V-72875

Severity: Medium

Generated

2019-05-20 15:48:11.984914

Status

Skipped

PostgreSQL and associated applications, when making use of dynamic code execution, must scan input data for invalid values that may indicate a code i njection attack.

NIST 800-53

STIG # Description Result
SI-10 SI-10: Information Input Validation passed

Guidance

With respect to database management systems, one class of threat is known as SQL Injection, or more generally, code injection. It takes advantage of the dynamic execution capabilities of various programming languages, including dialects of SQL. In such cases, the attacker deduces the manner in which SQL statements are being processed, either from inside knowledge or by observing system behavior in response to invalid inputs. When the attacker identifies scenarios where SQL queries are being assembled by application code (which may be within the database or separate from it) and executed dynamically, the attacker is then able to craft input strings that subvert the intent of the query. Potentially, the attacker can gain unauthorized access to data, including security settings, and severely corrupt or destroy the database. The principal protection against code injection is not to use dynamic execution except where it provides necessary functionality that cannot be utilized otherwise. Use strongly typed data items rather than general-purpose strings as input parameters to task-specific, pre-compiled stored procedures and functions (and triggers).When dynamic execution is necessary, ways to mitigate the risk include the following, which should be implemented both in the on-screen application and at the database level, in the stored procedures: – Allow strings as input only when necessary. – Rely on data typing to validate numbers, dates, etc. Do not accept invalid values. If substituting other values for them, think carefully about whether this could be subverted. – Limit the size of input strings to what is truly necessary. – If single quotes/apostrophes, double quotes, semicolons, equals signs, angle brackets, or square brackets will never be valid as input, reject them. – If comment markers will never be valid as input, reject them. In SQL, these are – or /* */ – If HTML and XML tags, entities, comments, etc., will never be valid, reject them. – If wildcards are present, reject them unless truly necessary. In SQL these are the underscore and the percentage sign, and the word ESCAPE is also a clue that wildcards are in use. – If SQL key words, such as SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, CREATE, ALTER, DROP, ESCAPE, UNION, GRANT, REVOKE, DENY, MODIFY will never be valid, reject them. Use case-insensitive comparisons when searching for these. Bear in mind that some of these words, particularly Grant (as a person’s name), could also be valid input. – If there are range limits on the values that may be entered, enforce those limits. – Institute procedures for inspection of programs for correct use of dynamic coding, by a party other than the developer. – Conduct rigorous testing of program modules that use dynamic coding, searching for ways to subvert the intended use. – Record the inspection and testing in the system documentation. – Bear in mind that all this applies not only to screen input, but also to the values in an incoming message to a web service or to a stored procedure called by a software component that has not itself been hardened in these ways. Not only can the caller be subject to such vulnerabilities; it may itself be the attacker.

Check

Review PostgreSQL source code (trigger procedures, functions) and application source code to identify cases of dynamic code execution. If dynamic code execution is employed without protective measures against code injection, this is a finding.

Fix

Where dynamic code execution is used, modify the code to implement protections against code injection (IE: prepared statements).

Test Results

  Result
Operating System Detection skipped

Code

control "V-72875" do
  title "PostgreSQL and associated applications, when making use of dynamic code
  execution, must scan input data for invalid values that may indicate a code i
  njection attack."
  desc  "With respect to database management systems, one class of threat is
  known as SQL Injection, or more generally, code injection. It takes advantage
  of the dynamic execution capabilities of various programming languages,
  including dialects of SQL. In such cases, the attacker deduces the manner in
  which SQL statements are being processed, either from inside knowledge or by
  observing system behavior in response to invalid inputs. When the attacker
  identifies scenarios where SQL queries are being assembled by application code
  (which may be within the database or separate from it) and executed dynamically,
  the attacker is then able to craft input strings that subvert the intent of the
  query. Potentially, the attacker can gain unauthorized access to data,
  including security settings, and severely corrupt or destroy the database.
  The principal protection against code injection is not to use dynamic execution
  except where it provides necessary functionality that cannot be utilized
  otherwise. Use strongly typed data items rather than general-purpose strings
  as input parameters to task-specific, pre-compiled stored procedures and
  functions (and triggers).When dynamic execution is necessary, ways to mitigate
  the risk include the following, which should be implemented both in the
  on-screen application and at the database level, in the stored procedures:
  -- Allow strings as input only when necessary.
  -- Rely on data typing to validate numbers, dates, etc. Do not accept invalid
  values. If substituting other values for them, think carefully about whether
  this could be subverted.
  -- Limit the size of input strings to what is truly necessary.
  -- If single quotes/apostrophes, double quotes, semicolons, equals signs,
  angle brackets, or square brackets will never be valid as input, reject them.
  -- If comment markers will never be valid as input, reject them. In SQL, these
  are -- or /* */
  -- If HTML and XML tags, entities, comments, etc., will never be valid,
  reject them.
  -- If wildcards are present, reject them unless truly necessary. In SQL these
  are the underscore and the percentage sign, and the word ESCAPE is also a clue
  that wildcards are in use.
  -- If SQL key words, such as SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, CREATE, ALTER,
  DROP, ESCAPE, UNION, GRANT, REVOKE, DENY, MODIFY will never be valid, reject
  them. Use case-insensitive comparisons when searching for these. Bear in mind
  that some of these words, particularly Grant (as a person's name), could also
  be valid input.
  -- If there are range limits on the values that may be entered, enforce those
  limits.
  -- Institute procedures for inspection of programs for correct use of dynamic
  coding, by a party other than the developer.
  -- Conduct rigorous testing of program modules that use dynamic coding,
  searching for ways to subvert the intended use.
  -- Record the inspection and testing in the system documentation.
  -- Bear in mind that all this applies not only to screen input, but also to
  the values in an incoming message to a web service or to a stored procedure
  called by a software component that has not itself been hardened in these ways.
  Not only can the caller be subject to such vulnerabilities; it may itself be
  the attacker."
  impact 0.5
  tag "severity": "medium"
  tag "gtitle": "SRG-APP-000251-DB-000392"
  tag "gid": "V-72875"
  tag "rid": "SV-87527r1_rule"
  tag "stig_id": "PGS9-00-002000"
  tag "cci": "CCI-001310"
  tag "nist": ["SI-10", "Rev_4"]
  tag "check": "Review PostgreSQL source code (trigger procedures, functions)
  and application source code to identify cases of dynamic code execution.
  If dynamic code execution is employed without protective measures against code
  injection, this is a finding."
  tag "fix": "Where dynamic code execution is used, modify the code to implement
  protections against code injection (IE: prepared statements)."

  only_if { false }
  
end