5. Crucially: Do not override Devise's confirmation to allow unconfirmed access.
  6. Test by creating an account and trying to access protected resources before confirmation.

• Threats Mitigated:

  • Unconfirmed Account Access: Medium Severity.
  • Spam/Abuse: Medium Severity.

• Impact:

  • Unconfirmed Account Access: Risk reduced from Medium to Low.
  • Spam/Abuse: Risk reduced from Medium to Low.

• Currently Implemented: Yes/No (Specify: e.g., "Yes, in User model, enforced with authenticate_user!")

• Missing Implementation: (Specify: e.g., "None")

Mitigation Strategy: Validate Redirect URLs (Within Devise Overrides)

• Description:

  1. If overriding Devise's redirects (e.g., after_sign_out_path_for, after_confirmation_path_for), validate the URL.
  2. Best: Use a whitelist:

     def after_sign_out_path_for(resource_or_scope)
       allowed_paths = ['/', '/about']
       return root_path unless params[:redirect_to].in?(allowed_paths)
       params[:redirect_to]
     end

  3. Alternative (Less Secure): Robust URL validation. Never use user input directly without validation.
  4. Test with malicious redirect URLs.

• Threats Mitigated:

  • Open Redirect: Medium Severity.

• Impact:

  • Open Redirect: Risk reduced from Medium to Low (with validation).

• Currently Implemented: Yes/No (Specify: e.g., "Partially, domain check. Need whitelist.")

• Missing Implementation: (Specify: e.g., "after_confirmation_path_for needs review")