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Mitigation Strategies Analysis for traefik/traefik

Mitigation Strategy: Disable the Dashboard and API in Production

  • Mitigation Strategy: Disable the Dashboard and API in Production
  • Description:
    1. Identify Traefik Configuration: Access your Traefik static configuration file (e.g., traefik.yml, traefik.toml) or command-line arguments used to start Traefik.
    2. Locate API/Dashboard Configuration: Look for sections or flags related to the API and Dashboard. Common indicators are:
      • --api.insecure=true or --api.dashboard=true (command-line arguments)
      • [api] or [dashboard] blocks in configuration files (TOML)
      • api: or dashboard: sections in configuration files (YAML)
    3. Disable API/Dashboard: Remove or comment out these configuration elements. For example:
      • Command-line: Remove --api.insecure=true, --api.dashboard=true, and any other --api.* or --dashboard.* flags you don't need.
      • Configuration File: Comment out or delete the [api]/api: and [dashboard]/dashboard: blocks.
    4. Restart Traefik: Apply the configuration changes by restarting the Traefik service. The restart method depends on your deployment (e.g., docker restart traefik, Kubernetes deployment rollout).
    5. Verify Disablement: Attempt to access /dashboard/ and /api/ endpoints of your Traefik instance. You should receive a "404 Not Found" or similar error, indicating they are disabled.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Unauthorized Access to Traefik Configuration (High Severity): Attackers cannot exploit exposed dashboard/API to modify routing, access backend services, or disrupt operations.
    • Information Disclosure (Medium Severity): Prevents leakage of sensitive configuration details, backend service information, and internal network structure via the dashboard/API.
  • Impact:
    • Unauthorized Access to Traefik Configuration: High Risk Reduction
    • Information Disclosure: Medium Risk Reduction
  • Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. Dashboard is disabled in production Kubernetes cluster configuration.
  • Missing Implementation: Need to explicitly ensure the API endpoint is also fully disabled in production Kubernetes deployment configuration. Verify no API related flags or configuration sections are present that could inadvertently enable it, even for limited functionality like health checks on the default port.

Mitigation Strategy: Implement Strong Authentication and Authorization for Dashboard and API (If Enabled)

  • Mitigation Strategy: Implement Strong Authentication and Authorization for Dashboard and API
  • Description:
    1. Choose Authentication Middleware: Select a Traefik authentication middleware: BasicAuth, DigestAuth, ForwardAuth, or OAuth2. ForwardAuth or OAuth2 are recommended for production.
    2. Configure Middleware in Dynamic Configuration: Define the chosen middleware in Traefik's dynamic configuration (e.g., file provider, Kubernetes CRDs).
      • BasicAuth/DigestAuth: Use BasicAuth or DigestAuth middleware, providing a list of usernames and hashed passwords directly in the configuration. Caution: Storing credentials directly is less secure than using external secret management.
      • ForwardAuth: Configure ForwardAuth middleware, specifying the address of an external authentication service. Traefik will forward authentication requests to this service.
      • OAuth2: Configure OAuth2 middleware, providing details of your OAuth2/OIDC provider (client ID, client secret, token endpoints, etc.).
    3. Apply Middleware to Dashboard/API Router: In your dynamic configuration, identify the router that handles requests to /dashboard/ and /api/. Apply the configured authentication middleware to this router using the middleware directive.
    4. Configure Authorization (Optional but Recommended): For ForwardAuth or OAuth2, the external authentication service can handle authorization. For BasicAuth/DigestAuth, authorization is limited to successful authentication. Consider implementing custom authorization logic in your ForwardAuth service or using OAuth2 scopes/roles.
    5. Test Authentication: Access the dashboard/API endpoints. You should be prompted for credentials or redirected to your authentication provider. Verify only authorized users can access the dashboard/API.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Unauthorized Access to Traefik Configuration (High Severity): Prevents unauthorized modification of Traefik settings via dashboard/API.
    • Information Disclosure (Medium Severity): Restricts access to sensitive dashboard/API information to authenticated users.
  • Impact:
    • Unauthorized Access to Traefik Configuration: High Risk Reduction
    • Information Disclosure: Medium Risk Reduction
  • Currently Implemented: BasicAuth is used for staging dashboard with credentials in environment variables.
  • Missing Implementation: Production dashboard/API (if enabled) needs ForwardAuth integration with central identity provider for robust authentication and potentially authorization.

Mitigation Strategy: Restrict Access to Dashboard and API by IP Address using IPWhiteList Middleware

  • Mitigation Strategy: Restrict Access to Dashboard and API by IP Address using IPWhiteList Middleware
  • Description:
    1. Define IPWhiteList Middleware: In Traefik's dynamic configuration, create an IPWhiteList middleware.
    2. Specify Allowed sourceRange: Within the IPWhiteList middleware configuration, define the sourceRange parameter. This parameter accepts a list of CIDR notation IP ranges or individual IP addresses that are allowed to access the protected routes. Example: sourceRange: ["192.168.1.0/24", "10.0.0.10"].
    3. Apply Middleware to Dashboard/API Router: In your dynamic configuration, identify the router for dashboard/API access. Apply the IPWhiteList middleware to this router using the middleware directive.
    4. Test Access Control: Attempt to access the dashboard/API from IP addresses within and outside the defined sourceRange. Verify that access is only granted from whitelisted IPs.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Unauthorized Access to Traefik Configuration (High Severity): Limits potential access points to dashboard/API, reducing the attack surface.
    • Brute-Force Attacks (Medium Severity): Makes brute-force attempts against dashboard/API authentication less effective by restricting source IPs.
  • Impact:
    • Unauthorized Access to Traefik Configuration: Medium Risk Reduction (Defense in Depth)
    • Brute-Force Attacks: Medium Risk Reduction
  • Currently Implemented: IPWhiteList middleware is used in staging to restrict dashboard access to the staging network IP range.
  • Missing Implementation: Production environment lacks IP whitelisting for dashboard/API. If enabled in production, implement IPWhiteList to restrict access to trusted admin networks.

Mitigation Strategy: Enforce HTTPS for Dashboard and API Access

  • Mitigation Strategy: Enforce HTTPS for Dashboard and API Access
  • Description:
    1. Configure Entrypoint for HTTPS: Ensure you have a Traefik entrypoint configured to listen on port 443 (HTTPS) and that it is properly configured with TLS certificates.
    2. Route Dashboard/API to HTTPS Entrypoint: In your Traefik dynamic configuration, ensure that the router responsible for dashboard/API requests is configured to use the HTTPS entrypoint. This is usually the default behavior if you haven't explicitly defined entrypoints in the router.
    3. Force HTTPS Redirection (Recommended): Configure a middleware to redirect HTTP requests (port 80) to HTTPS (port 443). Apply this redirection middleware globally or specifically to the dashboard/API entrypoint to ensure all access is over HTTPS. Traefik's redirectScheme middleware can be used for this.
    4. Access via HTTPS: Instruct users to always access the dashboard and API using https:// URLs.
    5. Verify HTTPS: Check the browser address bar for the padlock icon when accessing the dashboard/API, confirming a secure HTTPS connection.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Credential Sniffing (High Severity): Prevents interception of credentials transmitted during dashboard/API login over unencrypted HTTP.
    • Man-in-the-Middle Attacks (Medium Severity): Protects against MITM attacks that could intercept or modify dashboard/API communication.
  • Impact:
    • Credential Sniffing: High Risk Reduction
    • Man-in-the-Middle Attacks: Medium Risk Reduction
  • Currently Implemented: HTTPS is enforced for all external traffic, including staging dashboard access.
  • Missing Implementation: Internal communication within the cluster might not always be HTTPS. If dashboard/API is accessed internally, ensure HTTPS is used, especially if authentication is involved.

Mitigation Strategy: Change Default API and Dashboard Ports (Using Entrypoint Configuration)

  • Mitigation Strategy: Change Default API and Dashboard Ports
  • Description:
    1. Identify Default Ports: Note the default ports for Traefik API and Dashboard (often 8080 and 8080/8081).
    2. Define Custom Entrypoints: In Traefik static configuration, define new entrypoints with custom ports for the API and Dashboard. For example: 
      entryPoints:
  webapi:
    address: ":9000" # Custom port for API
  webdashboard:
    address: ":9001" # Custom port for Dashboard
    3. Configure API/Dashboard to Use Custom Entrypoints: Modify the API and Dashboard configuration to use these new entrypoints. This might involve flags like --api.entryPoint=webapi and --dashboard.entryPoint=webdashboard or corresponding configuration file settings.
    4. Update Firewall/Network Rules: If firewalls or network security groups are in place, update them to allow traffic on the newly configured ports (9000 and 9001 in the example).
    5. Document Port Changes: Inform administrators about the new ports for accessing the API and Dashboard.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Automated Scans and Default Exploits (Low Severity): Slightly reduces risk from automated scans targeting default ports. Security through obscurity, not a primary defense.
  • Impact:
    • Automated Scans and Default Exploits: Low Risk Reduction
  • Currently Implemented: Not implemented. Default ports are used in staging and production.
  • Missing Implementation: Consider changing default ports in production as a minor hardening step, especially if dashboard/API is enabled.

Mitigation Strategy: Implement Rate Limiting using RateLimit Middleware

  • Mitigation Strategy: Implement Rate Limiting using RateLimit Middleware
  • Description:
    1. Define RateLimit Middleware: In Traefik dynamic configuration, create a RateLimit middleware.
    2. Configure average and burst: Set the average parameter to define the average requests per second allowed and the burst parameter to define the maximum burst size allowed. Adjust these values based on your application's expected traffic and capacity. Example: 
      middlewares:
  api-rate-limit:
    rateLimit:
      average: 10  # 10 requests per second on average
      burst: 20    # Allow bursts up to 20 requests
    3. Apply Middleware to Routes: Apply the RateLimit middleware to routes you want to protect. This could be specific backend service routes, login endpoints, or even the dashboard/API routes if they are enabled. Use the middleware directive in your router configuration.
    4. Test Rate Limiting: Test by sending requests exceeding the configured rate limits. Verify that Traefik starts rejecting requests with "429 Too Many Requests" status codes after the limit is reached.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Brute-Force Attacks (Medium Severity): Limits the rate of login attempts or other brute-force attacks, making them less effective.
    • Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks (Medium Severity): Helps protect backend services from being overwhelmed by excessive requests from a single source.
    • Application-Level DoS (Low Severity): Can mitigate some forms of application-level DoS attacks that exploit resource-intensive operations.
  • Impact:
    • Brute-Force Attacks: Medium Risk Reduction
    • Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks: Medium Risk Reduction
    • Application-Level DoS: Low Risk Reduction
  • Currently Implemented: Rate limiting is not currently implemented in staging or production.
  • Missing Implementation: Implement rate limiting for critical endpoints like login paths and potentially for the dashboard/API if enabled in production. Consider rate limiting based on source IP or other identifiers.

Mitigation Strategy: Configure Connection Limits using Entrypoint Configuration

  • Mitigation Strategy: Configure Connection Limits using Entrypoint Configuration
  • Description:
    1. Identify Entrypoints: Determine the entrypoints that handle external traffic to your application.
    2. Configure maxConnections: In your Traefik static configuration, within the definition of each relevant entrypoint, add the maxConnections parameter. Set this value to the maximum number of concurrent connections you want to allow for that entrypoint. Example: 
      entryPoints:
  websecure:
    address: ":443"
    maxConnections: 1000 # Limit to 1000 concurrent connections
    3. Adjust maxConnections Value: Set the maxConnections value based on your server's capacity and expected concurrent connection load. Monitor resource usage to fine-tune this value.
    4. Test Connection Limits: Simulate a high number of concurrent connections to your application. Verify that Traefik starts rejecting new connections once the maxConnections limit is reached.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks (Medium Severity): Prevents resource exhaustion on the Traefik instance itself by limiting the number of concurrent connections it will accept.
    • Slowloris Attacks (Medium Severity): Can mitigate slowloris-style DoS attacks that attempt to exhaust server resources by opening many slow connections.
  • Impact:
    • Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks: Medium Risk Reduction
    • Slowloris Attacks: Medium Risk Reduction
  • Currently Implemented: Connection limits are not currently configured in staging or production.
  • Missing Implementation: Implement connection limits on production entrypoints to protect against connection-based DoS attacks. Start with a reasonable limit and monitor performance.