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Mitigation Strategies Analysis for cockroachdb/cockroach

Mitigation Strategy: Enforce TLS for Inter-Node Communication

  • Description:

    • Step 1: Generate TLS certificates for each CockroachDB node using cockroach cert create-ca and cockroach cert create-node.

    • Step 2: Distribute node and CA certificates securely to each node's designated certificate directory.

    • Step 3: Start each CockroachDB node using the --certs-dir flag, pointing to the directory containing the TLS certificates. This is crucial for enabling TLS for inter-node communication.

    • Step 4: Verify TLS is active by inspecting CockroachDB logs for TLS initialization messages and confirming that non-TLS connections are rejected.

    • Step 5: Implement a process for regular TLS certificate rotation to maintain ongoing security.

    • Threats Mitigated:

      • Eavesdropping on inter-node communication - Severity: High
      • Man-in-the-middle attacks within the CockroachDB cluster network - Severity: High

    • Impact:

      • Eavesdropping on inter-node communication: High risk reduction. TLS encryption makes intercepting and understanding inter-node traffic extremely difficult.
      • Man-in-the-middle attacks within the CockroachDB cluster network: High risk reduction. TLS encryption and mutual authentication (if configured) prevent node impersonation and malicious data injection.

    • Currently Implemented: No - Not implemented in the current CockroachDB cluster deployment.

    • Missing Implementation: Missing in CockroachDB cluster startup scripts and configuration management. TLS is not currently enforced for internal cluster communication.

Mitigation Strategy: Mandate TLS for Client Connections

  • Description:

    • Step 1: Ensure TLS is enabled on the CockroachDB cluster (as described in "Enforce TLS for Inter-Node Communication").

    • Step 2: Configure application database connection strings to enforce TLS. This involves adding parameters like sslmode=verify-full or sslmode=require and specifying the path to the CA certificate in the connection string used by the application.

    • Step 3: Verify in application code that database connections are established using these TLS-enforcing connection strings.

    • Step 4: Test client connections to confirm TLS is correctly enabled and connections without TLS are rejected by CockroachDB.

    • Step 5: Provide developers with clear guidelines and examples of secure TLS connection strings for CockroachDB.

    • Threats Mitigated:

      • Eavesdropping on client-to-server communication - Severity: High
      • Man-in-the-middle attacks between application clients and CockroachDB - Severity: High

    • Impact:

      • Eavesdropping on client-to-server communication: High risk reduction. TLS encryption protects sensitive data transmitted between applications and the database.
      • Man-in-the-middle attacks between application clients and CockroachDB: High risk reduction. TLS ensures communication integrity and authenticity, preventing interception or modification of data in transit.

    • Currently Implemented: Yes - Implemented in the application's production environment. Connection strings are configured to require TLS.

    • Missing Implementation: Not consistently enforced in development and staging environments. Ensure all environments mandate TLS client connections for consistency.

Mitigation Strategy: Implement Principle of Least Privilege for Database Users within CockroachDB

  • Description:

    • Step 1: Define the necessary database operations for each application component or user role.

    • Step 2: Create dedicated CockroachDB users for each component or role, avoiding shared user accounts.

    • Step 3: Grant each user only the minimum required privileges using CockroachDB's GRANT statements. Assign specific permissions on databases, tables, or specific operations. Avoid granting broad privileges like ALL or admin to application users.

    • Step 4: Utilize CockroachDB's Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) to manage permissions efficiently. Create roles representing different access levels and assign users to these roles.

    • Step 5: Regularly audit and review user permissions to ensure adherence to the principle of least privilege and revoke any unnecessary permissions over time.

    • Threats Mitigated:

      • Privilege escalation within CockroachDB - Severity: High
      • Data breaches resulting from compromised accounts with excessive permissions - Severity: High
      • Accidental or malicious data modification or deletion by users with overly broad permissions - Severity: Medium

    • Impact:

      • Privilege escalation: High risk reduction. Limiting privileges restricts the potential damage from a compromised user account.
      • Data breaches from compromised accounts: High risk reduction. Restricting permissions limits the data accessible to a compromised account.
      • Accidental/malicious data modification: Medium risk reduction. Reduces the likelihood of unintended or malicious actions by authorized users.

    • Currently Implemented: Partial - Implemented for production application users, but some internal tools and scripts might still use overly permissive accounts.

    • Missing Implementation: Review and refine permissions for all internal tools, scripts, and administrative users to strictly enforce least privilege within CockroachDB.

Mitigation Strategy: Enable Encryption at Rest (CockroachDB Enterprise Feature)

  • Description:

    • Step 1: If using CockroachDB Enterprise Edition, enable encryption at rest during cluster initialization or on an existing cluster. This is configured via command-line flags during cockroach start or through SQL commands.

    • Step 2: Choose and configure a key management strategy. CockroachDB Enterprise supports various options, including local key providers and integration with external Key Management Systems (KMS). Select a KMS solution that meets organizational security policies.

    • Step 3: Configure CockroachDB to use the chosen KMS, providing necessary connection details and authentication credentials.

    • Step 4: Implement regular encryption key rotation according to security best practices and organizational policies.

    • Step 5: Establish secure backup and recovery procedures for encryption keys. Loss of keys can result in permanent data loss.

    • Threats Mitigated:

      • Data breaches due to physical media theft of CockroachDB storage - Severity: High
      • Data breaches due to unauthorized access to CockroachDB storage media - Severity: High

    • Impact:

      • Data breaches due to physical media theft: High risk reduction. Encryption renders data unreadable if storage media is physically stolen.
      • Data breaches due to unauthorized storage access: High risk reduction. Encryption protects data even if attackers gain unauthorized access to the underlying storage.

    • Currently Implemented: No - Not currently implemented as we are using the Community Edition of CockroachDB.

    • Missing Implementation: Encryption at rest is not available in the Community Edition. If upgrading to Enterprise Edition, this should be a high-priority security implementation.

Mitigation Strategy: Encrypt Database Backups using CockroachDB Backup Features

  • Description:

    • Step 1: Configure backup processes to utilize CockroachDB's built-in backup encryption features. The BACKUP command in CockroachDB supports encryption options.

    • Step 2: Select an appropriate encryption method and key management strategy for backups. Options include symmetric encryption with separate key management or KMS integration.

    • Step 3: Implement secure key management practices for backup encryption keys, ensuring secure storage and access control.

    • Step 4: Regularly test backup and restore procedures to verify encrypted backups can be successfully restored and that key management is functioning correctly in the backup/restore lifecycle.

    • Step 5: Document the backup encryption process and associated key management procedures thoroughly.

    • Threats Mitigated:

      • Data breaches due to compromised CockroachDB backups - Severity: High
      • Unauthorized access to sensitive data within CockroachDB backup files - Severity: High

    • Impact:

      • Data breaches due to compromised backups: High risk reduction. Encryption protects data within backups even if backup storage is compromised.
      • Unauthorized access to backup files: High risk reduction. Encryption renders backup files unreadable without the correct decryption keys.

    • Currently Implemented: No - Backups are currently not encrypted.

    • Missing Implementation: Backup encryption needs to be implemented within the CockroachDB backup scripts and processes. A key management strategy for backup encryption needs to be defined and implemented.

Mitigation Strategy: Implement Resource Limits and Quotas (CockroachDB Enterprise Feature)

  • Description:

    • Step 1: If using CockroachDB Enterprise Edition, identify users or applications that might consume excessive resources or are potential targets for resource exhaustion attacks.

    • Step 2: Define appropriate resource limits and quotas for these users or applications using CockroachDB's resource control features. This can include limits on CPU, memory, or storage usage.

    • Step 3: Configure these limits and quotas within CockroachDB using SQL commands or configuration settings.

    • Step 4: Monitor resource usage and quota enforcement to ensure effectiveness and adjust limits as needed based on performance and security considerations.

    • Step 5: Establish alerting mechanisms to notify administrators when resource limits are approached or exceeded.

    • Threats Mitigated:

      • Resource exhaustion Denial of Service (DoS) attacks targeting CockroachDB - Severity: Medium to High
      • "Noisy neighbor" issues where one application impacts the performance of others - Severity: Medium

    • Impact:

      • Resource exhaustion DoS attacks: Medium risk reduction. Resource limits can mitigate some DoS attacks by preventing a single user or application from monopolizing cluster resources.
      • "Noisy neighbor" issues: Medium risk reduction. Quotas help ensure fair resource allocation and prevent performance degradation for other applications due to excessive resource consumption by one.

    • Currently Implemented: No - Not currently implemented as we are using the Community Edition of CockroachDB.

    • Missing Implementation: Resource limits and quotas are not available in the Community Edition. If upgrading to Enterprise Edition, consider implementing these features for enhanced resource management and DoS mitigation.

Mitigation Strategy: Enable Audit Logging (CockroachDB Enterprise Feature)

  • Description:

    • Step 1: If using CockroachDB Enterprise Edition, enable audit logging to track database activities. This is configured through SQL commands in CockroachDB.

    • Step 2: Configure audit logging to capture relevant events, such as authentication attempts, authorization decisions, schema changes, and data modifications. Define the scope of audit logging based on security and compliance requirements.

    • Step 3: Configure a secure destination for audit logs. CockroachDB can write audit logs to various destinations, including files or external systems like SIEM solutions.

    • Step 4: Implement monitoring and alerting on audit logs to detect suspicious activities, security breaches, or policy violations. Integrate audit logs with your Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system for centralized security monitoring.

    • Step 5: Regularly review and analyze audit logs to identify security trends, investigate incidents, and improve security posture.

    • Threats Mitigated:

      • Lack of visibility into database activities and security events - Severity: Medium
      • Delayed detection of security breaches or policy violations - Severity: Medium
      • Difficulty in forensic analysis and incident response - Severity: Medium

    • Impact:

      • Visibility into database activities: High risk reduction. Audit logging provides detailed records of database events, enhancing security visibility.
      • Detection of security breaches: Medium risk reduction. Audit logs enable detection of suspicious activities and potential breaches, although real-time detection might require SIEM integration and alerting.
      • Forensic analysis and incident response: High risk reduction. Audit logs provide crucial information for investigating security incidents and performing forensic analysis.

    • Currently Implemented: No - Not currently implemented as we are using the Community Edition of CockroachDB.

    • Missing Implementation: Audit logging is not available in the Community Edition. If upgrading to Enterprise Edition, enabling audit logging is highly recommended for improved security monitoring and incident response capabilities.

Mitigation Strategy: Regular Security Updates and Patching of CockroachDB

  • Description:

    • Step 1: Regularly monitor CockroachDB release notes, security advisories, and security mailing lists for announcements of new releases and security vulnerabilities.

    • Step 2: Establish a process for promptly applying security patches and updates to the CockroachDB cluster. This includes testing updates in a non-production environment before deploying to production.

    • Step 3: Subscribe to CockroachDB security mailing lists or notification channels to receive timely alerts about security vulnerabilities and updates.

    • Step 4: Maintain an inventory of CockroachDB versions running in all environments to track patching status and identify systems requiring updates.

    • Step 5: Automate the patching process where possible to ensure timely and consistent application of security updates.

    • Threats Mitigated:

      • Exploitation of known vulnerabilities in CockroachDB - Severity: High
      • Outdated software with unpatched security flaws - Severity: High

    • Impact:

      • Exploitation of known vulnerabilities: High risk reduction. Applying security patches eliminates known vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit.
      • Outdated software: High risk reduction. Regular updates ensure the CockroachDB cluster is running the latest secure version, minimizing the attack surface.

    • Currently Implemented: Yes - We have a process for monitoring CockroachDB releases and applying updates, but it could be more formalized and automated.

    • Missing Implementation: Formalized patching schedule, automated patching process, and more proactive monitoring of security advisories. Need to improve automation and frequency of patching.