Mitigation Strategy: Rotate Signing Keys Regularly
- Description:
- Key Generation within IdentityServer4 Context: Generate a new cryptographic signing key specifically for IdentityServer4's use. This might involve using IdentityServer4's configuration options to specify key generation or integration with a key management system like Azure Key Vault or HashiCorp Vault, which IdentityServer4 supports.
- Update IdentityServer4 Configuration: Modify IdentityServer4's configuration (typically in
Startup.cs
or configuration files) to point to the newly generated signing key. This usually involves updating theAddSigningCredential
configuration to use the new key material. - IdentityServer4 Key Publication: IdentityServer4 automatically publishes the active signing key to its discovery endpoint (
/.well-known/openid-configuration/jwks
). Ensure this endpoint is accessible to relying parties so they can retrieve the updated key for token validation. - Grace Period for Key Rollover: When rotating keys, IdentityServer4 can be configured to support multiple signing keys for a period. This allows relying parties to transition to the new key without immediate disruption. Keep the old key active in IdentityServer4's configuration for a defined grace period to accommodate clients that might still be using cached keys.
- Automate Key Rotation in IdentityServer4: Utilize IdentityServer4's extensibility or integration capabilities to automate the key rotation process. This could involve writing custom code that interacts with a key management service or leveraging built-in features if available in future IdentityServer4 versions.
- List of Threats Mitigated:
- Key Compromise (High Severity): If IdentityServer4's signing key is compromised, attackers can forge valid JWT tokens, potentially gaining unauthorized access. Regular rotation limits the exploitation window.
- Long-Term Key Exposure (Medium Severity): Prolonged use of the same key increases the risk of cryptanalysis or accidental exposure. Rotation reduces this risk.
- Impact:
- Key Compromise: High (Significantly reduces impact by limiting validity of compromised key).
- Long-Term Key Exposure: Medium (Reduces risk by limiting exposure time).
- Currently Implemented: Yes, automated key rotation is implemented using Azure Key Vault integration with IdentityServer4.
AddSigningCredential
inStartup.cs
fetches the latest key version. Rotation is scheduled monthly via Azure DevOps, updating IdentityServer4's configuration and deployment. - Missing Implementation: No specific missing implementation currently. Consider exploring more granular rotation schedules (e.g., weekly) directly within IdentityServer4 configuration if future versions offer enhanced key management features.
Mitigation Strategy: Strict CORS Configuration in IdentityServer4
- Description:
- Define Allowed Origins for IdentityServer4: Specifically identify all legitimate client origins (domains and protocols) that are authorized to interact with your IdentityServer4 instance.
- Configure CORS Middleware in IdentityServer4: Within IdentityServer4's
Startup.cs
, configure the CORS middleware (services.AddCors
andapp.UseCors
) to explicitly whitelist only the identified allowed origins using.WithOrigins()
. - Avoid Wildcard Origins in IdentityServer4 CORS: Ensure that the CORS policy configured for IdentityServer4 never uses wildcard (
*
) origins in production. Wildcards bypass CORS protection and are a significant security risk. - Restrict Methods and Headers in IdentityServer4 CORS: Further refine the CORS policy in IdentityServer4 by specifying allowed HTTP methods (
.WithMethods()
) and headers (.WithHeaders()
) to only those required by legitimate clients. Limit unnecessary permissions. - Regularly Review IdentityServer4 CORS Policy: Periodically review and update the CORS configuration in IdentityServer4 as client applications change or new clients are added. Ensure the allowed origins list remains accurate and minimal.
- List of Threats Mitigated:
- Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) against IdentityServer4 (Medium to High Severity): Misconfigured CORS in IdentityServer4 (especially with wildcards) can weaken CSRF defenses, allowing attackers to potentially bypass origin checks when targeting IdentityServer4 endpoints.
- Unauthorized Access to IdentityServer4 from Malicious Origins (High Severity): Permissive CORS policies in IdentityServer4 can allow malicious websites to make unauthorized requests, potentially leading to data breaches or denial-of-service against the identity service.
- Impact:
- CSRF against IdentityServer4: Medium (Reduces risk indirectly by preventing overly permissive access).
- Unauthorized Access to IdentityServer4: High (Significantly reduces risk by restricting access to trusted origins).
- Currently Implemented: Yes, CORS is implemented in IdentityServer4's
Startup.cs
. Allowed origins are configured via environment variables. Wildcard origins are explicitly prevented in the configuration code. - Missing Implementation: Currently, allowed methods and headers in IdentityServer4's CORS policy are quite permissive. Refine this to only allow necessary methods and headers for clients interacting with IdentityServer4 for a stronger defense-in-depth approach within IdentityServer4's CORS configuration.
Mitigation Strategy: Maintain Up-to-Date IdentityServer4 Package
- Description:
- Regularly Check for IdentityServer4 Updates: Establish a process to regularly check for new versions of the IdentityServer4 NuGet package. This should be done at least monthly or more frequently if security advisories are released for IdentityServer4.
- Apply IdentityServer4 Updates Promptly: When new versions of IdentityServer4 are available, especially those containing security patches, apply these updates to your project as quickly as possible.
- Utilize NuGet Package Management: Use NuGet package management tools to manage and update the IdentityServer4 dependency in your project.
- Test After IdentityServer4 Updates: After updating IdentityServer4, perform thorough testing (unit, integration, and security tests) to ensure the update hasn't introduced regressions or broken functionality within your IdentityServer4 implementation.
- Monitor IdentityServer4 Security Advisories: Subscribe to security mailing lists and monitor security advisories specifically from the IdentityServer4 project to be informed of vulnerabilities and necessary updates.
- List of Threats Mitigated:
- Exploitation of Known IdentityServer4 Vulnerabilities (High Severity): Outdated versions of IdentityServer4 may contain known security vulnerabilities. Updating to the latest version patches these vulnerabilities, reducing the attack surface of your identity service.
- Impact:
- Exploitation of Known IdentityServer4 Vulnerabilities: High (Significantly reduces risk by patching known vulnerabilities in IdentityServer4 itself).
- Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. We use NuGet and update dependencies during maintenance cycles (quarterly). GitHub Dependabot is enabled for dependency vulnerability scanning, including IdentityServer4.
- Missing Implementation: The update cycle for IdentityServer4 is currently quarterly. Aim for a more frequent cycle, ideally monthly, especially for security updates to IdentityServer4. Automated testing specifically after IdentityServer4 package updates needs to be more robust and include security-focused tests relevant to IdentityServer4 functionality.
Mitigation Strategy: Robust Token Validation of IdentityServer4 Issued Tokens in Resource Servers
- Description:
- Utilize JWT Middleware for Validation: In resource servers, use a JWT middleware (like
Microsoft.AspNetCore.Authentication.JwtBearer
in .NET) configured to validate tokens issued by your IdentityServer4 instance. This middleware handles much of the validation process automatically. - Configure Middleware with IdentityServer4 Discovery Document: Configure the JWT middleware to use the discovery document endpoint (
/.well-known/openid-configuration
) of your IdentityServer4 instance. This allows the middleware to automatically retrieve the necessary signing keys and issuer information from IdentityServer4. - Mandatory Signature Verification: Ensure the JWT middleware is configured to always verify the signature of JWT access tokens issued by IdentityServer4. This is crucial for ensuring token authenticity.
- Issuer and Audience Validation by Middleware: Configure the middleware to validate the
iss
(issuer) andaud
(audience) claims in the tokens against the expected values from your IdentityServer4 configuration and resource server requirements. - Expiration Validation by Middleware: The JWT middleware should automatically validate the
exp
(expiration) claim. Ensure this is enabled to reject expired tokens issued by IdentityServer4. - Custom Claim Validation (if needed): If your application requires validation of custom claims issued by IdentityServer4, implement custom claim validation logic within the resource server, in addition to the standard JWT middleware validation.
- Utilize JWT Middleware for Validation: In resource servers, use a JWT middleware (like
- List of Threats Mitigated:
- Token Forgery of IdentityServer4 Tokens (High Severity): Without signature verification of tokens issued by IdentityServer4, attackers could forge tokens and bypass authorization in resource servers.
- Token Replay Attacks with IdentityServer4 Tokens (Medium Severity): Without expiration validation, attackers could potentially reuse previously issued (but now expired) tokens from IdentityServer4.
- Tokens from Incorrect Issuer (Medium Severity): Without issuer validation, tokens from a different, potentially malicious, Identity Provider could be mistakenly accepted as valid tokens from your IdentityServer4 instance.
- Tokens Intended for Wrong Audience (Medium Severity): Without audience validation, tokens issued by IdentityServer4 but intended for a different resource server could be mistakenly accepted.
- Impact:
- Token Forgery of IdentityServer4 Tokens: High (Significantly reduces risk by ensuring authenticity of tokens from IdentityServer4).
- Token Replay Attacks with IdentityServer4 Tokens: Medium (Reduces risk of reusing expired tokens).
- Tokens from Incorrect Issuer: Medium (Reduces risk of accepting tokens from unintended issuers).
- Tokens Intended for Wrong Audience: Medium (Reduces risk of cross-application token usage).
- Currently Implemented: Yes, robust token validation is implemented in resource servers using
Microsoft.AspNetCore.Authentication.JwtBearer
middleware, configured with IdentityServer4's discovery endpoint. Signature, issuer, and audience are validated by default by the middleware. - Missing Implementation: While basic validation is in place, custom claim validation logic for application-specific claims issued by IdentityServer4 could be more consistently applied across all resource servers. Standardize and potentially centralize custom claim validation logic for tokens issued by IdentityServer4.
Mitigation Strategy: Comprehensive Logging Configuration in IdentityServer4
- Description:
- Enable Detailed Logging in IdentityServer4: Configure IdentityServer4's logging system to capture security-relevant events at a detailed level. This includes configuration settings for logging providers (e.g., console, file, database, external services).
- Log Security-Relevant Events in IdentityServer4: Ensure IdentityServer4 logs events such as:
- Authentication attempts (successes and failures).
- Authorization decisions (grants and denials).
- Token issuance and revocation events.
- User account management actions.
- Errors and exceptions within IdentityServer4.
- Administrative actions performed in IdentityServer4.
- Structure Logs for Analysis: Configure IdentityServer4's logging to output structured logs (e.g., JSON format) to facilitate easier parsing and analysis by logging systems and SIEM tools.
- Secure Log Storage: Ensure that logs generated by IdentityServer4 are stored securely and access to logs is restricted to authorized personnel only. Protect logs from tampering and unauthorized deletion.
- Integrate IdentityServer4 Logs with Centralized Logging: Configure IdentityServer4 to send its logs to a centralized logging system (e.g., ELK stack, Splunk, Azure Monitor Logs) for aggregation, analysis, and long-term retention.
- List of Threats Mitigated:
- Delayed Incident Detection in IdentityServer4 (High Severity): Without detailed logging in IdentityServer4, security incidents affecting the identity service may go unnoticed for extended periods.
- Insufficient Incident Response for IdentityServer4 (Medium Severity): Lack of comprehensive logs from IdentityServer4 hinders effective investigation and response to security incidents targeting the identity service.
- Limited Visibility into IdentityServer4 Security Posture (Medium Severity): Without proper logging, it's difficult to monitor the security health of IdentityServer4 and identify potential attack patterns or misconfigurations.
- Impact:
- Delayed Incident Detection in IdentityServer4: High (Significantly reduces time to detect and respond to incidents within IdentityServer4).
- Insufficient Incident Response for IdentityServer4: Medium (Improves incident response effectiveness for IdentityServer4 related issues).
- Limited Visibility into IdentityServer4 Security Posture: Medium (Improves security visibility specifically for the IdentityServer4 component).
- Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. IdentityServer4 logging is enabled and logs are written to application logs. Basic error logging is in place.
- Missing Implementation: Detailed security-focused logging configuration within IdentityServer4 is not fully implemented. Logs are not structured for easy analysis. Centralized logging for IdentityServer4 logs is missing. Security monitoring and alerting based on IdentityServer4 logs are very basic and need significant improvement. Centralizing and enhancing logging specifically for IdentityServer4 is a critical area for improvement.