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Mitigation Strategies Analysis for apache/rocketmq

Mitigation Strategy: Strong Authentication and Authorization (ACL)

Description:

  1. Enable ACL: In the broker.conf file, set aclEnable=true.
  2. Define Permissions: Create a plain_acl.yml file (or use your chosen ACL provider). Define roles (e.g., producerRole, consumerRole, adminRole). For each role, specify permissions:
    • topic: The topic name (or wildcard pattern).
    • access: PUB (publish), SUB (subscribe), DENY (no access), or combinations (e.g., PUB|SUB).
    • default: true or false (whether this is the default permission for this topic).
  3. Create Users: In the same plain_acl.yml file, define users and assign them to roles. Set strong, unique passwords for each user. Example: 
    accounts:
  - accessKey: producerUser
    secretKey: StrongProducerPassword!
    whiteRemoteAddress: 192.168.1.0/24  # Restrict by IP (optional)
    admin: false
    defaultTopicPerm: DENY
    defaultGroupPerm: DENY
    topicPerms:
      - topic: MyTopic
        perm: PUB
  - accessKey: consumerUser
    secretKey: StrongConsumerPassword!
    # ... (similar configuration for consumer)
  4. Configure Clients: In your producer and consumer code, configure the accessKey and secretKey to match the credentials defined in the ACL file. Use the RocketMQ client libraries' authentication mechanisms.
  5. Regular Review: At least quarterly, review the ACL configuration to ensure it still aligns with the principle of least privilege. Remove unused users and roles.

  • Threats Mitigated:

    • Unauthorized Access to Brokers/NameServers (Severity: Critical): Prevents unauthorized users from connecting to and interacting with the RocketMQ cluster.
    • Unauthorized Message Production (Severity: High): Prevents unauthorized clients from publishing messages to topics.
    • Unauthorized Message Consumption (Severity: High): Prevents unauthorized clients from subscribing to and consuming messages from topics.
    • Unauthorized Administrative Actions (Severity: Critical): Prevents unauthorized users from performing administrative operations (e.g., creating/deleting topics, managing brokers).

  • Impact:

    • Unauthorized Access: Risk reduced from Critical to Low (assuming strong passwords and regular review).
    • Unauthorized Production/Consumption: Risk reduced from High to Low.
    • Unauthorized Administration: Risk reduced from Critical to Low.

  • Currently Implemented:

    • ACL is enabled in broker.conf.
    • Basic plain_acl.yml file exists with producer and consumer roles.
    • Producer and consumer clients are configured with credentials.

  • Missing Implementation:

    • IP-based restrictions (whiteRemoteAddress) are not yet implemented in the ACL file.
    • Regular quarterly reviews of the ACL configuration are not yet formalized in a documented process.
    • Admin role and users are not yet defined, relying on default broker permissions (which should be disabled).

Mitigation Strategy: TLS/SSL Encryption

Description:

  1. Obtain Certificates: Obtain TLS/SSL certificates from a trusted Certificate Authority (CA). Avoid self-signed certificates in production.
  2. Configure Brokers:
    • In broker.conf, set sslEnable=true.
    • Specify the paths to the certificate file (ssl.server.certPath), private key file (ssl.server.keyPath), and CA certificate file (ssl.server.trustCertPath).
    • Configure other SSL-related settings as needed (e.g., ssl.server.needClientAuth to require client certificates).
  3. Configure NameServers:
    • Similar to brokers, configure SSL settings in namesrv.conf.
  4. Configure Clients:
    • In your producer and consumer code, enable SSL and configure the paths to the client certificate (if required), private key, and CA certificate. Use the RocketMQ client libraries' SSL configuration options.
    • Ensure clients are configured to verify the server's certificate.
  5. Certificate Renewal: Establish a process for renewing certificates before they expire. Automate this process if possible.

  • Threats Mitigated:

    • Network Eavesdropping (Severity: High): Encrypts all communication between clients and brokers, and between brokers and NameServers, preventing attackers from intercepting and reading message data.
    • Man-in-the-Middle Attacks (Severity: High): Certificate verification prevents attackers from impersonating a RocketMQ broker or NameServer.

  • Impact:

    • Network Eavesdropping: Risk reduced from High to Low.
    • Man-in-the-Middle Attacks: Risk reduced from High to Low.

  • Currently Implemented:

    • TLS/SSL is enabled in broker.conf and namesrv.conf.
    • Certificates are obtained from a trusted CA.
    • Producer and consumer clients are configured to use SSL.

  • Missing Implementation:

    • Client certificate authentication (ssl.server.needClientAuth) is not yet enabled. This would provide an additional layer of security.
    • An automated certificate renewal process is not yet in place.

Mitigation Strategy: RocketMQ Built-in Flow Control (Rate Limiting - Client Side)

Description:

  1. Java Client Example:
    • Use the DefaultMQProducer.setSendMessageFlowControl(int permits) method to set the maximum number of permits (messages) that can be sent concurrently.
    • Adjust this value based on testing and monitoring of broker performance and message throughput. Start with a conservative value and increase it gradually.
  2. Other Client Libraries: Consult the documentation for your specific RocketMQ client library to find equivalent flow control settings.

  • Threats Mitigated:

    • Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks (Severity: High): Helps prevent a single producer from overwhelming the RocketMQ brokers with messages, although it's less effective against distributed DoS attacks.

  • Impact:

    • DoS Attacks: Risk reduced from High to Medium (this is a partial mitigation and should be combined with other DoS defenses).

  • Currently Implemented:

    • Not currently implemented.

  • Missing Implementation:

    • The sendMessageFlowControl setting (or its equivalent in other client libraries) needs to be configured and tuned.

Mitigation Strategy: Stay Up-to-Date (Patching RocketMQ)

Description:

  1. Subscribe to Notifications: Subscribe to the Apache RocketMQ security mailing list and monitor the official website for security advisories.
  2. Establish a Patching Process:
    • Define a process for testing and deploying RocketMQ updates, especially security patches.
    • Include a rollback plan in case of issues.
    • Prioritize security patches and apply them as soon as possible.
  3. Automate (If Possible): Automate the patching process as much as possible to reduce the time to apply updates. This might involve using configuration management tools or container orchestration platforms.

  • Threats Mitigated:

    • Exploitation of Known Vulnerabilities (Severity: Variable, potentially Critical): Addresses vulnerabilities in RocketMQ itself that could be exploited by attackers. The severity depends on the specific vulnerability.

  • Impact:

    • Exploitation of Known Vulnerabilities: Risk reduced significantly, depending on the promptness of patching.

  • Currently Implemented:

    • Team members are subscribed to the RocketMQ security mailing list.

  • Missing Implementation:

    • A formal, documented patching process is not yet in place.
    • Patching is currently done manually and is not automated.

Mitigation Strategy: Audit Logs (RocketMQ Configuration)

  • Description:

    1. Enable Detailed Logging: Configure RocketMQ's logging levels to capture sufficient detail for auditing. This typically involves modifying the logback.xml (or equivalent) configuration file used by RocketMQ.
    2. Configure Log Appenders: Ensure that logs are written to a persistent and secure location. Consider using a dedicated logging service or centralized logging infrastructure.
    3. Log Rotation and Retention: Implement log rotation to prevent log files from growing indefinitely. Define a retention policy to keep logs for a sufficient period for auditing and investigation purposes.
    4. Log Key Events: Ensure that the following events are logged:
      • Authentication attempts (successes and failures)
      • Authorization decisions (access granted or denied)
      • Topic creation and deletion
      • Broker configuration changes
      • Message production and consumption (optionally, with details like client IP addresses and message IDs – be mindful of privacy and performance implications)
    5. Regular Review: Establish a process for regularly reviewing audit logs, either manually or using automated log analysis tools.

  • Threats Mitigated:

    • Detection of Unauthorized Access (Severity: High): Provides a record of authentication and authorization events, allowing for the detection of unauthorized access attempts.
    • Detection of Malicious Activity (Severity: Variable): Helps identify suspicious patterns of activity, such as unusual message rates or access from unexpected sources.
    • Forensic Analysis (Severity: High): Provides crucial information for investigating security incidents and understanding the scope of a compromise.

  • Impact:

    • Detection: Improves the ability to detect and respond to security incidents.
    • Forensics: Enables more effective forensic analysis after an incident.

  • Currently Implemented:

    • Basic RocketMQ logging is enabled.

  • Missing Implementation:

    • Detailed audit logging, specifically capturing authentication and authorization events, is not fully configured.
    • Log rotation and retention policies are not yet formally defined.
    • Regular log review is not yet part of a documented process.