Vulnerabilities maliciously introduced in APT packages accepted

THREAT159 · Accepted: The team has decided to live with this risk. · Defined in catalog.py:2737

Risk: High impact × Low likelihood = 6 medium
After mitigations: High impact × Very Low likelihood = 3 low

An attacker could maliciously introduce vulnerabilities in the code used by dependencies of SecureDrop.

Threat actors: Any

Mitigations

Mitigation	Status
SecureDrop uses as few apt packages as possible. MITIG222	implemented
Only packages in the security channel get updates MITIG223	implemented

Where it applies

Applies to 1 component in 2 scenarios.

Ubuntu apt repository External Services

Updates, time & DNS · Ubuntu apt repository

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

    subgraph cluster_boundary_Application_Server {
        graph [
            fontsize = 10;
            fontcolor = black;
            style = dashed;
            color = firebrick2;
            label = <<i>Application Server</i>>;
        ]

        component_App_Server_APT_NTP_DNS_Application_Server [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "App Server\nAPT/NTP/DNS";
            URL = "component_App_Server_APT_NTP_DNS.html";
            tooltip = "App Server APT/NTP/DNS";
            margin = 0.02;
        ]

    }

    subgraph cluster_boundary_External_Services {
        graph [
            fontsize = 10;
            fontcolor = black;
            style = dashed;
            color = firebrick2;
            label = <<i>External Services</i>>;
        ]

        component_DNS_resolver_External_Services [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "DNS resolver";
            URL = "component_DNS_resolver.html";
            tooltip = "DNS resolver";
            margin = 0.02;
        ]

        component_FPF_apt_repository_External_Services [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "FPF apt\nrepository";
            URL = "component_FPF_apt_repository.html";
            tooltip = "FPF apt repository";
            margin = 0.02;
        ]

        component_NTP_server_External_Services [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "NTP server";
            URL = "component_NTP_server.html";
            tooltip = "NTP server";
            margin = 0.02;
        ]

        component_Ubuntu_apt_repository_External_Services [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "Ubuntu apt\nrepository";
            URL = "component_Ubuntu_apt_repository.html";
            tooltip = "Ubuntu apt repository";
            margin = 0.02;

            style = "filled";

            fillcolor = "#c0392b";

            fontcolor = "white";

            class = "highlighted";
        ]

    }

    subgraph cluster_boundary_Monitoring_Server {
        graph [
            fontsize = 10;
            fontcolor = black;
            style = dashed;
            color = firebrick2;
            label = <<i>Monitoring Server</i>>;
        ]

        component_Monitor_Server_APT_NTP_DNS_Monitoring_Server [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "Monitor Server\nAPT/NTP/DNS";
            URL = "component_Monitor_Server_APT_NTP_DNS.html";
            tooltip = "Monitor Server APT/NTP/DNS";
            margin = 0.02;
        ]

    }

    subgraph cluster_boundary_SecureDrop_Area {
        graph [
            fontsize = 10;
            fontcolor = black;
            style = dashed;
            color = firebrick2;
            label = <<i>SecureDrop Area</i>>;
        ]

        component_Dedicated_Hardware_Firewall_SecureDrop_Area [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "Dedicated\nHardware\nFirewall";
            URL = "component_Dedicated_Hardware_Firewall.html";
            tooltip = "Dedicated Hardware Firewall";
            margin = 0.02;
        ]

    }

    component_App_Server_APT_NTP_DNS_Application_Server -> component_Monitor_Server_APT_NTP_DNS_Monitoring_Server [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "1. Proxy via monitor";    ]
    component_Monitor_Server_APT_NTP_DNS_Monitoring_Server -> component_Dedicated_Hardware_Firewall_SecureDrop_Area [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "2. Egress via\nfirewall";    ]
    component_Dedicated_Hardware_Firewall_SecureDrop_Area -> component_Ubuntu_apt_repository_External_Services [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "3. Ubuntu apt";    ]
    component_Dedicated_Hardware_Firewall_SecureDrop_Area -> component_FPF_apt_repository_External_Services [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "4. FPF apt";    ]
    component_Dedicated_Hardware_Firewall_SecureDrop_Area -> component_NTP_server_External_Services [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "5. NTP";    ]
    component_Dedicated_Hardware_Firewall_SecureDrop_Area -> component_DNS_resolver_External_Services [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "6. DNS";    ]
}

Supply chain and dependencies · Ubuntu apt repository

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

    subgraph cluster_boundary_Application_Server {
        graph [
            fontsize = 10;
            fontcolor = black;
            style = dashed;
            color = firebrick2;
            label = <<i>Application Server</i>>;
        ]

        component_App_Server_APT_NTP_DNS_Application_Server [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "App Server\nAPT/NTP/DNS";
            URL = "component_App_Server_APT_NTP_DNS.html";
            tooltip = "App Server APT/NTP/DNS";
            margin = 0.02;
        ]

        component_Source_Interface_Application_Server [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "Source Interface";
            URL = "component_Source_Interface.html";
            tooltip = "Source Interface";
            margin = 0.02;
        ]

    }

    subgraph cluster_boundary_External_Services {
        graph [
            fontsize = 10;
            fontcolor = black;
            style = dashed;
            color = firebrick2;
            label = <<i>External Services</i>>;
        ]

        component_FPF_apt_repository_External_Services [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "FPF apt\nrepository";
            URL = "component_FPF_apt_repository.html";
            tooltip = "FPF apt repository";
            margin = 0.02;
        ]

        component_SecureDrop_release___package_build_External_Services [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "SecureDrop\nrelease &\npackage build";
            URL = "component_SecureDrop_release___package_build.html";
            tooltip = "SecureDrop release & package build";
            margin = 0.02;
        ]

        component_SecureDrop_source_repository_External_Services [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "SecureDrop\nsource\nrepository";
            URL = "component_SecureDrop_source_repository.html";
            tooltip = "SecureDrop source repository";
            margin = 0.02;
        ]

        component_Tor_software_External_Services [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "Tor software";
            URL = "component_Tor_software.html";
            tooltip = "Tor software";
            margin = 0.02;
        ]

        component_Ubuntu_apt_repository_External_Services [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "Ubuntu apt\nrepository";
            URL = "component_Ubuntu_apt_repository.html";
            tooltip = "Ubuntu apt repository";
            margin = 0.02;

            style = "filled";

            fillcolor = "#c0392b";

            fontcolor = "white";

            class = "highlighted";
        ]

    }

    component_SecureDrop_source_repository_External_Services -> component_SecureDrop_release___package_build_External_Services [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "1. Build from source";    ]
    component_SecureDrop_release___package_build_External_Services -> component_FPF_apt_repository_External_Services [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "2. Publish packages";    ]
    component_FPF_apt_repository_External_Services -> component_App_Server_APT_NTP_DNS_Application_Server [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "3. Install / update";    ]
    component_Ubuntu_apt_repository_External_Services -> component_App_Server_APT_NTP_DNS_Application_Server [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "4. Ubuntu\ndependencies";    ]
    component_Tor_software_External_Services -> component_Source_Interface_Application_Server [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "5. Tor dependency";    ]
}

Notes

Existing mitigations: SecureDrop uses as few apt packages as possible (MITIG222). Packages are updated only if they are published to the security channel (MITIG223). Automated test for mitigation: No.

How this threat is matched

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