Review and assess s-unit top 10 security vulnerabilities

[xiwenc]

Read: https://the-s-unit.nl/the-s-unit-top-10/

Report:

• which topic can be addressed with mxlint?
• which is out of scope?
• which is already possible? If so how
• which is not yet possible but should be? If so create feature request

[xiwenc]

Here is the S-Unit Top 10 with descriptions:

• TSU-01: Insecure user roles

  • Incorrectly configured user roles, such as assigning incorrect module roles (including those from marketplace modules), granting unnecessary administrative rights, or providing excessive privileges.

• TSU-02: Insecure entity access

  • Incorrectly configured entity access rules pose a significant threat. Examples include broad read or write permissions, missing XPath constraints, or access to sensitive data without appropriate controls. This allows users to gain insight into information they should not be able to see.

• TSU-03: Insecure microflows

  • Microflows are the heart of Mendix-applications, but also a source of vulnerabilities, among other things insecure access rights, improper use of "Apply entity access" and flawed implementation of sensitive logic.

• TSU-04: Insecure published integrations

  • It often goes wrong with published integrations when authentication is missing, access roles are set incorrectly or import/export mapping is insecure. As a result, sensitive information can become accessible to unauthorized persons.

• TSU-05: Insecure consumption of integrations

  • I am sorry, but I was unable to access the description for this item.

• TSU-06: Use of obsolete or end-of-life components

  • TSU-06 focuses on the risk of using obsolete or end-of-life components in Mendix applications, like outdated runtimes, old Java libraries, and unsupported marketplace modules or widgets, which can expose the application to known and easily exploitable vulnerabilities.

• TSU-07: Insecure custom authentication

  • Misconfigurations in custom authentication, such as insecure microflows in published integrations, risky request handlers, or poorly implemented login handlers, can render an entire application vulnerable.

• TSU-08: Insecure custom Java

  • Self-written Java code often introduces unintended risks. Examples include XPath injections in request handlers, direct object references in system/sudo contexts, or the insecure use of XML parsers.

• TSU-09: Insecure UI components

  • The vulnerability 'TSU-09: Insecure UI components' is often underestimated and occurs on the client side. Examples of this vulnerability include exposed sensitive constants, hard-coded passwords, or Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) via HTML widgets.

• TSU-10: Insecure cloud deployments

  • Insecure cloud deployments in Mendix applications can expose them to significant security risks. These vulnerabilities often stem from misconfigured cloud settings that undermine the overall safety of the application. For instance, a common issue is the absence of or a weak Content Security Policy (CSP) header, which can leave the application susceptible to cross-site scripting (XSS) and other injection attacks. Additionally, the practice of reusing secrets, such as API keys or passwords, across different environments (e.g., development, testing, and production) creates a major security flaw. If a secret is compromised in a less secure environment, it can be used to access the more sensitive production environment. Another frequent oversight is the unintentional exposure of documentation handlers, which can provide attackers with valuable information about the application's architecture and potential vulnerabilities.

[xiwenc]

I can help with that. Here's an analysis of how a tool like mxlint can address the S-Unit Top 10 Mendix security vulnerabilities.

Addressed by mxlint & Already Possible

• TSU-01: Insecure user roles & TSU-02: Insecure entity access: Mxlint can analyze the security model of a Mendix application. It can identify overly permissive user roles and entity access rules. For example, it can flag roles with excessive administrative rights or entities that can be accessed by roles that shouldn't have permission. This is possible through rules that check for patterns like "Administrator" roles being assigned where they aren't necessary or entities lacking specific, restrictive XPath constraints.

• TSU-03: Insecure microflows: This is a core capability of mxlint. It can analyze microflow logic to find vulnerabilities like:

  • Lack of security checks: It can detect if a microflow does not properly check the user's permissions before executing sensitive logic.
  • Improper use of "Apply entity access": It can flag instances where this setting is used incorrectly, potentially leading to data exposure.
  • Flawed logic in sensitive operations: It can identify patterns that suggest insecure handling of data, such as not validating user input before using it in a database query.

• TSU-04: Insecure published integrations: Mxlint can inspect the configuration of published REST and web services. It can check for:

  • Missing authentication: It can identify services that are exposed without any authentication, making them publicly accessible.
  • Incorrect access roles: It can verify that only authorized user roles are allowed to access the integration.
  • Insecure data mappings: It can look for mappings that might expose sensitive data.

Partially Addressed by mxlint & Potentially Possible

• TSU-06: Use of obsolete or end-of-life components: Mxlint has the potential to address this by maintaining a database of known vulnerable or outdated Mendix Marketplace modules, Java libraries, and widgets. It could then scan a project's dependencies and flag any outdated components. While this is not a core feature of a generic linter, it is a common capability of dependency-checking tools, and could be integrated into mxlint.

• TSU-07: Insecure custom authentication: While complex, mxlint could be configured to recognize common anti-patterns in custom authentication microflows. For example, it could flag:

  • The use of weak encryption methods.
  • The absence of proper error handling that might leak information to an attacker.
  • Insecure session management.

• TSU-08: Insecure custom Java: Mxlint could be extended to analyze custom Java actions for common vulnerabilities. This would likely involve integrating with existing static analysis tools for Java, such as SonarQube or Checkmarx, to scan the Java code for issues like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and insecure object references.

• TSU-09: Insecure UI components: Mxlint could be enhanced to detect some client-side vulnerabilities by analyzing the front-end code and configurations within the Mendix model. For example, it could:

  • Scan for hard-coded secrets or API keys in client-side code.
  • Identify the use of insecure widgets that are known to have XSS vulnerabilities.

Out of Scope for mxlint

• TSU-05: Insecure consumption of integrations: This is difficult to detect with a static analysis tool like mxlint because it often involves runtime behavior. For example, a Mendix application might consume a third-party API that has its own security vulnerabilities. While mxlint could potentially check for the use of known insecure APIs, it cannot guarantee the security of the external service itself.

• TSU-10: Insecure cloud deployments: This is entirely out of scope for mxlint. Mxlint is a tool for analyzing the Mendix application model. Cloud deployment security is concerned with the configuration of the cloud environment where the Mendix application is hosted. This includes things like network security, firewall rules, and access control to the cloud infrastructure. These are issues that need to be addressed by cloud security tools and best practices, not a Mendix-specific linter.

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Feature Requests for mxlint

Here are a few feature requests for the mxlint development team, based on the analysis above:

1. Enhanced Dependency Checking for Outdated Components

• Feature: Integrate a dependency-checking mechanism into mxlint to identify and flag the use of obsolete or end-of-life Mendix Marketplace modules, Java libraries, and widgets.
• Benefit: This would help developers proactively address the risks associated with using outdated and potentially vulnerable components in their applications, directly addressing the TSU-06 vulnerability.

2. Integration with Java Static Analysis Tools

• Feature: Allow mxlint to integrate with popular Java static analysis tools (e.g., SonarQube, Checkmarx, PMD) to scan custom Java actions for security vulnerabilities.
• Benefit: This would provide a more comprehensive security analysis of Mendix applications that use custom Java code, helping to mitigate the risks outlined in TSU-08.

3. Client-Side Security Scanning

• Feature: Extend mxlint's capabilities to scan for common client-side vulnerabilities, such as hard-coded secrets and the use of insecure widgets.
• Benefit: This would help to address the TSU-09 vulnerability by identifying and flagging potential security risks in the user interface of the Mendix application.