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Attack Tree Construction

Seth HobsonCommunityCreated by Seth Hobson

  • Skill
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  • Security
  • MIT
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From the author

Build comprehensive attack trees to visualize threat paths. Use when mapping attack scenarios, identifying defense gaps, or communicating security risks to stakeholders.
— the description by Seth Hobson

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

Attack Tree Construction provides a structured methodology for modeling security threats by breaking down high-level goals into granular, actionable attack steps. By utilizing a hierarchical tree structure with AND/OR logic, this skill enables security professionals to map complex threat scenarios, identify critical defense gaps, and prioritize investments based on quantitative attributes like cost, time, skill requirements, and detection risk.

What it does

  • Visualizes complex attack scenarios through hierarchical tree structures.
  • Defines attack paths using logical AND/OR nodes to represent dependencies.
  • Assigns quantitative attributes such as cost, time, and skill to attack steps.
  • Identifies critical defense gaps by analyzing potential threat vectors.
  • Supports risk communication by providing a clear visual model for stakeholders.
  • Facilitates data-driven security planning using structured modeling templates.

When to use it

  • During security architecture reviews to identify potential vulnerabilities.
  • When planning penetration tests to ensure comprehensive coverage.
  • For communicating specific security risks and threat paths to non-technical stakeholders.
  • When prioritizing defensive investments based on the difficulty or cost of an attack.
  • To map out potential insider and external threat scenarios.

Advantages

  • Provides a clear, logical representation of complex security threats.
  • Allows for the quantification of attack paths to aid in risk prioritization.
  • Helps uncover hidden dependencies and defense gaps.
  • Standardizes the approach to threat modeling across teams.
  • Supports both qualitative and quantitative security analysis.

Usage examples

“Create an attack tree for a web application login bypass.”
The agent generates a hierarchical tree starting with the root goal, branching into sub-goals like credential stuffing or session hijacking, and defining leaf nodes for specific attack steps.
“Analyze the cost and difficulty of an unauthorized database access attack.”
The agent maps the attack path, assigns cost and skill attributes to each node, and calculates the aggregate difficulty to identify the most likely path an attacker would take.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/wshobson/attack-tree-construction/download
  2. Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip attack-tree-construction.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by Seth Hobson

Attack Tree Construction

Systematic attack path visualization and analysis.

When to Use This Skill

  • Visualizing complex attack scenarios

  • Identifying defense gaps and priorities

  • Communicating risks to stakeholders

  • Planning defensive investments

  • Penetration test planning

  • Security architecture review

Core Concepts

1. Attack Tree Structure
                    [Root Goal]
                         |
            ┌────────────┴────────────┐
            │                         │
       [Sub-goal 1]              [Sub-goal 2]
       (OR node)                 (AND node)
            │                         │
      ┌─────┴─────┐             ┌─────┴─────┐
      │           │             │           │
   [Attack]   [Attack]      [Attack]   [Attack]
    (leaf)     (leaf)        (leaf)     (leaf)
2. Node Types
TypeSymbolDescription
OROvalAny child achieves goal
ANDRectangleAll children required
LeafBoxAtomic attack step
3. Attack Attributes
AttributeDescriptionValues
CostResources needed$, $$, $$$
TimeDuration to executeHours, Days, Weeks
SkillExpertise requiredLow, Medium, High
DetectionLikelihood of detectionLow, Medium, High

Templates and detailed worked examples

Full template library lives in references/details.md. Read that file when you need concrete templates for this skill.

Best Practices

Do's
  • Start with clear goals - Define what attacker wants

  • Be exhaustive - Consider all attack vectors

  • Attribute attacks - Cost, skill, and detection

  • Update regularly - New threats emerge

  • Validate with experts - Red team review

Don'ts
  • Don't oversimplify - Real attacks are complex

  • Don't ignore dependencies - AND nodes matter

  • Don't forget insider threats - Not all attackers are external

  • Don't skip mitigations - Trees are for defense planning

  • Don't make it static - Threat landscape evolves

Files

references/details.md

attack-tree-construction — templates and worked examples

Templates

Template 1: Attack Tree Data Model
from dataclasses import dataclass, field
from enum import Enum
from typing import List, Dict, Optional, Union
import json

class NodeType(Enum):
    OR = "or"
    AND = "and"
    LEAF = "leaf"


class Difficulty(Enum):
    TRIVIAL = 1
    LOW = 2
    MEDIUM = 3
    HIGH = 4
    EXPERT = 5


class Cost(Enum):
    FREE = 0
    LOW = 1
    MEDIUM = 2
    HIGH = 3
    VERY_HIGH = 4


class DetectionRisk(Enum):
    NONE = 0
    LOW = 1
    MEDIUM = 2
    HIGH = 3
    CERTAIN = 4


@dataclass
class AttackAttributes:
    difficulty: Difficulty = Difficulty.MEDIUM
    cost: Cost = Cost.MEDIUM
    detection_risk: DetectionRisk = DetectionRisk.MEDIUM
    time_hours: float = 8.0
    requires_insider: bool = False
    requires_physical: bool = False


@dataclass
class AttackNode:
    id: str
    name: str
    description: str
    node_type: NodeType
    attributes: AttackAttributes = field(default_factory=AttackAttributes)
    children: List['AttackNode'] = field(default_factory=list)
    mitigations: List[str] = field(default_factory=list)
    cve_refs: List[str] = field(default_factory=list)

    def add_child(self, child: 'AttackNode') -> None:
        self.children.append(child)

    def calculate_path_difficulty(self) -> float:
        """Calculate aggregate difficulty for this path."""
        if self.node_type == NodeType.LEAF:
            return self.attributes.difficulty.value

        if not self.children:
            return 0

        child_difficulties = [c.calculate_path_difficulty() for c in self.children]

        if self.node_type == NodeType.OR:
            return min(child_difficulties)
        else:  # AND
            return max(child_difficulties)

    def calculate_path_cost(self) -> float:
        """Calculate aggregate cost for this path."""
        if self.node_type == NodeType.LEAF:
            return self.attributes.cost.value

        if not self.children:
            return 0

        child_costs = [c.calculate_path_cost() for c in self.children]

        if self.node_type == NodeType.OR:
            return min(child_costs)
        else:  # AND
            return sum(child_costs)

    def to_dict(self) -> Dict:
        """Convert to dictionary for serialization."""
        return {
            "id": self.id,
            "name": self.name,
            "description": self.description,
            "type": self.node_type.value,
            "attributes": {
                "difficulty": self.attributes.difficulty.name,
                "cost": self.attributes.cost.name,
                "detection_risk": self.attributes.detection_risk.name,
                "time_hours": self.attributes.time_hours,
            },
            "mitigations": self.mitigations,
            "children": [c.to_dict() for c in self.children]
        }


@dataclass
class AttackTree:
    name: str
    description: str
    root: AttackNode
    version: str = "1.0"

    def find_easiest_path(self) -> List[AttackNode]:
        """Find the path with lowest difficulty."""
        return self._find_path(self.root, minimize="difficulty")

    def find_cheapest_path(self) -> List[AttackNode]:
        """Find the path with lowest cost."""
        return self._find_path(self.root, minimize="cost")

    def find_stealthiest_path(self) -> List[AttackNode]:
        """Find the path with lowest detection risk."""
        return self._find_path(self.root, minimize="detection")

    def _find_path(
        self,
        node: AttackNode,
        minimize: str
    ) -> List[AttackNode]:
        """Recursive path finding."""
        if node.node_type == NodeType.LEAF:
            return [node]

        if not node.children:
            return [node]

        if node.node_type == NodeType.OR:
            # Pick the best child path
            best_path = None
            best_score = float('inf')

            for child in node.children:
                child_path = self._find_path(child, minimize)
                score = self._path_score(child_path, minimize)
                if score < best_score:
                    best_score = score
                    best_path = child_path

            return [node] + (best_path or [])
        else:  # AND
            # Must traverse all children
            path = [node]
            for child in node.children:
                path.extend(self._find_path(child, minimize))
            return path

    def _path_score(self, path: List[AttackNode], metric: str) -> float:
        """Calculate score for a path."""
        if metric == "difficulty":
            return sum(n.attributes.difficulty.value for n in path if n.node_type == NodeType.LEAF)
        elif metric == "cost":
            return sum(n.attributes.cost.value for n in path if n.node_type == NodeType.LEAF)
        elif metric == "detection":
            return sum(n.attributes.detection_risk.value for n in path if n.node_type == NodeType.LEAF)
        return 0

    def get_all_leaf_attacks(self) -> List[AttackNode]:
        """Get all leaf attack nodes."""
        leaves = []
        self._collect_leaves(self.root, leaves)
        return leaves

    def _collect_leaves(self, node: AttackNode, leaves: List[AttackNode]) -> None:
        if node.node_type == NodeType.LEAF:
            leaves.append(node)
        for child in node.children:
            self._collect_leaves(child, leaves)

    def get_unmitigated_attacks(self) -> List[AttackNode]:
        """Find attacks without mitigations."""
        return [n for n in self.get_all_leaf_attacks() if not n.mitigations]

    def export_json(self) -> str:
        """Export tree to JSON."""
        return json.dumps({
            "name": self.name,
            "description": self.description,
            "version": self.version,
            "root": self.root.to_dict()
        }, indent=2)
Template 2: Attack Tree Builder
class AttackTreeBuilder:
    """Fluent builder for attack trees."""

    def __init__(self, name: str, description: str):
        self.name = name
        self.description = description
        self._node_stack: List[AttackNode] = []
        self._root: Optional[AttackNode] = None

    def goal(self, id: str, name: str, description: str = "") -> 'AttackTreeBuilder':
        """Set the root goal (OR node by default)."""
        self._root = AttackNode(
            id=id,
            name=name,
            description=description,
            node_type=NodeType.OR
        )
        self._node_stack = [self._root]
        return self

    def or_node(self, id: str, name: str, description: str = "") -> 'AttackTreeBuilder':
        """Add an OR sub-goal."""
        node = AttackNode(
            id=id,
            name=name,
            description=description,
            node_type=NodeType.OR
        )
        self._current().add_child(node)
        self._node_stack.append(node)
        return self

    def and_node(self, id: str, name: str, description: str = "") -> 'AttackTreeBuilder':
        """Add an AND sub-goal (all children required)."""
        node = AttackNode(
            id=id,
            name=name,
            description=description,
            node_type=NodeType.AND
        )
        self._current().add_child(node)
        self._node_stack.append(node)
        return self

    def attack(
        self,
        id: str,
        name: str,
        description: str = "",
        difficulty: Difficulty = Difficulty.MEDIUM,
        cost: Cost = Cost.MEDIUM,
        detection: DetectionRisk = DetectionRisk.MEDIUM,
        time_hours: float = 8.0,
        mitigations: List[str] = None
    ) -> 'AttackTreeBuilder':
        """Add a leaf attack node."""
        node = AttackNode(
            id=id,
            name=name,
            description=description,
            node_type=NodeType.LEAF,
            attributes=AttackAttributes(
                difficulty=difficulty,
                cost=cost,
                detection_risk=detection,
                time_hours=time_hours
            ),
            mitigations=mitigations or []
        )
        self._current().add_child(node)
        return self

    def end(self) -> 'AttackTreeBuilder':
        """Close current node, return to parent."""
        if len(self._node_stack) > 1:
            self._node_stack.pop()
        return self

    def build(self) -> AttackTree:
        """Build the attack tree."""
        if not self._root:
            raise ValueError("No root goal defined")
        return AttackTree(
            name=self.name,
            description=self.description,
            root=self._root
        )

    def _current(self) -> AttackNode:
        if not self._node_stack:
            raise ValueError("No current node")
        return self._node_stack[-1]


# Example usage
def build_account_takeover_tree() -> AttackTree:
    """Build attack tree for account takeover scenario."""
    return (
        AttackTreeBuilder("Account Takeover", "Gain unauthorized access to user account")
        .goal("G1", "Take Over User Account")

        .or_node("S1", "Steal Credentials")
            .attack(
                "A1", "Phishing Attack",
                difficulty=Difficulty.LOW,
                cost=Cost.LOW,
                detection=DetectionRisk.MEDIUM,
                mitigations=["Security awareness training", "Email filtering"]
            )
            .attack(
                "A2", "Credential Stuffing",
                difficulty=Difficulty.TRIVIAL,
                cost=Cost.LOW,
                detection=DetectionRisk.HIGH,
                mitigations=["Rate limiting", "MFA", "Password breach monitoring"]
            )
            .attack(
                "A3", "Keylogger Malware",
                difficulty=Difficulty.MEDIUM,
                cost=Cost.MEDIUM,
                detection=DetectionRisk.MEDIUM,
                mitigations=["Endpoint protection", "MFA"]
            )
        .end()

        .or_node("S2", "Bypass Authentication")
            .attack(
                "A4", "Session Hijacking",
                difficulty=Difficulty.MEDIUM,
                cost=Cost.LOW,
                detection=DetectionRisk.LOW,
                mitigations=["Secure session management", "HTTPS only"]
            )
            .attack(
                "A5", "Authentication Bypass Vulnerability",
                difficulty=Difficulty.HIGH,
                cost=Cost.LOW,
                detection=DetectionRisk.LOW,
                mitigations=["Security testing", "Code review", "WAF"]
            )
        .end()

        .or_node("S3", "Social Engineering")
            .and_node("S3.1", "Account Recovery Attack")
                .attack(
                    "A6", "Gather Personal Information",
                    difficulty=Difficulty.LOW,
                    cost=Cost.FREE,
                    detection=DetectionRisk.NONE
                )
                .attack(
                    "A7", "Call Support Desk",
                    difficulty=Difficulty.MEDIUM,
                    cost=Cost.FREE,
                    detection=DetectionRisk.MEDIUM,
                    mitigations=["Support verification procedures", "Security questions"]
                )
            .end()
        .end()

        .build()
    )
Template 3: Mermaid Diagram Generator
class MermaidExporter:
    """Export attack trees to Mermaid diagram format."""

    def __init__(self, tree: AttackTree):
        self.tree = tree
        self._lines: List[str] = []
        self._node_count = 0

    def export(self) -> str:
        """Export tree to Mermaid flowchart."""
        self._lines = ["flowchart TD"]
        self._export_node(self.tree.root, None)
        return "\n".join(self._lines)

    def _export_node(self, node: AttackNode, parent_id: Optional[str]) -> str:
        """Recursively export nodes."""
        node_id = f"N{self._node_count}"
        self._node_count += 1

        # Node shape based on type
        if node.node_type == NodeType.OR:
            shape = f"{node_id}(({node.name}))"
        elif node.node_type == NodeType.AND:
            shape = f"{node_id}[{node.name}]"
        else:  # LEAF
            # Color based on difficulty
            style = self._get_leaf_style(node)
            shape = f"{node_id}[/{node.name}/]"
            self._lines.append(f"    style {node_id} {style}")

        self._lines.append(f"    {shape}")

        if parent_id:
            connector = "-->" if node.node_type != NodeType.AND else "==>"
            self._lines.append(f"    {parent_id} {connector} {node_id}")

        for child in node.children:
            self._export_node(child, node_id)

        return node_id

    def _get_leaf_style(self, node: AttackNode) -> str:
        """Get style based on attack attributes."""
        colors = {
            Difficulty.TRIVIAL: "fill:#ff6b6b",  # Red - easy attack
            Difficulty.LOW: "fill:#ffa06b",
            Difficulty.MEDIUM: "fill:#ffd93d",
            Difficulty.HIGH: "fill:#6bcb77",
            Difficulty.EXPERT: "fill:#4d96ff",  # Blue - hard attack
        }
        color = colors.get(node.attributes.difficulty, "fill:#gray")
        return color


class PlantUMLExporter:
    """Export attack trees to PlantUML format."""

    def __init__(self, tree: AttackTree):
        self.tree = tree

    def export(self) -> str:
        """Export tree to PlantUML."""
        lines = [
            "@startmindmap",
            f"* {self.tree.name}",
        ]
        self._export_node(self.tree.root, lines, 1)
        lines.append("@endmindmap")
        return "\n".join(lines)

    def _export_node(self, node: AttackNode, lines: List[str], depth: int) -> None:
        """Recursively export nodes."""
        prefix = "*" * (depth + 1)

        if node.node_type == NodeType.OR:
            marker = "[OR]"
        elif node.node_type == NodeType.AND:
            marker = "[AND]"
        else:
            diff = node.attributes.difficulty.name
            marker = f"<<{diff}>>"

        lines.append(f"{prefix} {marker} {node.name}")

        for child in node.children:
            self._export_node(child, lines, depth + 1)
Template 4: Attack Path Analysis
from typing import Set, Tuple

class AttackPathAnalyzer:
    """Analyze attack paths and coverage."""

    def __init__(self, tree: AttackTree):
        self.tree = tree

    def get_all_paths(self) -> List[List[AttackNode]]:
        """Get all possible attack paths."""
        paths = []
        self._collect_paths(self.tree.root, [], paths)
        return paths

    def _collect_paths(
        self,
        node: AttackNode,
        current_path: List[AttackNode],
        all_paths: List[List[AttackNode]]
    ) -> None:
        """Recursively collect all paths."""
        current_path = current_path + [node]

        if node.node_type == NodeType.LEAF:
            all_paths.append(current_path)
            return

        if not node.children:
            all_paths.append(current_path)
            return

        if node.node_type == NodeType.OR:
            # Each child is a separate path
            for child in node.children:
                self._collect_paths(child, current_path, all_paths)
        else:  # AND
            # Must combine all children
            child_paths = []
            for child in node.children:
                child_sub_paths = []
                self._collect_paths(child, [], child_sub_paths)
                child_paths.append(child_sub_paths)

            # Combine paths from all AND children
            combined = self._combine_and_paths(child_paths)
            for combo in combined:
                all_paths.append(current_path + combo)

    def _combine_and_paths(
        self,
        child_paths: List[List[List[AttackNode]]]
    ) -> List[List[AttackNode]]:
        """Combine paths from AND node children."""
        if not child_paths:
            return [[]]

        if len(child_paths) == 1:
            return [path for paths in child_paths for path in paths]

        # Cartesian product of all child path combinations
        result = [[]]
        for paths in child_paths:
            new_result = []
            for existing in result:
                for path in paths:
                    new_result.append(existing + path)
            result = new_result
        return result

    def calculate_path_metrics(self, path: List[AttackNode]) -> Dict:
        """Calculate metrics for a specific path."""
        leaves = [n for n in path if n.node_type == NodeType.LEAF]

        total_difficulty = sum(n.attributes.difficulty.value for n in leaves)
        total_cost = sum(n.attributes.cost.value for n in leaves)
        total_time = sum(n.attributes.time_hours for n in leaves)
        max_detection = max((n.attributes.detection_risk.value for n in leaves), default=0)

        return {
            "steps": len(leaves),
            "total_difficulty": total_difficulty,
            "avg_difficulty": total_difficulty / len(leaves) if leaves else 0,
            "total_cost": total_cost,
            "total_time_hours": total_time,
            "max_detection_risk": max_detection,
            "requires_insider": any(n.attributes.requires_insider for n in leaves),
            "requires_physical": any(n.attributes.requires_physical for n in leaves),
        }

    def identify_critical_nodes(self) -> List[Tuple[AttackNode, int]]:
        """Find nodes that appear in the most paths."""
        paths = self.get_all_paths()
        node_counts: Dict[str, Tuple[AttackNode, int]] = {}

        for path in paths:
            for node in path:
                if node.id not in node_counts:
                    node_counts[node.id] = (node, 0)
                node_counts[node.id] = (node, node_counts[node.id][1] + 1)

        return sorted(
            node_counts.values(),
            key=lambda x: x[1],
            reverse=True
        )

    def coverage_analysis(self, mitigated_attacks: Set[str]) -> Dict:
        """Analyze how mitigations affect attack coverage."""
        all_paths = self.get_all_paths()
        blocked_paths = []
        open_paths = []

        for path in all_paths:
            path_attacks = {n.id for n in path if n.node_type == NodeType.LEAF}
            if path_attacks & mitigated_attacks:
                blocked_paths.append(path)
            else:
                open_paths.append(path)

        return {
            "total_paths": len(all_paths),
            "blocked_paths": len(blocked_paths),
            "open_paths": len(open_paths),
            "coverage_percentage": len(blocked_paths) / len(all_paths) * 100 if all_paths else 0,
            "open_path_details": [
                {"path": [n.name for n in p], "metrics": self.calculate_path_metrics(p)}
                for p in open_paths[:5]  # Top 5 open paths
            ]
        }

    def prioritize_mitigations(self) -> List[Dict]:
        """Prioritize mitigations by impact."""
        critical_nodes = self.identify_critical_nodes()
        paths = self.get_all_paths()
        total_paths = len(paths)

        recommendations = []
        for node, count in critical_nodes:
            if node.node_type == NodeType.LEAF and node.mitigations:
                recommendations.append({
                    "attack": node.name,
                    "attack_id": node.id,
                    "paths_blocked": count,
                    "coverage_impact": count / total_paths * 100,
                    "difficulty": node.attributes.difficulty.name,
                    "mitigations": node.mitigations,
                })

        return sorted(recommendations, key=lambda x: x["coverage_impact"], reverse=True)

Requirements and compatibility

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.

Needs: Needs Node.js

Security

No issues found by our static scan· No issues found

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Attribution and licence

Created by
Seth Hobson
Publisher
Seth Hobson (Community)
Source
wshobson/agents · plugins/security-scanning/skills/attack-tree-construction · commit 4bde316
Licence
MIT License (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
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