Configuration vulnerability in Source interface partially mitigated

THREAT5 · Partially mitigated: Some controls are in place, but the risk is still too high. · Defined in catalog.py:98

Risk: High impact × Medium likelihood = 9 high
After mitigations: High impact × Medium likelihood = 9 high (unchanged)

Misconfiguration of the SecureDrop instance may facilitate or introduce vulnerabilities in the application or infrastructure. For example, weak Flask secret keys could be configured manually by a user by mistake.

Threat actors: Any

Mitigations

Mitigation	Status
Config managed by securedrop-client sdconfig CLI tool MITIG240	implemented

Possible further mitigations

Improve UX for admins / configuration management MITIG242 proposed
Instruct admins not to modify config by hand MITIG62 proposed
Prevent admins from undoing each other's site-specific changes MITIG241 proposed

Residual risk

Admins can overwrite each other's site-specific changes.

Where it applies

Applies to 1 component in 2 scenarios.

SecureDrop Application Application Server

Source submission · SecureDrop Application

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_Encrypted_submission_store_Application_Server [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "Encrypted\nsubmission store";
            URL = "component_Encrypted_submission_store.html";
            tooltip = "Encrypted submission store";
            margin = 0.02;
        ]

        component_Metadata_DB_Application_Server [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "Metadata DB";
            URL = "component_Metadata_DB.html";
            tooltip = "Metadata DB";
            margin = 0.02;
        ]

        component_SecureDrop_Application_Application_Server [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "SecureDrop\nApplication";
            URL = "component_SecureDrop_Application.html";
            tooltip = "SecureDrop Application";
            margin = 0.02;

            style = "filled";

            fillcolor = "#c0392b";

            fontcolor = "white";

            class = "highlighted";
        ]

        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_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;
        ]

    }

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

        actor_Source_Source_Area [
            shape = square;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "Source";
            URL = "component_Source.html";
            tooltip = "Source";
            margin = 0.02;
        ]

    }

    actor_Source_Source_Area -> component_Dedicated_Hardware_Firewall_SecureDrop_Area [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "1. Submit over Tor";    ]
    component_Dedicated_Hardware_Firewall_SecureDrop_Area -> component_Source_Interface_Application_Server [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "2. Reach Source\nInterface";    ]
    component_Source_Interface_Application_Server -> component_SecureDrop_Application_Application_Server [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "3. Hand to app";    ]
    component_SecureDrop_Application_Application_Server -> component_Encrypted_submission_store_Application_Server [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "4. Encrypt & store";    ]
    component_SecureDrop_Application_Application_Server -> component_Metadata_DB_Application_Server [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "5. Record metadata";    ]
}

Physical and host layer · SecureDrop Application

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_Application_Server__host__Application_Server [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "Application\nServer (host)";
            URL = "component_Application_Server__host_.html";
            tooltip = "Application Server (host)";
            margin = 0.02;
        ]

        component_SecureDrop_Application_Application_Server [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "SecureDrop\nApplication";
            URL = "component_SecureDrop_Application.html";
            tooltip = "SecureDrop Application";
            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_Monitoring_Server__host__Monitoring_Server [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "Monitoring\nServer (host)";
            URL = "component_Monitoring_Server__host_.html";
            tooltip = "Monitoring Server (host)";
            margin = 0.02;
        ]

        component_OSSEC_server_Monitoring_Server [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "OSSEC server";
            URL = "component_OSSEC_server.html";
            tooltip = "OSSEC server";
            margin = 0.02;
        ]

    }

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

        component_SecureDrop_server_room_SecureDrop_Area [
            shape = circle;
            color = black;
            fontcolor = black;
            label = "SecureDrop\nserver room";
            URL = "component_SecureDrop_server_room.html";
            tooltip = "SecureDrop server room";
            margin = 0.02;
        ]

    }

    component_SecureDrop_Application_Application_Server -> component_Application_Server__host__Application_Server [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "1. Services on app\nhost";    ]
    component_OSSEC_server_Monitoring_Server -> component_Monitoring_Server__host__Monitoring_Server [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "2. Services on mon\nhost";    ]
    component_Application_Server__host__Application_Server -> component_SecureDrop_server_room_SecureDrop_Area [        color = black;        fontcolor = black;        dir = forward;        label = "3. Hosts in server\nroom";    ]
}

Notes

Existing mitigations: All components are up to date with proper security configuration and versions. Configuration is tracked in the SecureDrop source repository, and installation-specific configuration is found in install_files/ansible-base/group_vars/all/site-specific and modified by securedrop-admin sdconfig (MITIG240). Further mitigations: Improve config story for SecureDrop (this is ticket https://github.com/freedomofpress/securedrop/issues/1966), and improve UX around modifying server config (https://github.com/freedomofpress/securedrop/issues/344) (MITIG242). Discourage admins from modifying state by hand (MITIG62). Prevent admins from overwriting each other's config changes (MITIG241). Automated test for mitigation: Partial.

How this threat is matched

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