Improving Web Application Security: Threats and - CGISecurity

114 Part II:Designing Secure Web ApplicationsConfiguration ManagementIf your application provides an administration interface that allows it to beconfigured, examine how the administration interfaces are secured. Also examinehow sensitive configuration data is secured. Table 5.4 shows the most commonconfiguration management vulnerabilities.Table 5.4 Common Configuration Management VulnerabilitiesVulnerabilityInsecure administrationinterfacesImplicationsUnauthorized users can reconfigure your application and accesssensitive data.Insecure configuration storesClear text configuration dataToo many administratorsOver-privileged process accountsand service accountsUnauthorized users can access configuration stores and obtainsecrets, such as account names and passwords, and databaseconnection details.Anyone that can log in to the server can view sensitiveconfiguration data.This makes it difficult to audit and vet administrators.This can allow privilege escalation attacks.Use the following questions to help validate the approach of your application designto configuration management:● Do you support remote administration?● Do you secure configuration stores?● Do you separate administrator privileges?Do You Support Remote Administration?If your design specifies remote administration, then you must secure theadministration interfaces and configuration stores because of the sensitive nature ofthe operations and the data that is accessible over the administration interface.Review the following aspects of your remote administration design:● Do you use strong authentication?All administration interface users should be required to authenticate. Use strongauthentication, such as Windows or client-certificate authentication.●Do you encrypt the network traffic?Use encrypted communication channels, such as those provided by IPSec orvirtual private network (VPN) connections. Do not support remote administrationover insecure channels. IPSec allows you to limit the identity and number of clientmachines that can be used to administer the server.