Misconfigured Cargo
Don't Return to Misconfigured Package Management (Misconfigured NuGet, Misconfigured Maven, Misconfigured Gradle, Misconfigured NPM, Misconfigured pip)
TLDR: Misconfigured Cargo, introduced in 2014 by the Rust development community, can lead to vulnerabilities such as supply chain attacks, data leakage, and denial of service attacks. These issues arise from improper dependency resolution, insecure repository configurations, and lack of validation mechanisms, violating several OWASP Top Ten principles, including Input Validation, Access Controls, and secure Policy Enforcement.
https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/
Improper input validation in Cargo manifests allows attackers to inject malicious dependencies into projects. For example, failing to validate `Cargo.toml` files or package sources can introduce untrusted code. Enforcing validation of dependency metadata aligns with OWASP Top Ten guidelines on Input Validation.
https://owasp.org/www-community/Input_Validation
Neglecting to secure private Cargo registries can result in unauthorized publishing or modification of dependencies. Implementing strong Access Controls and authentication mechanisms prevents unauthorized actions, ensuring compliance with OWASP Top Ten's Access Management best practices.
https://owasp.org/www-community/Access_Control
Using outdated Cargo dependencies without verifying security patches leaves applications vulnerable to known exploits. Automating updates and enabling alerts for vulnerable components ensures dependencies remain secure, adhering to OWASP Top Ten's proactive monitoring recommendations.
https://owasp.org/www-project-dependency-check/
Unrestricted use of public Cargo registries, such as crates.io, without validation exposes projects to supply chain attacks. Restricting dependencies to verified sources through allowlists aligns with OWASP Top Ten's Policy Enforcement principles.
https://owasp.org/www-community/OWASP_API_Security_Project
Logging unredacted Cargo operations, such as authentication tokens or package metadata, increases the risk of data leakage. Adopting secure Logging practices ensures compliance with OWASP Top Ten's monitoring and auditing standards.
https://owasp.org/www-community/Logging_and_Monitoring_Cheat_Sheet
Over-reliance on Cargo's Framework Defaults can result in permissive dependency resolution, such as allowing unverified transitive dependencies. Customizing default settings to enforce strict dependency management aligns with OWASP Top Ten's secure Framework Defaults practices.
https://owasp.org/www-community/Framework_Security_Project
Excessive use of Cargo dependencies without limiting package size or complexity can lead to denial of service attacks. Implementing resource constraints during dependency resolution prevents exploitation, adhering to OWASP Top Ten's resource management recommendations.
https://owasp.org/www-community/Denial_of_Service
Failing to validate cryptographic signatures of Cargo packages increases the risk of installing tampered dependencies. Enforcing signature verification during package installation aligns with OWASP Top Ten's Data Encryption best practices.
https://owasp.org/www-community/Data_Encryption
Lack of segregation between development and production environments during Cargo operations can allow unverified dependencies to reach production. Adopting environment-specific dependency policies ensures alignment with OWASP Top Ten operational standards.
https://owasp.org/www-community/OWASP_Proactive_Controls
Finally, neglecting to sandbox the execution of scripts or build operations in Cargo packages can lead to remote code execution (RCE) if a malicious package is executed. Isolating build processes ensures compliance with OWASP Top Ten's secure resource management principles.
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