Skip to content

Latest commit

 

History

History
246 lines (186 loc) · 13.5 KB

sec-design.md

File metadata and controls

246 lines (186 loc) · 13.5 KB

Okay, let's create a design document for the provided GitHub repository.

BUSINESS POSTURE

Business Priorities and Goals:

  • Streamline developer environment setup and configuration.
  • Ensure consistency of development environment across different machines.
  • Reduce onboarding time for new projects or team members.
  • Maintain a personalized and efficient development workflow.
  • Version control and backup of configuration files.

Most Important Business Risks:

  • Exposure of sensitive information (API keys, passwords, etc.) if the repository is accidentally made public or accessed by unauthorized individuals.
  • Loss of productivity due to inconsistent or broken development environments.
  • Difficulty in recovering from system failures or hardware changes if dotfiles are not properly managed.
  • Introduction of vulnerabilities or malicious code through compromised dependencies or configurations.
  • Inability to reproduce a specific development environment state if version control is not used effectively.

SECURITY POSTURE

Existing Security Controls:

  • security control: Version control using Git (described in the repository itself). This allows tracking changes, reverting to previous states, and collaborating on configurations.
  • security control: The repository is currently private. This limits access to authorized users only.
  • security control: Potentially, manual reviews of configuration changes before committing to the repository.

Accepted Risks:

  • accepted risk: Potential for accidental exposure of sensitive information if best practices are not followed (e.g., storing secrets directly in dotfiles).
  • accepted risk: Reliance on the security of GitHub's infrastructure and services.
  • accepted risk: Limited protection against sophisticated attacks targeting the developer's machine or GitHub account.

Recommended Security Controls:

  • security control: Implement a secrets management solution. This could involve using a dedicated secrets manager (e.g., HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault, SOPS, git-crypt) or environment variables for sensitive data. Avoid storing secrets directly in the dotfiles.
  • security control: Regularly audit dotfiles for sensitive information and outdated configurations.
  • security control: Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for the GitHub account.
  • security control: Use a strong and unique password for the GitHub account.
  • security control: Consider using a dedicated SSH key for accessing GitHub, separate from other SSH keys.
  • security control: Regularly review and update dependencies used in the dotfiles (e.g., shell plugins, themes).
  • security control: Implement a mechanism for verifying the integrity of downloaded scripts or configurations (e.g., checksums, digital signatures).

Security Requirements:

  • Authentication:
    • GitHub access should be protected by strong authentication (password + 2FA).
    • SSH key-based authentication should be used for Git operations where possible.
  • Authorization:
    • Access to the repository should be restricted to authorized users only (currently achieved by making the repository private).
  • Input Validation:
    • Any scripts or configurations that accept user input should validate that input to prevent injection vulnerabilities.
    • Configuration files should be checked for syntax errors and unexpected values.
  • Cryptography:
    • Sensitive data should be encrypted at rest and in transit. This is particularly relevant for secrets management.
    • SSH keys should be generated using strong cryptographic algorithms.

DESIGN

C4 CONTEXT

graph LR
    User["User (Developer)"] -- Uses --> Dotfiles
    Dotfiles -- Configures --> DevelopmentEnvironment["Development Environment (Local Machine)"]
    Dotfiles -- Uses --> GitHub["GitHub (Remote Repository)"]
    DevelopmentEnvironment -- Interacts with --> ExternalServices["External Services (APIs, Databases, etc.)"]
Loading

C4 Context Element List:

  • User (Developer):

    • Name: User (Developer)
    • Type: Person
    • Description: The developer who uses the dotfiles to configure their development environment.
    • Responsibilities: Managing their dotfiles, setting up their environment, developing software.
    • Security controls: Strong password, 2FA for GitHub account, secure SSH key management.

  • Dotfiles:

    • Name: Dotfiles
    • Type: Software System
    • Description: The collection of configuration files that define the developer's environment.
    • Responsibilities: Providing a consistent and personalized development environment.
    • Security controls: Version control, private repository, secrets management (recommended).

  • Development Environment (Local Machine):

    • Name: Development Environment (Local Machine)
    • Type: Environment
    • Description: The developer's local machine, configured by the dotfiles.
    • Responsibilities: Running development tools, executing code, interacting with external services.
    • Security controls: Operating system security updates, firewall, antivirus software (not directly managed by dotfiles, but relevant).

  • GitHub (Remote Repository):

    • Name: GitHub (Remote Repository)
    • Type: External System
    • Description: The remote Git repository hosted on GitHub, used to store and manage the dotfiles.
    • Responsibilities: Providing version control, collaboration features, and backup for the dotfiles.
    • Security controls: GitHub's built-in security features, private repository setting.

  • External Services (APIs, Databases, etc.):

    • Name: External Services (APIs, Databases, etc.)
    • Type: External Systems
    • Description: Any external services that the developer interacts with from their development environment.
    • Responsibilities: Providing specific functionalities required by the developer's projects.
    • Security controls: Dependent on the specific services; should use secure authentication and authorization mechanisms.

C4 CONTAINER

In this simple case, the Container diagram is very similar to the Context diagram. The "Dotfiles" system is essentially a single container.

graph LR
    User["User (Developer)"] -- Uses --> DotfilesContainer["Dotfiles (Configuration Files)"]
    DotfilesContainer -- Configures --> DevelopmentEnvironment["Development Environment (Local Machine)"]
    DotfilesContainer -- Uses --> GitHub["GitHub (Remote Repository)"]
     DevelopmentEnvironment -- Interacts with --> ExternalServices["External Services (APIs, Databases, etc.)"]
Loading

C4 Container Element List:

  • Dotfiles (Configuration Files):

    • Name: Dotfiles (Configuration Files)
    • Type: Container
    • Description: A collection of scripts, configuration files, and potentially other resources that define the developer's environment. This includes shell configurations (bash, zsh), editor settings (vim, neovim), and other tool configurations.
    • Responsibilities: Storing and applying configuration settings.
    • Security controls: Version control, regular audits for sensitive information, secrets management (recommended).

  • All other elements are the same as in the C4 Context diagram.

DEPLOYMENT

Possible Deployment Solutions:

  1. Manual Cloning and Symlinking: The developer manually clones the repository and creates symbolic links to the appropriate locations in their home directory.
  2. Automated Installation Script: The repository includes an installation script (e.g., install.sh) that automates the cloning, symlinking, and potentially other setup tasks.
  3. Dotfiles Manager: Using a dedicated dotfiles manager (e.g., stow, yadm, chezmoi) to handle the deployment and management of the dotfiles.

Chosen Solution (Automated Installation Script): This approach provides a balance between simplicity and automation.

graph LR
    Developer["Developer"] -- Runs --> InstallationScript["Installation Script (install.sh)"]
    InstallationScript -- Clones from --> GitHub["GitHub Repository"]
    InstallationScript -- Creates symlinks in --> HomeDirectory["Home Directory"]
    HomeDirectory -- Contains --> ConfigurationFiles["Configuration Files (e.g., .bashrc, .vimrc)"]
    ConfigurationFiles -- Configure --> DevelopmentTools["Development Tools (Shell, Editor, etc.)"]
Loading

Deployment Element List:

  • Developer:

    • Name: Developer
    • Type: Person
    • Description: The user who is deploying the dotfiles.
    • Responsibilities: Running the installation script.
    • Security controls: Secure SSH key management, strong GitHub credentials.

  • Installation Script (install.sh):

    • Name: Installation Script (install.sh)
    • Type: Script
    • Description: A script that automates the deployment of the dotfiles.
    • Responsibilities: Cloning the repository, creating symlinks, running setup commands.
    • Security controls: Input validation (if accepting any user input), error handling, potentially checking for existing configurations before overwriting.

  • GitHub Repository:

    • Name: GitHub Repository
    • Type: Remote Repository
    • Description: The remote Git repository containing the dotfiles.
    • Responsibilities: Storing the dotfiles and providing version control.
    • Security controls: Private repository, GitHub's security features.

  • Home Directory:

    • Name: Home Directory
    • Type: File System Location
    • Description: The user's home directory, where the dotfiles will be linked.
    • Responsibilities: Containing the user's configuration files.
    • Security controls: Operating system file permissions.

  • Configuration Files (e.g., .bashrc, .vimrc):

    • Name: Configuration Files (e.g., .bashrc, .vimrc)
    • Type: Files
    • Description: The actual configuration files that control the behavior of various tools.
    • Responsibilities: Defining the settings for shells, editors, and other applications.
    • Security controls: Regular audits for sensitive information, avoiding hardcoded secrets.

  • Development Tools (Shell, Editor, etc.):

    • Name: Development Tools (Shell, Editor, etc.)
    • Type: Applications
    • Description: The tools that are configured by the dotfiles.
    • Responsibilities: Providing the developer's working environment.
    • Security controls: Regular updates, secure configurations.

BUILD

This project doesn't have a traditional "build" process in the sense of compiling code. However, there is a process of assembling and deploying the dotfiles. The closest analogy to a "build" is the execution of the installation script.

graph LR
    Developer["Developer"] -- Commits changes to --> GitHub["GitHub (Local Clone)"]
    GitHub -- Pushes to --> GitHubRemote["GitHub (Remote Repository)"]
    Developer2["Another Developer/Machine"] -- Runs --> InstallationScript["Installation Script (install.sh)"]
    InstallationScript -- Clones from --> GitHubRemote
    InstallationScript -- Creates symlinks in --> HomeDirectory["Home Directory"]
Loading

Build Process Security Controls:

  • security control: Code Review: While not a formal build step, reviewing changes to the dotfiles before committing them is crucial for security.
  • security control: Secrets Management: As mentioned earlier, a secrets management solution should be used to prevent sensitive information from being included in the repository.
  • security control: Dependency Management: If the dotfiles include any external dependencies (e.g., shell plugins), these should be regularly reviewed and updated to avoid vulnerabilities.
  • security control: Linting/Static Analysis: Tools like ShellCheck can be used to identify potential issues in shell scripts. This could be integrated into a pre-commit hook or a CI pipeline.

RISK ASSESSMENT

Critical Business Processes:

  • Software Development: The primary business process is the developer's ability to write, test, and deploy code efficiently.
  • Environment Setup: Quickly setting up a consistent development environment is crucial for productivity.

Data Sensitivity:

  • Configuration Files: Generally low sensitivity, but could contain sensitive information if best practices are not followed.
  • Secrets (API Keys, Passwords): High sensitivity. These should not be stored directly in the dotfiles.
  • Personalization Data: Low sensitivity, but may contain information that the developer prefers to keep private.

QUESTIONS & ASSUMPTIONS

Questions:

  • Are there any specific compliance requirements (e.g., company policies) that need to be considered?
  • What is the expected frequency of updates to the dotfiles?
  • Will multiple developers be using and contributing to this repository?
  • What specific external services will the development environment interact with?
  • Are there any existing tools or scripts used for managing secrets or configurations?
  • What operating systems are targeted?

Assumptions:

  • BUSINESS POSTURE: The primary goal is to improve developer productivity and maintain a consistent development environment. The risk appetite is relatively low, as accidental exposure of sensitive information could have significant consequences.
  • SECURITY POSTURE: The developer has a basic understanding of security best practices. The repository is currently private, providing a baseline level of security.
  • DESIGN: The dotfiles are primarily shell configurations and editor settings. The deployment process involves cloning the repository and creating symbolic links. The developer is using a Unix-like operating system (Linux or macOS).