attack-surface.md

Attack Surface Analysis for lewagon/setup

Attack Surface: Unverified Script Execution

• Description: Executing a shell script directly from the internet without prior review or verification. This is inherently risky as the script's content is trusted implicitly.
• How lewagon/setup Contributes: The primary installation method is to pipe a script directly from a GitHub URL to bash (curl -sSL ... | bash). This encourages users to execute code without inspection, directly relying on the security of the GitHub repository and network connection.
• Example: An attacker compromises the lewagon/setup GitHub repository and modifies the install.sh script. Users who subsequently run the standard installation command unknowingly execute the attacker's malicious code, leading to immediate system compromise.
• Impact: Full system compromise, including data theft, malware installation, and persistent backdoors.
• Risk Severity: Critical
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Developers (lewagon/setup maintainers):
    • Implement robust security measures for the GitHub repository (e.g., multi-factor authentication, access control, regular security audits).
    • Consider code signing the script to allow users to verify its origin and integrity.
    • Provide checksums (like SHA256) of the script for manual verification before execution.
    • Strongly advise users to download and review the script locally before execution, rather than directly piping to bash.
  • Users:
    • Always download the install.sh script and carefully review its contents before executing it. Understand each command and its potential impact.
    • Avoid directly piping the script from curl to bash. Download it first, inspect it, and then execute it from a local file.
    • Monitor system activity and network connections after running the script for any unusual behavior.

Attack Surface: Dependency Vulnerabilities via Package Managers

• Description: Automating the installation of numerous software packages through package managers introduces the risk of installing vulnerable versions or packages from compromised repositories.
• How lewagon/setup Contributes: The script automates the installation of many dependencies using system package managers (like apt, brew, choco) and language-specific package managers (like npm, gem, pip). If the script specifies vulnerable package versions or if package repositories are compromised, the setup process directly installs these vulnerabilities.
• Example: The setup script instructs package managers to install a specific, outdated version of a critical library (e.g., OpenSSL, Node.js) known to have severe security vulnerabilities. Users unknowingly set up a development environment riddled with known exploits from the outset. Alternatively, a compromised package repository could inject malicious packages during the automated installation process.
• Impact: Introduction of known vulnerabilities into the development environment, potentially leading to system compromise or vulnerabilities in developed applications.
• Risk Severity: High
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Developers (lewagon/setup maintainers):
    • Pin specific, secure versions of packages in the script. Regularly audit and update these pinned versions to the latest stable and secure releases.
    • Consider integrating vulnerability scanning tools into the setup script to check for known vulnerabilities in the packages being installed.
    • Document the exact versions of all packages installed by the script to allow users to verify and manage them.
  • Users:
    • After running the setup, immediately update all installed packages using the respective package managers to ensure you have the latest security patches.
    • Regularly use vulnerability scanning tools (e.g., npm audit, pip check) to identify and address vulnerabilities in your development environment.
    • Be aware of supply chain security risks associated with package managers and consider using tools that enhance dependency security.

Attack Surface: Privilege Escalation during Installation

• Description: The setup script likely uses sudo to install system-level packages and configure system settings. If the script is compromised, malicious commands executed with sudo can cause significant damage.
• How lewagon/setup Contributes: Automated setup scripts often require elevated privileges to install software system-wide. If lewagon/setup uses sudo without careful consideration and security checks within the script itself, it amplifies the potential impact of a compromised script.
• Example: A compromised install.sh script includes a sudo command that modifies system-level firewall rules to allow unrestricted inbound traffic, or creates a privileged user account with a known password. This grants attackers persistent and high-level access to the compromised system.
• Impact: Full system compromise, persistent and privileged access for attackers, significant data breaches.
• Risk Severity: High
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Developers (lewagon/setup maintainers):
    • Minimize the use of sudo within the script. Only use it when absolutely necessary for system-level operations.
    • Clearly document in the script and accompanying documentation why sudo is required for specific commands.
    • Thoroughly audit all parts of the script that execute with sudo to ensure they are secure and cannot be abused if the script is compromised.
  • Users:
    • Pay close attention to parts of the install.sh script that use sudo during your review.
    • Understand the necessity of each sudo command and its potential system-wide impact.
    • Run the script in a virtual machine or container initially to observe its behavior, especially the sudo commands, before running it on your primary development machine.

Attack Surface: Configuration File Modifications Leading to Security Weakness

• Description: Modifying system and application configuration files by the setup script can inadvertently introduce security vulnerabilities if configurations are weakened or backdoors are created.
• How lewagon/setup Contributes: The script likely modifies configuration files (e.g., shell profiles, Git configuration, database settings) to streamline the development environment. If these modifications introduce insecure defaults or weaken existing security settings, the setup process directly creates this vulnerability.
• Example: The setup script modifies the SSH configuration to disable strong authentication methods or weakens password policies for newly installed databases. This makes the development machine more vulnerable to unauthorized access after the setup is complete.
• Impact: Weakened security posture, increased risk of unauthorized access, potential data breaches.
• Risk Severity: High
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Developers (lewagon/setup maintainers):
    • Carefully review all configuration file modifications made by the script and ensure they do not weaken security.
    • Avoid setting overly permissive default configurations. Prioritize security best practices in configuration changes.
    • Document all configuration changes made by the script and explain their purpose.
    • Provide options for users to customize or skip certain configuration steps, especially those with security implications.
  • Users:
    • Review the install.sh script for configuration file modifications. Pay close attention to changes in security-sensitive files (e.g., SSH config, database configs, firewall rules).
    • After running the script, inspect modified configuration files and revert any changes that weaken security or are not understood.
    • Regularly review and harden system and application configurations after running automated setup scripts.