Admin two-factor authentication device is lost or compromised accepted Legacy (Tails/SVS)

THREAT1 · Accepted: The team has decided to live with this risk. · Defined in catalog.py:28

Risk: Medium impact × Low likelihood = 4 medium
After mitigations: Medium impact × Low likelihood = 4 medium (unchanged)

An adversary that has compromised the admin's two factor token can obtain local, physical console access with app and mon server passwords. In combination with the Tor hidden service cookie and the admin's password, an adversary may be able to access the Journalist interface.

Threat actors: Nation State / Law Enforcement Large Corporation

Mitigations

Mitigation	Status
Passphrases for journalists and admins are generated to be 7 word diceware MITIG49	implemented

Possible further mitigations

Admin guide explains incident response when 2FA seed is compromised MITIG218 Legacy (Tails/SVS) proposed

Residual risk

Risk is accepted

Where it applies

Applies to 1 component in 1 scenario.

Admin Workstation (device) Legacy (Tails/SVS) Admin Workstation (Tails)

Workstation lifecycle and backups Legacy (Tails/SVS) · Admin Workstation (device)

digraph tm {
    graph [
        fontname = Arial;
        fontsize = 14;
    ]
    node [
        fontname = Arial;
        fontsize = 14;
    ]
    edge [
        fontname = Arial;
        fontsize = 12;
    ]
    nodesep = 1;

    subgraph cluster_boundary_Admin_Workstation__Tails_ {
        graph [
            fontsize = 10;
            fontcolor = black;
            style = dashed;
            color = firebrick2;
            label = <<i>Admin Workstation (Tails)</i>>;
        ]

        component_Admin_Workstation__device__Admin_Workstation__Tails_ [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "Admin\nWorkstation\n(device)";
            URL = "component_Admin_Workstation__device_.html";
            tooltip = "Admin Workstation (device) (Legacy (Tails/SVS))";
            margin = 0.02;

            style = "filled,dashed";

            fillcolor = "#c0392b";

            fontcolor = "white";

            class = "tagged highlighted";
        ]

    }

    subgraph cluster_boundary_Journalist_Workstation__Tails_ {
        graph [
            fontsize = 10;
            fontcolor = black;
            style = dashed;
            color = firebrick2;
            label = <<i>Journalist Workstation (Tails)</i>>;
        ]

        component_Journalist_Workstation__device__Journalist_Workstation__Tails_ [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "Journalist\nWorkstation\n(device)";
            URL = "component_Journalist_Workstation__device_.html";
            tooltip = "Journalist Workstation (device) (Legacy (Tails/SVS))";
            margin = 0.02;
            style = "dashed";
            class = "tagged";
        ]

    }

    actor_Administrator_ [
        shape = square;
        color = black;
        fontcolor = black;
        label = "Administrator";
        URL = "component_Administrator.html";
        tooltip = "Administrator";
        margin = 0.02;
    ]

    component_Backup___recovery_media_ [
        shape = circle;
        color = black;
        fontcolor = black;
        label = "Backup /\nrecovery media";
        URL = "component_Backup___recovery_media.html";
        tooltip = "Backup / recovery media";
        margin = 0.02;
    ]

    actor_Journalist_ [
        shape = square;
        color = black;
        fontcolor = black;
        label = "Journalist";
        URL = "component_Journalist.html";
        tooltip = "Journalist";
        margin = 0.02;
    ]

    actor_Administrator_ -> component_Admin_Workstation__device__Admin_Workstation__Tails_ [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "1. Admin operates\nworkstation";    ]
    actor_Journalist_ -> component_Journalist_Workstation__device__Journalist_Workstation__Tails_ [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "2. Journalist\noperates workstation";    ]
    component_Admin_Workstation__device__Admin_Workstation__Tails_ -> component_Backup___recovery_media_ [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "3. Back up secrets";    ]
}

Notes

Existing mitigations: 7-word diceware password is also needed to log into admin account (MITIG49). Further mitigations: Admin/Journalists should be instructed to immediately notify SecureDrop admin of a lost 2FA token to rotate seeds immediately (MITIG218). Automated test for mitigation: No.

How this threat is matched

Listed for these components. A boundary covers every component inside it.