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Mitigation Strategies Analysis for neondatabase/neon

Mitigation Strategy: Enforce TLS for all database connections

  • Description:
    1. Ensure your application's database connection library is configured to use TLS when connecting to Neon.
    2. Verify that the connection string provided by Neon includes the sslmode=require parameter or equivalent setting. Neon typically enforces TLS by default, but explicit configuration is best practice.
    3. Test the connection to Neon to confirm TLS is active.
    4. Regularly review application configuration and connection strings to ensure TLS enforcement is maintained for Neon connections.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks (High Severity) - Interception of database credentials and sensitive data transmitted to and from Neon.
    • Eavesdropping (High Severity) - Unauthorized viewing of sensitive data during transmission to and from Neon.
  • Impact:
    • MITM attacks: High Risk Reduction - TLS encrypts the communication channel with Neon, making interception and decryption very difficult.
    • Eavesdropping: High Risk Reduction - TLS ensures confidentiality of data in transit to and from Neon.
  • Currently Implemented: Yes, enforced at the Neon connection level and within application configuration files. Neon-provided connection strings have TLS enabled.
  • Missing Implementation: N/A - Currently enforced, but continuous validation in CI/CD pipelines would further strengthen this mitigation for Neon connections.

Mitigation Strategy: Secure Connection Strings and Credentials for Neon using Secrets Management

  • Description:
    1. Identify all locations where Neon connection strings and database credentials are used in your application.
    2. Replace hardcoded Neon connection strings and credentials with references to a secure secrets management system.
    3. Configure your application to retrieve Neon connection strings and credentials from the secrets management system at runtime.
    4. Implement strict access control policies for the secrets management system, specifically for Neon related secrets.
    5. Regularly audit access logs of the secrets management system related to Neon secrets.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Exposure of Neon Credentials in Source Code (High Severity) - Accidental or intentional exposure of Neon credentials in version control.
    • Credential Stuffing and Brute-Force Attacks (Medium Severity) - If Neon credentials are leaked, attackers can target your Neon database.
    • Insider Threats (Medium Severity) - Reduces risk from insiders accessing Neon credentials directly.
  • Impact:
    • Exposure of Neon Credentials in Source Code: High Risk Reduction - Neon secrets are removed from code and stored securely.
    • Credential Stuffing and Brute-Force Attacks: Medium Risk Reduction - Reduces likelihood of successful attacks on Neon due to credential leaks.
    • Insider Threats: Medium Risk Reduction - Limits insider access to sensitive Neon credentials.
  • Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. Application uses environment variables in some parts, but Neon connection strings are still partially managed in configuration files. Secrets management system is set up but not fully integrated for all Neon credentials.
  • Missing Implementation: Full integration of secrets manager for all Neon connection strings and database credentials across all application components, CI/CD pipelines, and development environments. Migrate existing environment variable usage for Neon to secrets manager.

Mitigation Strategy: Implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) within Neon Postgres

  • Description:
    1. Define specific Postgres roles within Neon that correspond to application functions.
    2. Grant each role only the minimum necessary privileges required to interact with Neon Postgres.
    3. Avoid using the postgres superuser role for application connections to Neon, except for initial setup.
    4. Assign appropriate roles to database users used by your application components connecting to Neon.
    5. Regularly review and update role definitions and user assignments in Neon Postgres.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Privilege Escalation within Neon Postgres (High Severity) - Prevents attackers or compromised components from gaining excessive privileges in Neon.
    • Data Breaches due to Over-Privileged Access in Neon (High Severity) - Limits damage from breaches by restricting access within Neon.
    • SQL Injection Exploitation in Neon (Medium Severity) - Limits the impact of successful SQL injection attacks against Neon by restricting attacker privileges.
  • Impact:
    • Privilege Escalation within Neon Postgres: High Risk Reduction - Limits capabilities of compromised accounts in Neon.
    • Data Breaches due to Over-Privileged Access in Neon: High Risk Reduction - Minimizes data accessible in Neon during a breach.
    • SQL Injection Exploitation in Neon: Medium Risk Reduction - Limits potential damage from SQL injection in Neon.
  • Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. Basic roles are defined in Neon Postgres, but not granular enough and inconsistently applied. Some services still use overly permissive roles in Neon.
  • Missing Implementation: Refine existing Neon Postgres roles to be more granular and aligned with least privilege. Consistently apply RBAC across all application services connecting to Neon. Ensure proper role assignment during user and service account creation in Neon. Automate role management in Neon where possible.

Mitigation Strategy: Regular Rotation of Neon Database Credentials

  • Description:
    1. Establish a policy for regular rotation of Postgres user passwords used by your application to connect to Neon.
    2. Automate the password rotation process using scripts or tools that interact with Neon's API (if available for password management) or by manually updating passwords and application configurations for Neon.
    3. Ensure password rotation includes updating the secrets management system with new Neon credentials.
    4. Test the password rotation process for Neon connections regularly.
    5. Monitor password rotation logs and audit trails for Neon credential changes.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Compromised Neon Credentials (Medium Severity) - Reduces the window of opportunity to exploit compromised Neon credentials.
    • Credential Reuse Attacks against Neon (Low Severity) - Limits effectiveness of credential reuse attacks against Neon.
    • Insider Threats related to Neon (Low Severity) - Reduces long-term risk from compromised insider accounts accessing Neon.
  • Impact:
    • Compromised Neon Credentials: Medium Risk Reduction - Limits lifespan of compromised Neon credentials.
    • Credential Reuse Attacks against Neon: Low Risk Reduction - Makes reused Neon credentials less likely to be valid.
    • Insider Threats related to Neon: Low Risk Reduction - Reduces long-term impact of compromised insider accounts accessing Neon.
  • Currently Implemented: Not implemented. Password rotation for Neon is manual and not regular.
  • Missing Implementation: Implement automated password rotation for Neon database credentials. Integrate rotation with secrets management and application configuration updates for Neon. Define a clear password rotation policy and schedule for Neon credentials.

Mitigation Strategy: Monitor Neon Service Status and Security Announcements

  • Description:
    1. Subscribe to Neon's official status page, security mailing lists, or communication channels.
    2. Regularly check Neon's status page and security announcements for incidents or vulnerabilities affecting Neon.
    3. Establish a process for promptly reviewing and responding to Neon's security announcements, including applying necessary patches or configuration changes related to Neon usage.
    4. Integrate Neon's status monitoring into your application's monitoring dashboard.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Unpatched Neon Vulnerabilities (Medium to High Severity) - Allows timely patching of Neon platform vulnerabilities.
    • Neon Service Disruptions (Medium Severity) - Enables proactive response to Neon service disruptions.
    • Zero-Day Exploits in Neon (Unknown Severity) - Allows for faster reaction to Neon-specific zero-day exploits.
  • Impact:
    • Unpatched Neon Vulnerabilities: Medium to High Risk Reduction - Enables timely patching of Neon vulnerabilities.
    • Neon Service Disruptions: Medium Risk Reduction - Allows faster response to Neon outages.
    • Zero-Day Exploits in Neon: Low Risk Reduction - Improves response time after Neon zero-day announcement.
  • Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. Development team is generally aware of Neon's status page but no formal subscription or automated monitoring is in place. Security announcements are reviewed reactively.
  • Missing Implementation: Formalize subscription to Neon's security announcements and status updates. Integrate Neon status monitoring into the application's monitoring system. Establish a documented process for reviewing and acting upon Neon security notifications.

Mitigation Strategy: Data Encryption at Rest (Verify Neon Implementation)

  • Description:
    1. Understand Neon's data encryption at rest implementation and key management practices. Review Neon's documentation and security policies.
    2. Verify with Neon support or documentation that data at rest is encrypted using industry-standard encryption algorithms.
    3. Ensure Neon's key management practices meet your organization's compliance and security requirements.
    4. While Neon manages this, maintain awareness of their security measures for data at rest.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Data Breaches due to Physical Security Compromise at Neon's Infrastructure (High Severity) - Protects data if Neon's physical infrastructure is breached.
    • Data Breaches due to Insider Threats at Neon (Medium Severity) - Reduces risk from malicious insiders at Neon accessing data at rest.
  • Impact:
    • Data Breaches due to Physical Security Compromise at Neon's Infrastructure: High Risk Reduction - Encryption makes data unreadable without keys.
    • Data Breaches due to Insider Threats at Neon: Medium Risk Reduction - Encryption adds a barrier for unauthorized access by Neon insiders.
  • Currently Implemented: Yes, Neon implements data encryption at rest as part of their service.
  • Missing Implementation: Verification of Neon's specific encryption implementation and key management practices against our security requirements. Documenting this verification process.

Mitigation Strategy: Branching Security in Neon

  • Description:
    1. When using Neon's branching feature, ensure access control and security policies are consistently applied across all branches.
    2. Avoid exposing sensitive data in development or testing branches in Neon that might have weaker security controls than production.
    3. Implement processes to regularly review and prune unused Neon branches to reduce the attack surface.
    4. Educate developers on secure branching practices in Neon, emphasizing the importance of consistent security across branches.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Data Leaks from Development/Testing Branches in Neon (Medium to High Severity) - Sensitive data exposed in less secure Neon branches.
    • Unauthorized Access to Development/Testing Data in Neon (Medium Severity) - Attackers gaining access to less protected data in Neon development branches.
    • Configuration Drift between Branches in Neon (Medium Severity) - Security misconfigurations in development branches propagating to production.
  • Impact:
    • Data Leaks from Development/Testing Branches in Neon: Medium to High Risk Reduction - Prevents exposure of sensitive data in less secure Neon branches.
    • Unauthorized Access to Development/Testing Data in Neon: Medium Risk Reduction - Reduces risk of unauthorized access to data in Neon development branches.
    • Configuration Drift between Branches in Neon: Medium Risk Reduction - Promotes consistent security configurations across Neon branches.
  • Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. Branching is used for development, but specific security policies for branches are not formally defined or enforced in Neon.
  • Missing Implementation: Define and implement specific security policies for Neon branches, especially development and testing branches. Automate branch security checks. Implement branch pruning policy for Neon.

Mitigation Strategy: Secure Neon API Key Management

  • Description:
    1. If your application interacts with Neon's API, secure your Neon API keys meticulously.
    2. Store Neon API keys in a secure secrets management system, not in code or configuration files.
    3. Grant the least privilege necessary to API keys used by your application to interact with Neon's API.
    4. Rotate Neon API keys regularly.
    5. Monitor API key usage and audit logs for any suspicious activity related to Neon API access.
  • Threats Mitigated:
    • Compromised Neon API Keys (High Severity) - Attackers gaining control of Neon resources through leaked API keys.
    • Unauthorized Access to Neon Management Plane (High Severity) - Attackers using compromised API keys to manage Neon infrastructure.
    • Data Breaches via Neon API Exploitation (Medium to High Severity) - Attackers using API keys to access or modify data through Neon's API.
  • Impact:
    • Compromised Neon API Keys: High Risk Reduction - Secure storage and rotation limits the impact of key compromise.
    • Unauthorized Access to Neon Management Plane: High Risk Reduction - Least privilege and monitoring reduces risk of unauthorized management actions.
    • Data Breaches via Neon API Exploitation: Medium to High Risk Reduction - Least privilege limits data access via compromised API keys.
  • Currently Implemented: Partially implemented. Neon API keys are used in some automation scripts but are stored as environment variables in secure CI/CD environments. Not fully integrated with secrets management and rotation is manual.
  • Missing Implementation: Migrate Neon API key storage to the secrets management system. Implement automated API key rotation for Neon. Enforce least privilege for API keys. Implement monitoring and auditing of Neon API key usage.