- Description: Brakeman relies on third-party libraries (gems). A critical vulnerability in one of Brakeman's dependencies could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the system running Brakeman. This could be achieved by exploiting a known vulnerability in a dependency that Brakeman uses, potentially through crafted input or by compromising the dependency supply chain. An attacker could target systems running Brakeman, such as development machines or CI/CD servers.
- Impact:
- Critical System Compromise: Full compromise of the development environment, CI/CD pipeline, or any system where Brakeman is executed.
- Code Injection: Attackers could inject malicious code into the application codebase during the analysis process or within the CI/CD pipeline.
- Data Exfiltration: Sensitive data, including source code, application secrets, or internal configurations, could be exfiltrated from compromised systems.
- Supply Chain Attack: Compromised Brakeman instances could be used as a stepping stone to further attacks on the development pipeline or even deployed applications if the CI/CD pipeline is compromised.
- Brakeman Component Affected: Dependency Management, any component utilizing a vulnerable dependency, potentially the entire Brakeman application if RCE is achieved.
- Risk Severity: Critical
- Mitigation Strategies:
- Maintain Up-to-date Brakeman: Regularly update Brakeman to the latest version to ensure that known vulnerabilities in Brakeman itself and its dependencies are patched.
- Dependency Scanning: Implement automated dependency scanning tools (e.g.,
bundler-audit, gemnasium, or integrated CI/CD security scanning) to continuously monitor Brakeman's dependencies for known vulnerabilities. - Vulnerability Monitoring: Subscribe to security advisories and vulnerability databases relevant to Ruby gems and Brakeman's dependencies to proactively identify and address potential issues.
- Dependency Pinning and Locking: Use dependency pinning and lock files (e.g.,
Gemfile.lock) to ensure consistent dependency versions and prevent unexpected updates that might introduce vulnerabilities. - Secure Dependency Resolution: Configure dependency resolution to prioritize secure sources and verify the integrity of downloaded dependencies.
- Regular Security Audits: Conduct periodic security audits of the development environment and CI/CD pipeline, including the Brakeman installation and its dependencies, to identify and remediate potential vulnerabilities.
- Principle of Least Privilege: Run Brakeman with the minimum necessary privileges to limit the potential impact of a compromise.
- Isolate Brakeman Environment: Run Brakeman in an isolated environment (e.g., containerized environment, dedicated virtual machine) to contain the impact of a potential compromise and prevent lateral movement to other systems.