mitigations.md

Mitigation Strategies Analysis for fuellabs/fuel-core

Mitigation Strategy: Secure Key Management Practices when using Fuel-Core

• Description:

  1. Understand Fuel-Core's Key Management: Familiarize yourself with how fuel-core handles key generation, storage, and usage. Refer to fuel-core documentation for specific features and recommendations.
  2. Leverage Fuel-Core's Secure Key Generation (if applicable): If fuel-core provides built-in key generation functionalities, use them securely. Ensure they utilize cryptographically secure random number generators.
  3. Secure External Key Storage Integration: If fuel-core allows integration with external key storage solutions (like HSMs or secure enclaves), prioritize using these for enhanced security. Follow fuel-core's guidelines for integration.
  4. Securely Manage Keys Used by Fuel-Core: Even if fuel-core handles some key management internally, your application might still need to provide or manage keys for interacting with fuel-core (e.g., for transaction signing). Apply secure key management practices (as described in the previous comprehensive list) to these keys.
  5. Minimize Key Exposure within Fuel-Core Interactions: When interacting with fuel-core's API that involves keys, minimize the duration keys are held in memory and ensure secure erasure after use.
  6. Regularly Review Fuel-Core Key Management Configuration: Periodically review how your application and fuel-core are configured for key management to ensure ongoing security and adherence to best practices.

  • List of Threats Mitigated:

    • Private Key Compromise via Fuel-Core (Critical Severity): If private keys managed by or used with fuel-core are compromised, attackers can impersonate the application, steal funds, forge transactions, and gain control over assets. Severity is critical due to potential for complete system compromise and financial loss related to Fuel network interactions.
    • Unauthorized Transaction Signing via Fuel-Core (High Severity): Compromised keys used with fuel-core allow attackers to sign transactions without authorization, leading to fund theft or manipulation of on-chain data within the Fuel network. Severity is high due to direct financial and operational impact on Fuel network operations.
    • Replay Attacks due to Fuel-Core Key Mismanagement (Medium Severity): Weak key management practices in conjunction with fuel-core could enable replay attacks on Fuel network transactions. Severity is medium as it can lead to unintended actions or double-spending on the Fuel network.

  • Impact:

    • Private Key Compromise via Fuel-Core: Drastically reduces the risk by securing key handling specifically within the context of fuel-core usage.
    • Unauthorized Transaction Signing via Fuel-Core: Substantially reduces the risk of unauthorized actions on the Fuel network originating from compromised keys used with fuel-core.
    • Replay Attacks due to Fuel-Core Key Mismanagement: Reduces the risk of replay attacks related to key mismanagement in the context of Fuel network interactions via fuel-core.

  • Currently Implemented:

    • fuel-core provides functionalities for key generation and management, but secure usage and configuration are application developer's responsibility.
    • Basic key handling within fuel-core's functionalities is likely implemented.

  • Missing Implementation:

    • Integration with HSMs or secure enclaves via fuel-core (if fuel-core supports this).
    • Robust encryption of keys at rest within the context of fuel-core's key management (if applicable).
    • Formal key rotation policies and procedures specifically for keys used with or managed by fuel-core.
    • Strict access control mechanisms for key storage related to fuel-core.
    • Secure key backup and recovery processes in the context of fuel-core usage.

Mitigation Strategy: Secure Interaction with Fuel Network Nodes via Fuel-Core

• Description:

  1. Verify Node Authenticity (if Fuel Network Features Allow): If future Fuel network features or fuel-core configurations allow for node authentication, implement mechanisms to verify the authenticity of Fuel network nodes your application connects to through fuel-core.
  2. Utilize Fuel-Core's Secure Communication Channels: Ensure fuel-core is configured to use secure communication channels (like TLS/SSL) for connecting to Fuel network nodes. Verify this configuration and enforce it in your application setup.
  3. Implement Rate Limiting for Fuel-Core Node Requests: Configure rate limiting in your application to control the frequency of requests sent to Fuel network nodes through fuel-core. This protects both your application and the Fuel network from overload.
  4. Validate Data Received from Fuel-Core Node API: Rigorously validate all data received from Fuel network nodes via fuel-core's API. Do not blindly trust data. Verify data integrity and format to prevent unexpected behavior or exploitation based on malicious node responses processed by fuel-core.
  5. Monitor Fuel-Core Network Connections: Monitor the network connections established by fuel-core to Fuel network nodes for anomalies or suspicious activity. Log connection attempts and errors related to fuel-core's network interactions.
  6. Configure Node Diversity in Fuel-Core (if possible): If fuel-core allows configuration of node selection or diversity, utilize this to connect to a diverse set of Fuel network nodes, increasing resilience and reducing reliance on single points of failure within your application's fuel-core setup.

  • List of Threats Mitigated:

    • Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks on Fuel-Core Network Communication (High Severity): Without secure communication channels used by fuel-core, attackers can intercept communication between your application (via fuel-core) and Fuel nodes. Severity is high as it can lead to data breaches and manipulation of Fuel network interactions.
    • Malicious Node Attacks via Fuel-Core Interaction (Medium to High Severity): Connecting to malicious or compromised nodes through fuel-core can lead to receiving false data, transaction censorship, or other attacks impacting your application's Fuel network operations. Severity depends on attacker goals and capabilities within the Fuel network context.
    • Denial of Service (DoS) via Fuel-Core Node Overload (Medium Severity): Excessive requests through fuel-core to nodes can contribute to DoS attacks against the Fuel network or make your application a target. Severity is medium as it impacts availability and network stability related to Fuel network interactions.
    • Data Injection/Manipulation via Malicious Nodes Interacting with Fuel-Core (Medium Severity): Malicious nodes could attempt to inject false data or manipulate responses to your application through fuel-core, leading to incorrect application behavior or vulnerabilities in Fuel network operations. Severity is medium as it can compromise data integrity and application logic related to Fuel network interactions.

  • Impact:

    • Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks on Fuel-Core Network Communication: Encryption used by fuel-core mitigates this threat for the communication channel between your application and Fuel nodes.
    • Malicious Node Attacks via Fuel-Core Interaction: Node authentication (if available in fuel-core or Fuel Network) and request validation significantly reduce the risk of malicious node attacks impacting your application's Fuel network operations via fuel-core.
    • Denial of Service (DoS) via Fuel-Core Node Overload: Rate limiting requests sent through fuel-core and connection monitoring reduce the risk of DoS attacks related to Fuel network interactions.
    • Data Injection/Manipulation via Malicious Nodes Interacting with Fuel-Core: Request validation and data integrity checks on responses received via fuel-core minimize the impact of malicious data from nodes on your application's Fuel network operations.

  • Currently Implemented:

    • fuel-core likely uses secure communication protocols by default for network interactions.
    • Basic connection management is handled by fuel-core.

  • Missing Implementation:

    • Explicit node authentication mechanisms within fuel-core or application logic interacting with fuel-core (beyond relying on network infrastructure security).
    • Robust request validation and data integrity checks on responses from nodes processed by fuel-core and used in application logic.
    • Rate limiting at the application level for requests to Fuel nodes via fuel-core.
    • Comprehensive connection monitoring and logging specifically for fuel-core's network interactions.
    • Configuration options for node diversity and redundancy within fuel-core's configuration or application's fuel-core usage.

Mitigation Strategy: Input Validation and Output Sanitization when Interacting with Fuel-Core API

• Description:

  1. Strictly Validate Inputs to Fuel-Core API Calls: When using fuel-core's API, rigorously validate all input parameters before making API calls. Focus on validating data types, formats, ranges, and using whitelists where applicable, specifically for parameters passed to fuel-core functions.
  2. Implement Error Handling for Fuel-Core API Input Validation: Implement robust error handling for invalid inputs to fuel-core API calls. Prevent API calls from being executed if validation fails and provide informative error messages or logs.
  3. Sanitize Outputs from Fuel-Core API Calls: Sanitize or properly handle data received as responses from fuel-core API calls before using it in other parts of your application. Pay special attention when displaying data to users or using it in further API calls, to prevent issues arising from unexpected data formats returned by fuel-core.

  • List of Threats Mitigated:

    • Injection Attacks via Fuel-Core API (High Severity): Insufficient input validation for fuel-core API calls can lead to injection attacks if fuel-core or underlying systems are vulnerable. Severity is high as it could lead to code execution or data breaches if vulnerabilities exist in fuel-core or related components exploitable through API inputs.
    • Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) via Fuel-Core API Outputs (Medium to High Severity): If outputs from fuel-core API are displayed in web applications without sanitization, it can lead to XSS vulnerabilities. Severity depends on context and potential for session hijacking or data theft related to data originating from fuel-core API calls.
    • Data Integrity Issues due to Fuel-Core API Data (Medium Severity): Invalid or unexpected data from fuel-core API (due to lack of input validation or output sanitization) can lead to data corruption or inconsistencies in your application's logic that relies on fuel-core data. Severity is medium as it can impact data reliability and application functionality dependent on fuel-core data.
    • Unexpected Application Behavior due to Fuel-Core API Interaction (Low to Medium Severity): Malformed inputs to or unsanitized outputs from fuel-core API can cause unexpected application behavior, crashes, or errors in parts of the application interacting with fuel-core. Severity depends on the impact on application stability and user experience.

  • Impact:

    • Injection Attacks via Fuel-Core API: Input validation significantly reduces the risk by preventing malicious inputs from being processed by fuel-core API and potentially exploiting vulnerabilities.
    • Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) via Fuel-Core API Outputs: Output sanitization effectively mitigates XSS vulnerabilities related to data received from fuel-core API.
    • Data Integrity Issues due to Fuel-Core API Data: Input validation and output sanitization improve data integrity for data exchanged with fuel-core API.
    • Unexpected Application Behavior due to Fuel-Core API Interaction: Reduces the likelihood of crashes and errors caused by invalid data in interactions with fuel-core API.

  • Currently Implemented:

    • fuel-core API likely has some internal input validation for its own correct operation.
    • Basic data type handling is inherent in Rust and likely used in fuel-core API.

  • Missing Implementation:

    • Comprehensive input validation at the application level for all fuel-core API calls, tailored to the specific application logic and data being passed to fuel-core.
    • Robust output sanitization for all data received from fuel-core API calls, especially before displaying to users or using in other contexts within the application.
    • Formal validation and sanitization libraries and processes integrated into the application development workflow specifically for interactions with fuel-core API.

Mitigation Strategy: Resource Management and Denial of Service Prevention for Fuel-Core Instance

• Description:

  1. Configure Resource Limits for Fuel-Core Process: In your deployment environment, configure resource limits specifically for the fuel-core process. Limit CPU, memory, network, and file descriptors available to fuel-core to prevent resource exhaustion.
  2. Implement Timeouts for Fuel-Core API and Network Interactions: Set appropriate timeouts for all API calls to fuel-core and interactions with Fuel network nodes via fuel-core. Prevent indefinite waiting and resource exhaustion if fuel-core or network becomes unresponsive.
  3. Utilize Circuit Breakers for Fuel-Core Dependencies: Implement circuit breaker patterns to handle failures gracefully if fuel-core or Fuel network nodes become unreliable. Stop sending requests to fuel-core temporarily during failures to prevent cascading issues and allow recovery.
  4. Implement Rate Limiting for Requests to Fuel-Core: Implement rate limiting within your application to control the frequency of requests sent to fuel-core itself. Prevent accidental or malicious overloading of the fuel-core instance.
  5. Monitor Fuel-Core Resource Usage: Continuously monitor the resource usage (CPU, memory, network) of your deployed fuel-core instance. Set up alerts for exceeding resource thresholds or detecting unusual patterns that could indicate DoS attacks or performance problems related to fuel-core.

  • List of Threats Mitigated:

    • Denial of Service (DoS) against Fuel-Core Instance (High Severity): Attackers can attempt to exhaust resources of your fuel-core instance to make it unresponsive and disrupt your application's Fuel network functionality. Severity is high as it directly impacts application availability related to Fuel network operations.
    • Resource Exhaustion of Fuel-Core due to Bugs or Misconfiguration (Medium Severity): Bugs in your application or misconfiguration of fuel-core can lead to unintended resource consumption by the fuel-core process and performance degradation. Severity is medium as it can impact availability and performance of Fuel network interactions.
    • Cascading Failures due to Fuel-Core Unresponsiveness (Medium Severity): If fuel-core becomes unresponsive, it can cause failures in other parts of your application that depend on it for Fuel network operations, leading to cascading failures. Severity is medium as it can impact multiple application components relying on fuel-core.

  • Impact:

    • Denial of Service (DoS) against Fuel-Core Instance: Resource limits, timeouts, and rate limiting significantly reduce the impact of DoS attacks targeting the fuel-core instance.
    • Resource Exhaustion of Fuel-Core due to Bugs or Misconfiguration: Resource limits and monitoring help contain the impact of bugs or misconfigurations causing resource issues in fuel-core.
    • Cascading Failures due to Fuel-Core Unresponsiveness: Circuit breakers prevent cascading failures caused by fuel-core failures, improving application resilience.

  • Currently Implemented:

    • Operating systems and containerization often provide mechanisms for setting resource limits, which can be applied to fuel-core.
    • Basic timeouts might be implemented in some network interactions involving fuel-core.

  • Missing Implementation:

    • Explicit resource limits configured specifically for the fuel-core process in deployment environments.
    • Comprehensive timeout mechanisms for all API calls to fuel-core and network interactions via fuel-core.
    • Circuit breaker patterns implemented for resilience against fuel-core or network failures in application logic interacting with fuel-core.
    • Internal rate limiting within the application to control requests specifically to fuel-core.
    • Detailed resource monitoring and alerting focused on the fuel-core instance.

Mitigation Strategy: Secure Configuration of Fuel-Core

• Description:

  1. Review Fuel-Core Configuration Options: Thoroughly review all available configuration options for fuel-core. Understand the security implications of each setting and parameter. Consult fuel-core documentation for security-related configuration guidance.
  2. Disable Unnecessary Fuel-Core Features: Disable any fuel-core features or functionalities that are not required by your application. Minimize the attack surface by reducing enabled features in fuel-core.
  3. Apply Least Privilege to Fuel-Core Process: Run the fuel-core process with the minimum necessary privileges required for its operation. Avoid running as root or with overly permissive file system permissions. Use dedicated user accounts with restricted permissions for the fuel-core process.
  4. Configure Secure Logging in Fuel-Core: Configure fuel-core's logging to capture relevant security events within fuel-core operations. Ensure logs are stored securely and access is restricted. Avoid logging sensitive information like private keys in plaintext in fuel-core logs.
  5. Secure Fuel-Core Configuration Files: Securely store fuel-core configuration files. Restrict access to authorized users and processes. Consider encrypting sensitive configuration data within fuel-core configuration files.
  6. Regularly Audit Fuel-Core Configuration: Periodically review and audit fuel-core configuration to ensure it remains secure and aligned with security best practices for fuel-core deployment.

  • List of Threats Mitigated:

    • Privilege Escalation via Fuel-Core Vulnerability (High Severity): Running fuel-core with excessive privileges increases the potential impact of vulnerabilities within fuel-core. If compromised, an attacker gains more control over the system hosting fuel-core. Severity is high as it can lead to full system compromise starting from a fuel-core vulnerability.
    • Information Disclosure via Fuel-Core Logs (Medium Severity): Logging sensitive information in plaintext by fuel-core can lead to information disclosure if logs are accessed by unauthorized parties. Severity is medium as it can expose sensitive data logged by fuel-core.
    • Unauthorized Access due to Fuel-Core Misconfiguration (Medium Severity): Insecure configuration settings in fuel-core can create vulnerabilities that allow unauthorized access to fuel-core itself or the underlying system. Severity is medium as it can lead to unauthorized access and data breaches related to fuel-core.
    • Attack Surface Expansion due to Fuel-Core Features (Medium Severity): Enabling unnecessary features in fuel-core increases the attack surface and the potential for vulnerabilities to be exploited within those features. Severity is medium as it increases potential attack vectors related to fuel-core features.

  • Impact:

    • Privilege Escalation via Fuel-Core Vulnerability: Least privilege principle for fuel-core significantly reduces the impact of vulnerabilities within fuel-core by limiting attacker actions.
    • Information Disclosure via Fuel-Core Logs: Secure logging practices for fuel-core prevent sensitive information from being exposed in fuel-core logs.
    • Unauthorized Access due to Fuel-Core Misconfiguration: Secure configuration of fuel-core reduces the risk of misconfigurations leading to unauthorized access to fuel-core or related resources.
    • Attack Surface Expansion due to Fuel-Core Features: Disabling unnecessary features in fuel-core minimizes the attack surface of the fuel-core instance.

  • Currently Implemented:

    • Basic configuration options are available in fuel-core.
    • Logging is typically enabled by default in fuel-core.

  • Missing Implementation:

    • Formal security review and hardening of fuel-core configuration for deployment.
    • Implementation of least privilege principles specifically for running the fuel-core process.
    • Secure logging configuration and secure log storage for fuel-core logs.
    • Regular configuration audits and updates for fuel-core configuration.
    • Encryption of sensitive configuration data within fuel-core configuration files.