phase-6-threat-identification

name	phase-6-threat-identification
description	Phase 6 Threat Identification guide with STRIDE methodology reference. Use when identifying threats, categorizing security issues, applying STRIDE analysis, or assessing threat severity and likelihood.

Phase 6: Threat Identification (STRIDE)

Objective

Systematically identify threats using the STRIDE methodology against every component, connection, and asset flow documented in previous phases.

STRIDE Categories

S - Spoofing (violates Authentication)

Can identities be faked?

• Authentication bypass, session hijacking, credential theft, certificate forgery
• Where to look: Login endpoints, API authentication, service-to-service auth

T - Tampering (violates Integrity)

Can data or code be modified?

• SQL injection, XSS, man-in-the-middle, config tampering, code injection
• Where to look: Input fields, data in transit, stored data, configuration files

R - Repudiation (violates Non-repudiation)

Can actions be denied?

• Log tampering, missing audit trails, unsigned transactions
• Where to look: Logging infrastructure, audit trails, transaction records

I - Information Disclosure (violates Confidentiality)

Can data leak?

• Data breaches, verbose errors, unencrypted transmission, directory traversal
• Where to look: Error handling, API responses, data flows, storage

D - Denial of Service (violates Availability)

Can availability be impacted?

• DDoS, resource exhaustion, algorithmic complexity, connection pool exhaustion
• Where to look: Public endpoints, resource-intensive operations, queues

E - Elevation of Privilege (violates Authorization)

Can permissions be escalated?

• Privilege escalation, IDOR, missing access controls, role manipulation
• Where to look: Authorization checks, role assignments, admin functions

Per-Element STRIDE Relevance

Element Type	S	T	R	I	D	E
External entities	X		X
Processes/Services	X	X	X	X	X	X
Data stores		X		X	X
Data flows		X		X	X
Trust boundaries	X	X				X

Tools Reference

manage_threats(action="add", section="threats", values=THREAT)

Call manage_threats(action="describe", section="threats") first for the exact contract.

IMPORTANT: Each text field max 200 characters.

Parameter	Required	Values
threat_source	Yes	Who/what (max 200 chars)
prerequisites	Yes	Conditions needed (max 200 chars)
threat_action	Yes	What they do (max 200 chars)
threat_impact	Yes	What happens (max 200 chars)
category	No	Spoofing, Tampering, Repudiation, Information Disclosure, Denial of Service, Elevation of Privilege
severity	No	Low, Medium, High, Critical
likelihood	No	Unlikely, Possible, Likely, Very Likely
affected_components	No	List of component IDs
affected_assets	No	List of asset names
tags	No	List of tags (max 30 chars each)

Example:

manage_threats(
  action="add",
  section="threats",
  values={
    "threat_source": "external attacker",
    "prerequisites": "with access to the login endpoint",
    "threat_action": "perform credential stuffing attacks",
    "threat_impact": "unauthorized access to user accounts",
    "category": "Spoofing",
    "severity": "High",
    "likelihood": "Likely",
    "affected_components": ["C001"],
    "affected_assets": ["User Credentials"],
    "tags": ["STRIDE-S", "authentication"]
  }
)

Severity Assessment

Severity	Criteria
Critical	System compromise, regulated data breach, complete auth bypass
High	Significant data exposure, privilege escalation, service disruption
Medium	Limited data exposure, partial impact, requires specific conditions
Low	Minimal impact, difficult to exploit, limited scope

Likelihood Assessment

Likelihood	Criteria
Very Likely	Trivially exploitable, public knowledge, no special access
Likely	Known vector, moderate skill, some access needed
Possible	Specific conditions required, moderate skill and access
Unlikely	Significant access/skill needed, rarely seen

Workflow

1. Call manage_workflow(action="guidance", phase="6")
2. For each STRIDE category, analyze every component and data flow
3. Add threats with full parameters (source, prereqs, action, impact, category, severity, likelihood)
4. Tag threats with STRIDE category and domain (e.g., "STRIDE-S", "authentication")
5. Link to components and assets affected
6. If AWS: Use search_documentation() to research service-specific threats
7. Review coverage with manage_threats(action="list", section="threats") -- ensure all 6 STRIDE categories represented

Completion Criteria

• Threats identified across all 6 STRIDE categories
• Each threat has category, severity, and likelihood
• Threats linked to affected components and assets
• AWS-specific threats included (if applicable)
• manage_threats(action="list", section="threats") shows comprehensive inventory
• Call manage_workflow(action="advance") to proceed to Phase 7