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Attack Tree Analysis for sj26/mailcatcher

Objective: Exfiltrate sensitive information or manipulate application behavior by exploiting MailCatcher's intended functionality or implementation vulnerabilities.

Attack Tree Visualization

                                  Exfiltrate Sensitive Information or Manipulate Application Behavior
                                                  (via MailCatcher)
                                                        |
                                    -----------------------------------------------------
                                    |
                (1. Intercept/View Emails (Information Disclosure))
                                    |
                ------------------------------------
                |                  |
    (1.1 Network Sniffing)  (1.2  Access)
    (Unencrypted HTTP)    MailCatcher UI
    [CRITICAL] if          [CRITICAL]
    unprotected network
                                    |
                ------------------------------------
                |

High-Risk Path>> (1.2.1 Default/Weak) [CRITICAL] Credentials

Attack Tree Path: 1. Intercept/View Emails (Information Disclosure)

  • Description: This is the overarching category for attacks aiming to gain unauthorized access to email content.

Attack Tree Path: 1.1 Network Sniffing (Unencrypted HTTP) - [CRITICAL] if unprotected network

  • Description: MailCatcher uses HTTP by default, not HTTPS. If the application and MailCatcher are not on the same machine or within a secure, isolated network, an attacker on the same network can intercept the traffic. This exposes all email content.
  • Likelihood: High (if used over an untrusted network without protection) / Very Low (if used in a secure, isolated environment)
  • Impact: High to Very High (depending on email content sensitivity)
  • Effort: Low
  • Skill Level: Novice to Intermediate
  • Detection Difficulty: Medium to Hard (requires network monitoring)
  • Mitigation:
    • Use MailCatcher within a secure, isolated environment (e.g., Docker, local machine, VPN).
    • Use a reverse proxy (Nginx, Apache) with HTTPS.
    • Consider SSH tunneling.
    • Never use MailCatcher over an untrusted network without additional security.

Attack Tree Path: 1.2 Access MailCatcher UI - [CRITICAL]

  • Description: The MailCatcher web UI provides access to all captured emails. If an attacker gains access, they can view all content.
  • Likelihood: Very High (due to the lack of authentication)
  • Impact: High to Very High (full access to all captured emails)
  • Effort: Very Low (if no network restrictions or authentication are in place)
  • Skill Level: Novice
  • Detection Difficulty: Very Easy (if access logs are monitored, but MailCatcher doesn't log by default) / Hard (if no logging)
  • Mitigation:
    • Never expose the MailCatcher UI directly to the internet or an untrusted network.
    • Implement network-level access control (firewall rules, security groups).
    • Use a reverse proxy (Nginx, Apache) with basic authentication (or better).
    • Consider modifying MailCatcher's source code to add authentication (advanced).

Attack Tree Path: 1.2.1 Default/Weak Credentials - [CRITICAL]

  • Description: MailCatcher has no built-in authentication. Anyone who can access the web UI can see all emails.
  • Likelihood: Very High (inherent to the design)
  • Impact: High to Very High (complete email exposure)
  • Effort: Very Low
  • Skill Level: Novice
  • Detection Difficulty: Very Easy (if access logs are monitored, but MailCatcher doesn't log by default) / Hard (if no logging)
  • Mitigation: Same as 1.2 (Access MailCatcher UI) - this is the core issue addressed by those mitigations. The lack of credentials is the vulnerability.