The OWASP Internet of Things (IoT) Project for 2018 has just been released! started in 2014 as a way help Developers, Manufacturers, Enterprises, and Consumers to make better decisions regarding the creation and use of IoT systems. This continues today with the 2018 release of the OWASP IoT Top 10, which represents the top 10 things to avoid when building, deploying, or managing IoT systems. The primary theme for the 2018 OWASP Internet of Things Top 10 is simplicity and usability combines the top issues facing manufacturers, enterprises and consumers. Rather than having separate lists for risks vs. threats vs. vulnerabilities—or for developers vs. enterprises vs. consumers—the project team elected to have a single, unified list that captures the top things to avoid when dealing with IoT Security.
The team recognized that there are now dozens of organizations releasing elaborate guidance on IoT Security—all of which are designed for slightly different audiences and industry verticals. We thought the most useful resource we could create is a single list that addresses the highest priority issues for manufacturers, enterprises, and consumers at the same time. Below are the result of 2018 OWASP IoT Top 10.
Table of Contents
- Weak Guessable, or Hard Coded Passwords
- Insecure Network Services
- Insecure Ecosystem Interfaces
- Lack of Secure Update Mechanism
- Use of Insecure or Outdated Components
- Insufficient Privacy Protection
- Insecure Data Transfer and Storage
- Lack of Device Management
- Insecure Default Settings
- Lack of Physical Hardening
- The future of the OWASP IoT Top 10
Weak Guessable, or Hard Coded Passwords
Use of easily brute forced, publicly available, or unchangeable credentials, including backdoors in firmware or client software that grants unauthorized access to deployed systems.
Insecure Network Services
Unneeded or insecure network services running on the device itself, especially those exposed to the internet, that compromise the confidentiality, integrity/authenticity, or availability of information or allow unauthorized remote control…
Insecure Ecosystem Interfaces
Insecure web, backend API, cloud, or mobile interfaces in the ecosystem outside of the device that allows compromise of the device or its related components. Common issues include a lack of authentication/authorization, lacking or weak encryption, and a lack of input and output filtering.
Lack of Secure Update Mechanism
Lack of ability to securely update the device. This includes lack of firmware validation on device, lack of secure delivery (un-encrypted in transit), lack of anti-rollback mechanisms, and lack of notifications of security changes due to updates.
Use of Insecure or Outdated Components
Use of deprecated or insecure software components/libraries that could allow the device to be compromised. This includes insecure customization of operating system platforms, and the use of third-party software or hardware components from a compromised supply chain.
Insufficient Privacy Protection
User’s personal information stored on the device or in the ecosystem that is used insecurely, improperly, or without permission.
Insecure Data Transfer and Storage
Lack of encryption or access control of sensitive data anywhere within the ecosystem, including at rest, in transit, or during processing.
Lack of Device Management
Lack of security support on devices deployed in production, including asset management, update management, secure decommissioning, systems monitoring, and response capabilities.
Insecure Default Settings
Devices or systems shipped with insecure default settings or lack the ability to make the system more secure by restricting operators from modifying configurations.
Lack of Physical Hardening
Lack of physical hardening measures, allowing potential attackers to gain sensitive information that can help in a future remote attack or take local control of the device.
The future of the OWASP IoT Top 10
The team has a number of activities planned to continue improving on the project going forward. Some of the items being discussed include:
- Continuing to improve the list on a two-year cadence, incorporating feedback from the community and from additional project contributors to ensure we are staying current with issues facing the industry.
- Mapping the list items to other OWASP projects, such as the ASVS, and perhaps to other projects outside OWASP as well.
- Expanding the project into other aspects of IoT—including embedded security, ICS / SCADA,etc.
- Adding use and abuse cases, with multiple examples, to solidify each concept discussed.
- Considering the addition of reference architectures, so we can not only tell people what to avoid, but how to do what they need to do securely.
Note: The OWASP Internet of Things Project is designed to help manufacturers, developers, and consumers better understand the security issues associated with the Internet of Things, and to enable users in any context to make better security decisions when building, deploying, or assessing IoT technologies. The project looks to define a structure for various IoT sub-projects such as Attack Surface Areas, Testing Guides and Top Vulnerabilities.