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Mitigation Strategies Analysis for neondatabase/neon

Mitigation Strategy: Strict Pageserver Isolation and Hardening (Neon-Specific Aspects)

  • Description:

    1. Neon Configuration: Configure the Pageserver component of Neon itself to listen only on specific network interfaces and ports, as defined by the Neon deployment configuration. Ensure that the Pageserver is not exposed to unnecessary network traffic.
    2. Neon User Permissions: Within the Pageserver's internal configuration, ensure that the Neon processes run with the least privilege necessary. Avoid running Neon processes as root.
    3. Neon-Specific Hardening: Apply any hardening guidelines or recommendations provided specifically by the Neon project documentation. This might include specific configuration settings within Neon's configuration files.
    4. Neon Audit Logging: Configure Neon's internal audit logging to capture all relevant events within the Pageserver. This is distinct from OS-level audit logging. Forward these logs to a centralized system.
    5. Neon Vulnerability Scanning: Regularly scan Pageservers using vulnerability scanners, and include Neon specific CVE database.

  • Threats Mitigated:

    • Compromise of the Pageserver (Severity: Critical): Directly prevents unauthorized access and control at the Neon software level.
    • Data Breaches (Severity: Critical): Reduces the risk of data access through vulnerabilities in the Neon Pageserver software.
    • Data Corruption (Severity: Critical): Limits the ability of an attacker to modify data via the Neon Pageserver.
    • Denial of Service (Severity: High): Makes it harder to disrupt the Pageserver via Neon-specific exploits.

  • Impact:

    • Compromise of the Pageserver: Risk significantly reduced (Neon-specific aspects).
    • Data Breaches: Risk significantly reduced (Neon-specific aspects).
    • Data Corruption: Risk significantly reduced (Neon-specific aspects).
    • Denial of Service: Risk reduced (Neon-specific aspects).

  • Currently Implemented (Hypothetical):

    • Basic Neon configuration for network interfaces is likely in place.
    • Some level of least privilege for Neon processes is probable.

  • Missing Implementation (Hypothetical):

    • Comprehensive Neon-specific hardening might be incomplete.
    • Detailed Neon audit logging and forwarding might be missing.
    • Neon Vulnerability Scanning might be missing.

Mitigation Strategy: Ephemeral Compute Node Security and Least Privilege (Neon-Specific Aspects)

  • Description:

    1. Neon Compute Node Configuration: Configure the Neon compute nodes (through Neon's configuration mechanisms) to connect only to authorized Pageservers and Safekeepers. Use Neon's built-in mechanisms for service discovery and authentication.
    2. Neon-Provided Credentials: Utilize Neon's built-in mechanisms for managing and rotating credentials used by compute nodes to access other Neon components. Avoid hardcoding credentials or using external credential management systems if Neon provides a secure, integrated solution.
    3. Neon Ephemeral Node Management: Leverage Neon's built-in features for managing the lifecycle of compute nodes. Ensure that compute nodes are automatically terminated and replaced as intended by the Neon design.
    4. Containerization: Use containerization technologies like Docker, and configure them to work with Neon.

  • Threats Mitigated:

    • Compromise of a Compute Node (Severity: High): Limits the impact within the Neon ecosystem.
    • Lateral Movement (Severity: High): Prevents a compromised compute node from attacking other Neon components.
    • Data Exfiltration (Severity: Medium): Reduces the risk of data theft through the compute node's Neon connection.

  • Impact:

    • Compromise of a Compute Node: Risk reduced (Neon-specific aspects).
    • Lateral Movement: Risk significantly reduced (Neon-specific aspects).
    • Data Exfiltration: Risk reduced (Neon-specific aspects).

  • Currently Implemented (Hypothetical):

    • Neon's built-in compute node management is likely fully utilized.
    • Neon-provided credential mechanisms are probably used.

  • Missing Implementation (Hypothetical):

    • Fine-grained control over compute node connections might be limited.
    • Containerization might not be used.

Mitigation Strategy: Safekeeper Security and Data Protection (Neon-Specific Aspects)

  • Description:

    1. Neon Safekeeper Configuration: Configure the Safekeeper component of Neon to listen only on authorized network interfaces and ports. Use Neon's configuration mechanisms to restrict network access.
    2. Neon-Specific Hardening (Safekeeper): Apply any hardening guidelines or recommendations provided specifically by the Neon project for Safekeepers.
    3. Neon Encryption Configuration: Configure Neon to use encryption for WAL data in transit between compute nodes, Safekeepers, and Pageservers. Use Neon's built-in encryption mechanisms and key management if available. If Neon relies on external encryption (e.g., TLS), ensure it's configured correctly within Neon's settings.
    4. Neon Audit Logging (Safekeeper): Configure Neon's internal audit logging for Safekeepers and forward the logs.

  • Threats Mitigated:

    • Compromise of a Safekeeper (Severity: High): Prevents unauthorized access at the Neon software level.
    • Data Exfiltration via Safekeeper (Severity: High): Reduces the risk of WAL data theft through Neon vulnerabilities.
    • Data Corruption (Severity: High): Limits data modification via the Neon Safekeeper.
    • Denial of Service (Severity: High): Makes it harder to disrupt the Safekeeper via Neon-specific exploits.

  • Impact:

    • Compromise of a Safekeeper: Risk significantly reduced (Neon-specific aspects).
    • Data Exfiltration: Risk significantly reduced (Neon-specific aspects).
    • Data Corruption: Risk significantly reduced (Neon-specific aspects).
    • Denial of Service: Risk reduced (Neon-specific aspects).

  • Currently Implemented (Hypothetical):

    • Basic Neon configuration for network interfaces is likely in place.
    • Neon's encryption settings (if applicable) are probably used.

  • Missing Implementation (Hypothetical):

    • Comprehensive Neon-specific hardening for Safekeepers might be incomplete.
    • Detailed Neon audit logging for Safekeepers might be missing.

Mitigation Strategy: Control Plane Resilience and Rate Limiting (Neon-Specific Aspects)

  • Description:

    1. Neon Control Plane Configuration: Configure the Neon control plane components (through Neon's configuration) for high availability and fault tolerance. Utilize any built-in mechanisms Neon provides for distributing the control plane across multiple instances or zones.
    2. Neon API Rate Limiting: Configure rate limiting within Neon's control plane APIs. Use Neon's built-in rate limiting features, if available. If Neon relies on external rate limiting (e.g., an API gateway), ensure it's properly configured for Neon's specific API endpoints.
    3. Neon Control Plane Audit Logging: Configure Neon's internal audit logging for Control Plane.

  • Threats Mitigated:

    • Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attacks Targeting the Control Plane (Severity: High): Directly mitigates DoS attacks against Neon's management layer.
    • Control Plane Compromise (Severity: Critical): Reduces the attack surface through Neon-specific configurations.

  • Impact:

    • Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attacks: Risk significantly reduced (Neon-specific aspects).
    • Control Plane Compromise: Risk reduced (Neon-specific aspects).

  • Currently Implemented (Hypothetical):

    • Neon's built-in high availability features are likely used.
    • Basic Neon API rate limiting might be in place.

  • Missing Implementation (Hypothetical):

    • Fine-grained, Neon-specific rate limiting configurations might be incomplete.
    • Neon Control Plane Audit Logging might be missing.

Mitigation Strategy: Secure Object Storage Configuration (Neon-Specific Aspects)

  • Description:

    1. Neon Storage Configuration: Configure Neon (through its configuration files or management interface) to use only designated, secure object storage buckets (e.g., S3 buckets). Ensure that Neon is configured to use the correct bucket names, regions, and access credentials.
    2. Neon-Managed Credentials: If Neon provides a mechanism for managing object storage credentials (e.g., IAM roles for EC2 instances), use it. Avoid hardcoding credentials or using less secure methods.
    3. Neon Encryption Settings (Object Storage): Configure Neon to use server-side encryption for data stored in object storage. Use Neon's built-in mechanisms for specifying encryption keys or key management systems (e.g., AWS KMS integration).
    4. Neon Object Lifecycle Management: If Neon supports it, configure object lifecycle management through Neon's interface to automatically delete old or unnecessary data. This ensures that the lifecycle policies are aligned with Neon's data retention requirements.

  • Threats Mitigated:

    • Data leakage through shared storage (Severity: Critical): Prevents Neon from accidentally using insecure storage locations.
    • Data Breaches (Severity: Critical): Ensures that data stored by Neon in object storage is encrypted.
    • Data Corruption (Severity: High): Reduces risk if combined with versioning.

  • Impact:

    • Data leakage: Risk significantly reduced (Neon-specific aspects).
    • Data Breaches: Risk significantly reduced (Neon-specific aspects).
    • Data Corruption: Risk reduced (Neon-specific aspects).

  • Currently Implemented (Hypothetical):

    • Basic Neon configuration for object storage is likely in place.
    • Neon's encryption settings (if applicable) are probably used.

  • Missing Implementation (Hypothetical):

    • Full utilization of Neon-managed credentials might be incomplete.
    • Neon-integrated object lifecycle management might not be used.