Introduction
In today’s digital landscape, the increasing frequency of data breaches underscores the critical importance of robust application security. The 2024 HealthEquity incident, where a compromised vendor account exposed the sensitive information of over four million individuals, serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of neglecting security best practices. Modern applications, particularly those operating within cloud environments, are increasingly targeted by sophisticated threat actors.
Organizations are increasingly leveraging cloud-based platforms to enhance operational efficiency and user experience. However, this reliance on interconnected systems has expanded the attack surface significantly. Applications handling sensitive information – such as financial transactions, employee recognition systems, or protected health data – carry a considerable responsibility. Any lapse in security can result in significant repercussions, encompassing financial loss, regulatory penalties, and damage to organizational reputation.
Threat modeling provides a proactive approach to mitigate these risks. By systematically analyzing potential threats and prioritizing critical vulnerabilities, security and project teams can anticipate and address security gaps before they can be exploited. This method allows organizations to strengthen their security posture and safeguard applications against sophisticated adversaries.
However, it is important to acknowledge that traditional threat modeling approaches may not be sufficient to address the complexities of modern, cloud-based systems. These systems are characterized by intricate webs of interconnected components – ranging from operating systems and containers to third-party APIs and cloud services. Overlooking the security implications of any one of these components or their interactions introduces significant vulnerabilities. A seemingly minor flaw within a single element can propagate throughout the system, potentially compromising its integrity. Thus, a more holistic and nuanced approach to threat modeling is paramount.
In this blog, we’ll dive deep into the concept of modern threat modeling through a practical lens. Our goal is to illustrate how to effectively identify and mitigate high-risk threats in a cloud-based application using a structured approach. Specifically, we’ll be using the STRIDE framework to systematically analyze the various building blocks of a hypothetical employee recognition application and identify potential security vulnerabilities. This application allows managers to award points to their high-performing team members, which can then be redeemed for gift cards, making it a prime example of an application requiring robust security measures. By walking through this example, we will emphasize the importance of risk prioritization and focusing on the critical threats that pose the greatest danger to your application and your business. We will not only be covering the basic functionality of this app but also go into a specific abuse case of how the application could be exploited due to a vulnerability.
Understanding Our Application: The Employee Recognition Platform
In order to effectively apply threat modeling, we must first develop a thorough understanding of the system under scrutiny. In our case, we will be using an example of modern cloud-based application, the “Employee Recognition Platform.” This platform serves as a great illustration to showcase threat modeling use cases. This platform is designed to empower managers to recognize the achievements of their direct reports, fostering a culture of appreciation and positive reinforcement.
Overview of the Employee Recognition Platform
The Employee Recognition Platform is a web-based application designed to facilitate the acknowledgment of employee contributions within an organization. It provides two primary user roles:
Managers: Managers can nominate their direct reports for recognition based on their performance and contributions. They initiate the recognition process, selecting the employee, defining the recognition criteria, and awarding points.
Employees: Employees can view their received recognitions and earned points. They can then redeem these points for gift cards from a catalog of available options.
The platform’s core functionalities can be broken down into the following key processes:
Recognition Submission: Managers initiate recognitions for their direct reports, specifying the reason for recognition and awarding points.
Points Allocation: The system tracks and manages the points associated with each recognition awarded. These points are then credited to the receiving employee’s account.
Gift Card Redemption: Employees can browse an available catalog of gift cards and redeem their points for gift cards with a corresponding value, from their account.
User Authentication and Authorization: The platform ensures secure access through user authentication and authorization protocols for both managers and employees.
User Management: The platform also handles the addition, modification, and termination of users within the system, while also allowing the management of organizational hierarchy.
This platform is designed to streamline the recognition process, automate point management, and offer a seamless gift redemption experience, all while maintaining a secure and efficient system.
High-Level Architecture Diagram
To understand the complexity of this platform, it’s helpful to visualize its architecture. The following is a description of a block diagram representing the main components and the flow of interaction between these components:
User Interface (Web/Mobile App): This is the primary interface for both managers and employees. It provides a user-friendly way to interact with the platform’s features.
API Gateway: All requests from the User Interface to the backend services pass through the API Gateway. This serves as a single entry point for all API traffic.
Figure : Architecture diagram of Employee Recognition Platform.
Authentication Service: Responsible for authenticating users and verifying their identity before 4›4››granting access to the platform.
Recognition Service: Manages the creation, storage, and retrieval of recognition submissions. It handles the logic for sending and listing the recognitions.
Points Service: Tracks employee point balances, awards points for recognitions, and handles point deductions for gift card redemptions.
Gift Card Redemption Service: Provides the interface for employees to redeem their points for gift cards. Interacts with the third-party gift card vendor via an API, to obtain the available catalog of gift cards and to finalize redemptions.
Database(s): Responsible for storing all the application data which include the users, their recognition, points and other data.
As our focus is on security, some critical data and processes within the platform are worth noting:
Sensitive Data:
User Credentials: Passwords and authentication tokens, which must be protected from unauthorized access.
Employee Data: Personally identifiable information (PII) such as names, email addresses, employee IDs, and organizational structure, requiring compliance with data privacy regulations.
Points Balances: Employee points balances, are a financial data that are subject to fraud and should be carefully managed.
Gift Card Information: Redemption codes and transaction details are a financial data requiring high security.
Critical Processes:
User Authentication and Authorization: Ensures only authorized users can access the platform.
Recognition Submission: Must be secure to prevent fraudulent recognitions.
Points Awarding and Management: Requires integrity and accuracy to prevent fraud.
Gift Card Redemption: Ensures correct redemption and prevents theft.
Why This is Important:
Understanding the architecture of our platform is the first step in identifying potential vulnerabilities. By mapping out the different components, their functions, and their interactions, we are better positioned to assess the platform’s overall security posture.
let’s move forward with threat modeling the high-priority areas of the Employee Recognition Platform. We’ll use the STRIDE methodology to analyze threats, focusing on the key building blocks identified in the architecture diagram. Remember, we identified these as our initial focus:
- Authentication Service
- Points Service
- Gift Card Redemption Service – 3rd party API integration
- API Gateway
- Database(s)
We’ll analyze each area individually, keeping in mind that other components may be implicated in the identified threats. Let’s dive into the first high-risk area.
Threat Modeling Area 1: Authentication Service
Description: The Authentication Service verifies user identities and manages access to the platform, ensuring only authorized users can interact with its features.
Threat: Spoofing (Attacker impersonates a valid user)
- Examples:
Stolen credentials due to phishing or weak passwords.
Session hijacking via stolen session tokens.
Compromised container image running malicious authentication logic. - Mitigation:
Enforce MFA.
Require strong, unique passwords and implement password rotation policies.
Secure session management by using short-lived tokens and HTTPS-only cookies.
Conduct regular container image scanning and use trusted registries.
Threat: Tampering (Modifying authentication data)
- Examples:
Intercepted and altered login requests.
Manipulated tokens to escalate privileges. - Mitigation:
Use strong TLS for all communications.
Digitally sign tokens to detect tampering.
Validate tokens on each API call.
Threat: Repudiation (Denying authentication actions)
- Examples:
Denying account lockout or failed login attempts.
Claiming legitimate actions as unauthorized. - Mitigation:
Enable comprehensive audit logging for all authentication-related events.
Store logs securely and ensure access is restricted.
Threat: Information Disclosure (Leaking sensitive data)
- Examples:
Exposing detailed error messages (e.g., invalid user/password).
Disclosure of tokens in logs or URLs. - Mitigation:
Avoid verbose error messages and use generic error responses.
Mask sensitive fields in logs and restrict token exposure.
Threat: Denial of Service (Disrupting authentication service)
- Examples:
Overwhelming the service with fake login attempts (credential stuffing).
Exhausting server resources with repeated session validation requests. - Mitigation:
Implement rate limiting and CAPTCHA for suspicious activity.
Monitor for abnormal login patterns and block malicious IPs.
Threat: Elevation of Privilege (Unauthorized privilege gain)
- Examples:
Exploiting weak token validation to impersonate admins.
Bypassing role checks in session validation logic. - Mitigation:
Validate all roles and permissions during authentication.
Regularly review and update role definitions and access controls.
Threat Modeling Area 2: API Gateway
Description: The API Gateway serves as the single entry point for all client requests, routing them to backend services and enforcing access control policies.
Threat: Spoofing (Forged requests to the API Gateway)
- Examples:
Malicious actors forging client certificates or API tokens.
Unauthorized access via misconfigured API keys. - Mitigation:
Use mutual TLS for client authentication.
Rotate API keys periodically and enforce strict API token validation.
Threat: Tampering (Altering requests or responses)
- Examples:
Man-in-the-middle attacks altering data in transit.
Manipulated payloads to exploit backend services. - Mitigation:
Encrypt all communications using TLS.
Validate payload integrity using checksums or HMACs.
Threat: Repudiation (Denying request origin)
- Examples:
Falsified client IPs or request headers.
Lack of accountability for backend service calls. - Mitigation:
Log client metadata (e.g., IPs, user agents).
Use secure logging practices with tamper detection.
Threat: Information Disclosure (Exposing sensitive API data)
- Examples:
Leaking API keys or sensitive data in API responses.
Overly permissive CORS configurations. - Mitigation:
Mask sensitive data in API responses.
Restrict CORS to trusted origins.
Threat: Denial of Service (Overloading the gateway)
- Examples:
Flooding the gateway with excessive requests.
Exploiting vulnerabilities in rate-limiting mechanisms. - Mitigation:
Implement rate limiting and WAFs.
Use auto-scaling to handle traffic spikes.
Threat: Elevation of Privilege (Bypassing access control)
- Examples:
Forged tokens bypassing authentication checks.
Accessing internal services directly, bypassing the gateway. - Mitigation:
Enforce authentication at the gateway level.
Use firewalls to block direct access to backend services.
Threat Modeling Area 3: Points Service
Description: The Points Service manages the tracking of employee points, including awards for recognition and deductions for redemptions.
Threat: Spoofing (Manipulating point transactions)
- Examples:
Submitting forged requests to award or deduct points.
Impersonating another user to transfer points. - Mitigation:
Authenticate and authorize all API requests.
Validate request integrity and origin.
Threat: Tampering (Altering point balances)
- Examples:
Unauthorized modification of point balances via API.
SQL injection attacks targeting point records. - Mitigation:
Validate and sanitize all inputs.
Use database constraints to enforce data integrity.
Threat: Repudiation (Denying fraudulent point transactions)
- Examples:
Users denying unauthorized deductions.
Lack of traceability for awarded points. - Mitigation:
Maintain detailed transaction logs.
Use immutable data stores for critical financial records.
Threat: Information Disclosure (Exposing point balances)
- Examples:
API responses exposing user financial data.
Insecure logs revealing transaction details. - Mitigation:
Encrypt financial data at rest and in transit.
Mask sensitive fields in logs.
Threat: Denial of Service (Preventing legitimate point transactions)
- Examples:
Flooding the API with point transaction requests.
Exhausting database resources via excessive queries. - Mitigation:
Implement rate limiting and database connection pooling.
Threat: Elevation of Privilege (Gaining unauthorized access to point management)
- Examples:
Exploiting insufficient role validation to modify points.
Accessing admin APIs with a user account. - Mitigation:
Enforce RBAC and validate roles for all API endpoints.
Regularly audit permissions and access controls.
Threat Modeling Area 4: Gift Card Redemption Service
Description: Facilitates the redemption of employee points for gift cards and handles interactions with third-party APIs for gift card availability and transaction completion.
Threat: Spoofing (Impersonating a user or the third-party service)
- Examples:
Replay attacks on the redemption API.
Injecting malicious data into requests to impersonate valid users.
Compromising credentials for the third-party API. - Mitigation:
Enforce mutual TLS for API communication.
Secure API keys using secret management solutions (e.g., AWS Secrets Manager).
Implement strict validation and authentication for incoming third-party requests.
Monitor external API usage for abnormal patterns.
Threat: Tampering (Malicious modification of gift card redemption parameters)
- Examples:
Altering request payloads to change gift card values.
Manipulating third-party API responses to spoof successful transactions.
Injecting malicious scripts or commands through container vulnerabilities. - Mitigation:
Use request signing to verify request integrity.
Enforce strict input validation for all incoming requests.
Secure communication with APIs using TLS.
Regularly scan container images and restrict image sources to trusted registries.
Threat: Repudiation (Denying gift card transactions or vendor denial)
- Examples:
Users claim they did not redeem a gift card despite successful transactions.
Third-party vendor denies processing redemption requests due to insufficient records. - Mitigation:
Maintain detailed audit logs for all gift card redemption requests and responses.
Use non-repudiation protocols (e.g., signed receipts from the vendor).
Synchronize detailed transaction data with the third-party vendor and reconcile discrepancies regularly.
Threat: Information Disclosure (Exposing sensitive gift card details)
- Examples:
Leaking gift card codes through error messages or logs.
Misconfigured cloud storage exposing sensitive files.
Unauthorized database access revealing financial data. - Mitigation:
Encrypt all sensitive data at rest and in transit.
Implement IAM policies to enforce access control to gift card data.
Regularly review and update cloud platform policies for storage and network access.
Threat: Denial of Service (Disruption of gift card redemption)
- Examples:
Flooding the API with gift card requests to exhaust resources.
Exploiting service vulnerabilities to crash the system.
Third-party API outages preventing redemption processing. - Mitigation:
Use rate limiting to prevent API abuse.
Employ DDoS protection and load balancing for the service.
Design redundant workflows to handle third-party outages, such as fallback mechanisms or queuing systems.
Regularly test infrastructure resilience with simulated load tests.
Threat: Elevation of Privilege (Unauthorized access to privileged redemption functions)
- Examples:
Exploiting IAM misconfigurations to gain administrative access.
Compromising admin credentials to access privileged functions.
Abusing vulnerabilities in the redemption API to bypass access controls. - Mitigation:
Follow the principle of least privilege for all IAM roles.
Implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) to restrict access to sensitive APIs.
Conduct regular IAM policy reviews and enforce MFA for admin accounts.
Regularly scan for vulnerabilities in the API and backend systems, and patch identified issues promptly.
Threat Modeling Area 5: Database(s)
Description: Databases store sensitive information including user credentials, recognition data, points balances, and gift card transaction details.
Threat: Spoofing (Unauthorized access to database services)
- Examples:
Using stolen database credentials to impersonate a valid user or service.
Exploiting a misconfigured database client connection string. - Mitigation:
Enforce database access controls and use IAM authentication where supported.
Secure credentials using a secret management system.
Use TLS for database communication to prevent interception.
Threat: Tampering (Modifying stored data)
- Examples:
Injecting malicious SQL queries to alter or delete records.
Exploiting database permissions to manipulate points balances or recognition data. - Mitigation:
Use prepared statements and parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection.
Restrict database write permissions to trusted services only.
Enable database auditing to detect unauthorized modifications.
Threat: Repudiation (Denying data modifications)
- Examples:
Users denying unauthorized changes to recognition records or point balances.
Lack of evidence for database updates or deletions. - Mitigation:
Maintain immutable logs of all database transactions.
Use database triggers to log changes to critical tables.
Threat: Information Disclosure (Leaking sensitive data)
- Examples:
Dumping sensitive tables due to unauthorized access.
Exposing backup files through unprotected storage. - Mitigation:
Encrypt sensitive columns and entire database backups.
Use access controls to limit who can query sensitive data.
Regularly review and test storage configurations.
Threat: Denial of Service (Preventing access to the database)
- Examples:
Flooding the database with expensive queries.
Exhausting database connections or storage limits. - Mitigation:
Implement connection pooling and query limits.
Monitor database performance and scale resources as needed.
Threat: Elevation of Privilege (Unauthorized high-level access)
- Examples:
Exploiting misconfigured roles to access database admin functions.
Bypassing security policies to view or modify sensitive data. - Mitigation:
Use RBAC and restrict database admin roles to essential personnel.
Regularly review database user roles and permissions.
Conclusion
In an era where cloud-based systems underpin critical business operations, the importance of robust application security cannot be overstated. As we have explored in this blog, threat modeling is a vital tool for systematically identifying and addressing vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. By leveraging frameworks such as STRIDE, organizations can take a proactive approach to securing their applications, even amidst the complexity of modern, interconnected cloud environments.
Through our example of the Employee Recognition Platform, we demonstrated how focusing on high-risk areas like authentication, APIs, and third-party integrations can help prioritize security efforts. This structured approach not only minimizes the attack surface but also fosters a culture of security awareness throughout the development lifecycle.
Key Takeaways
1. Comprehensive Threat Analysis: Modern applications demand a holistic approach to threat modeling. Addressing individual components in isolation is not enough—interactions between services and external systems must also be considered.
2. Risk Prioritization: Not all threats are equal. By focusing on high-impact areas, such as sensitive data handling and critical business processes, organizations can optimize their security efforts for maximum impact.
3. Cloud-Specific Considerations: Cloud platforms introduce unique challenges, including third-party integrations, shared responsibilities, and complex network configurations. These factors require additional vigilance and tailored security measures.
4. Iterative Process: Security is not a one-time exercise. Threat modeling should be an ongoing activity, evolving alongside your application and the threat landscape.
By applying the principles of modern threat modeling, organizations can confidently embrace the benefits of cloud-based applications while mitigating the associated risks. Security is not just a technical challenge but a business imperative. Investing in threat modeling today helps safeguard not only sensitive data and resources but also your organization’s reputation and future.
Next Steps
For readers looking to implement threat modeling in their own projects, consider starting with the following actions:
• Familiarize yourself with threat modeling frameworks like STRIDE or PASTA.
• Identify critical components in your application and their potential vulnerabilities.
• Engage cross-functional teams—including developers, architects, and security engineers—in the threat modeling process.
• Utilize cloud-native security tools to automate vulnerability detection and remediation wherever possible.
Securing applications in today’s digital ecosystem is a shared responsibility, and adopting a proactive mindset is the first step toward staying ahead of potential threats.