mitigations.md

Mitigation Strategies Analysis for elastic/elasticsearch-net

Mitigation Strategy: Enforce HTTPS

• Mitigation Strategy: Enforce HTTPS

  • Description:

    1. ConnectionSettings Configuration: Ensure all connections are configured with https:// in the URI provided to the ConnectionSettings object. This is the primary mechanism within elasticsearch-net to enforce HTTPS.
    2. Certificate Validation (Default): By default, elasticsearch-net validates the server's certificate. Do not disable this unless you have a very specific and controlled reason (e.g., a development environment with self-signed certificates). Disabling validation is done via .DisableAutomaticProxyDetection() and .ServerCertificateValidationCallback(null) which should be avoided.
    3. Custom Validation (ServerCertificateValidationCallback): If using self-signed certificates or a private CA, provide a custom ServerCertificateValidationCallback to the ConnectionSettings. This callback allows you to implement your own certificate validation logic (e.g., checking thumbprints). This is a feature within elasticsearch-net.

  • Threats Mitigated:

    • Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) Attacks: (Severity: Critical)
    • Data Eavesdropping: (Severity: High)
    • Credential Theft: (Severity: Critical)

  • Impact:

    • MITM Attacks: Risk reduced to near zero (with proper validation).
    • Data Eavesdropping: Risk reduced to near zero.
    • Credential Theft: Risk significantly reduced.

  • Currently Implemented:

    • SearchService.cs (Line 42): ConnectionSettings uses https://.
    • IndexService.cs (Line 25): ConnectionSettings uses https://.

  • Missing Implementation:

    • BulkIngestService.cs: Confirm HTTPS and validation.
    • Integration tests: Verify HTTPS and validation.

Mitigation Strategy: Strong Authentication (Using elasticsearch-net Methods)

• Mitigation Strategy: Strong Authentication (Using elasticsearch-net Methods)

  • Description:

    1. ConnectionSettings Authentication Methods: Use the appropriate ConnectionSettings methods to configure authentication:
       • .ApiKeyAuthentication(): For API keys (preferred).
       • .ServiceAccountAuthentication(): For service tokens (preferred).
       • .BasicAuthentication(): For basic authentication (use only with HTTPS and when necessary).
       • .ClientCertificate(): For client certificate authentication.
    2. Avoid Hardcoding: Do not hardcode credentials directly within the ConnectionSettings initialization. Use environment variables or a secrets manager, but the method of authentication is configured via elasticsearch-net.

  • Threats Mitigated:

    • Unauthorized Access: (Severity: Critical)
    • Privilege Escalation: (Severity: High)
    • Brute-Force Attacks: (Severity: Medium)

  • Impact:

    • Unauthorized Access: Risk significantly reduced.
    • Privilege Escalation: Risk reduced (with least privilege).
    • Brute-Force Attacks: Risk reduced (with API keys/tokens).

  • Currently Implemented:

    • SearchService.cs: Uses .BasicAuthentication().
    • IndexService.cs: Uses .BasicAuthentication().

  • Missing Implementation:

    • All services: Migrate to .ApiKeyAuthentication() or .ServiceAccountAuthentication().

Mitigation Strategy: Avoid Dynamic Query Construction (Using NEST/elasticsearch-net Features)

• Mitigation Strategy: Avoid Dynamic Query Construction (Using NEST/elasticsearch-net Features)

  • Description:

    1. NEST Fluent API/Query Containers: Always prefer using NEST's strongly-typed fluent API or query containers. These methods are designed to prevent injection vulnerabilities by handling escaping and parameterization internally. This is a core feature of how NEST interacts with elasticsearch-net.
    2. Low-Level Client (If Necessary): If using the low-level client, use the request builders provided by elasticsearch-net and always use PostData.Serializable() to serialize the request body. Avoid string concatenation. PostData.Serializable() is the elasticsearch-net mechanism for safe serialization.

  • Threats Mitigated:

    • Elasticsearch Injection: (Severity: Critical)
    • Data Exfiltration: (Severity: High)
    • Denial of Service (DoS): (Severity: Medium)

  • Impact:

    • Elasticsearch Injection: Risk reduced to near zero.
    • Data Exfiltration: Risk significantly reduced.
    • Denial of Service (DoS): Risk reduced.

  • Currently Implemented:

    • SearchService.cs: Uses NEST's fluent API mostly.
    • ReportService.cs: Uses low-level client; needs refactoring.

  • Missing Implementation:

    • ReportService.cs: Refactor to use PostData.Serializable.
    • AdminService.cs: Review and refactor.

Mitigation Strategy: Log DebugInformation (Using elasticsearch-net Property)

• Mitigation Strategy: Log DebugInformation (Using elasticsearch-net Property)

  • Description:

    1. Access DebugInformation: The DebugInformation property of the response object (both in NEST and the low-level client) provides detailed information about the request and response, including the raw request and response bodies, timing information, and any exceptions that occurred. This is a specific property provided by elasticsearch-net.
    2. Log Selectively: Log the DebugInformation (or parts of it) in your application's logs. Be mindful of sensitive data and redact or omit it as needed. This provides valuable context for debugging and security auditing.

  • Threats Mitigated:

    • Intrusion Detection: (Severity: Medium)
    • Incident Response: (Severity: Medium)
    • Debugging: (Severity: Low)

  • Impact:

    • Intrusion Detection: Improved detection.
    • Incident Response: Faster response.
    • Debugging: Easier debugging.

  • Currently Implemented:

    • Not implemented.

  • Missing Implementation:

    • Add logging of DebugInformation (with redaction) to all services.

Mitigation Strategy: Disable Unused Features (Using ConnectionSettings)

• Mitigation Strategy: Disable Unused Features (Using ConnectionSettings)

  • Description:

    1. ConnectionSettings Options: Use methods on ConnectionSettings to disable features you don't need:
       • .DisableSniffing(): Disables cluster sniffing.
       • .DisablePing(): Disables pinging nodes before use.
    2. Review and Disable: Identify which features are not required and disable them explicitly.

  • Threats Mitigated:

    • Unnecessary Network Traffic: (Severity: Low)
    • Potential Vulnerabilities in Unused Code: (Severity: Low)

  • Impact:

    • Unnecessary Network Traffic: Reduced traffic.
    • Potential Vulnerabilities: Reduced risk.

  • Currently Implemented:

    • Not implemented.

  • Missing Implementation:

    • Review ConnectionSettings and disable unused features.