Restrict pod access to the host network and the allowable host port range in a Kubernetes cluster. This recommendation is part of CIS 5.2.4 which is intended to improve the security of your Kubernetes environments. This policy is generally available for Kubernetes Service (AKS), and preview for Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes. For more information, see https://aka.ms/kubepolicydoc.
IF (2) Microsoft.ContainerService/managedClusters Microsoft.Kubernetes/connectedClusters
Compliance
The following 18 compliance controls are associated with this Policy definition 'Kubernetes cluster pods should only use approved host network and port range' (82985f06-dc18-4a48-bc1c-b9f4f0098cfe)
Use Azure Security Center to monitor your configuration baseline and use Azure Policy [deny] and [deploy if not exist] rule to enforce secure configuration across Azure compute resources, including VMs, containers, and others.
Understand Azure Policy effects: https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/governance/policy/concepts/effects
Create and manage policies to enforce compliance: https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/governance/policy/tutorials/create-and-manage
**Security Principle:**
Continuously monitor and alert when there is a deviation from the defined configuration baseline. Enforce the desired configuration according to the baseline configuration by denying the non-compliant configuration or deploy a configuration.
**Azure Guidance:**
Use Microsoft Defender for Cloud to configure Azure Policy to audit and enforce configurations of your Azure resources. Use Azure Monitor to create alerts when there is a configuration deviation detected on the resources.
Use Azure Policy [deny] and [deploy if not exist] rule to enforce secure configuration across Azure resources.
For resource configuration audit and enforcement not supported by Azure Policy, you may need to write your own scripts or use third-party tooling to implement the configuration audit and enforcement.
**Implementation and additional context:**
Understand Azure Policy effects:
https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/governance/policy/concepts/effects
Create and manage policies to enforce compliance:
https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/governance/policy/tutorials/create-and-manage
Get compliance data of Azure resources:
https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/governance/policy/how-to/get-compliance-data
Limit information system access to authorized users, processes acting on behalf of authorized users, and devices (including other information systems).
Shared
Microsoft and the customer share responsibilities for implementing this requirement.
Access control policies (e.g., identity- or role-based policies, control matrices, and cryptography) control access between active entities or subjects (i.e., users or processes acting on behalf of users) and passive entities or objects (e.g., devices, files, records, and domains) in systems. Access enforcement mechanisms can be employed at the application and service level to provide increased information security. Other systems include systems internal and external to the organization. This requirement focuses on account management for systems and applications. The definition of and enforcement of access authorizations, other than those determined by account type (e.g., privileged verses non-privileged) are addressed in requirement AC.1.002.
Limit information system access to the types of transactions and functions that authorized users are permitted to execute.
Shared
Microsoft and the customer share responsibilities for implementing this requirement.
Organizations may choose to define access privileges or other attributes by account, by type of account, or a combination of both. System account types include individual, shared, group, system, anonymous, guest, emergency, developer, manufacturer, vendor, and temporary. Other attributes required for authorizing access include restrictions on time-of-day, day-of-week, and point-oforigin. In defining other account attributes, organizations consider system-related requirements (e.g., system upgrades scheduled maintenance,) and mission or business requirements, (e.g., time zone differences, customer requirements, remote access to support travel requirements).
Restrict, disable, or prevent the use of nonessential programs, functions, ports, protocols, and services.
Shared
Microsoft and the customer share responsibilities for implementing this requirement.
Restricting the use of nonessential software (programs) includes restricting the roles allowed to approve program execution; prohibiting auto-execute; program blacklisting and whitelisting; or restricting the number of program instances executed at the same time. The organization makes a security-based determination which functions, ports, protocols, and/or services are restricted. Bluetooth, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and peer-to-peer networking are examples of protocols organizations consider preventing the use of, restricting, or disabling.
Monitor, control, and protect communications (i.e., information transmitted or received by organizational systems) at the external boundaries and key internal boundaries of organizational systems.
Shared
Microsoft and the customer share responsibilities for implementing this requirement.
Communications can be monitored, controlled, and protected at boundary components and by restricting or prohibiting interfaces in organizational systems. Boundary components include gateways, routers, firewalls, guards, network-based malicious code analysis and virtualization systems, or encrypted tunnels implemented within a system security architecture (e.g., routers protecting firewalls or application gateways residing on protected subnetworks). Restricting or prohibiting interfaces in organizational systems includes restricting external web communications traffic to designated web servers within managed interfaces and prohibiting external traffic that appears to be spoofing internal addresses.
Organizations consider the shared nature of commercial telecommunications services in the implementation of security requirements associated with the use of such services. Commercial telecommunications services are commonly based on network components and consolidated management systems shared by all attached commercial customers and may also include third party-provided access lines and other service elements. Such transmission services may represent sources of increased risk despite contract security provisions.
Deny network communications traffic by default and allow network communications traffic by exception (i.e., deny all, permit by exception).
Shared
Microsoft and the customer share responsibilities for implementing this requirement.
This requirement applies to inbound and outbound network communications traffic at the system boundary and at identified points within the system. A deny-all, permit-by-exception network communications traffic policy ensures that only those connections which are essential and approved are allowed.
The organization:
a. Establishes and documents configuration settings for information technology products employed within the information system using [Assignment: organization-defined security configuration checklists] that reflect the most restrictive mode consistent with operational requirements;
b. Implements the configuration settings;
c. Identifies, documents, and approves any deviations from established configuration settings for [Assignment: organization-defined information system components] based on [Assignment: organization-defined operational requirements]; and
d. Monitors and controls changes to the configuration settings in accordance with organizational policies and procedures.
Supplemental Guidance: Configuration settings are the set of parameters that can be changed in hardware, software, or firmware components of the information system that affect the security posture and/or functionality of the system. Information technology products for which security- related configuration settings can be defined include, for example, mainframe computers, servers (e.g., database, electronic mail, authentication, web, proxy, file, domain name), workstations, input/output devices (e.g., scanners, copiers, and printers), network components (e.g., firewalls, routers, gateways, voice and data switches, wireless access points, network appliances, sensors), operating systems, middleware, and applications. Security-related parameters are those parameters impacting the security state of information systems including the parameters required to satisfy other security control requirements. Security-related parameters include, for example: (i) registry settings; (ii) account, file, directory permission settings; and (iii) settings for functions, ports, protocols, services, and remote connections. Organizations establish organization-wide configuration settings and subsequently derive specific settings for information systems. The established settings become part of the systems configuration baseline.
Common secure configurations (also referred to as security configuration checklists, lockdown
and hardening guides, security reference guides, security technical implementation guides) provide recognized, standardized, and established benchmarks that stipulate secure configuration settings for specific information technology platforms/products and instructions for configuring those information system components to meet operational requirements. Common secure configurations can be developed by a variety of organizations including, for example, information technology product developers, manufacturers, vendors, consortia, academia, industry, federal agencies, and other organizations in the public and private sectors. Common secure configurations include the United States Government Configuration Baseline (USGCB) which affects the implementation of CM-6 and other controls such as AC-19 and CM-7. The Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP) and the defined standards within the protocol (e.g., Common Configuration Enumeration) provide an effective method to uniquely identify, track, and control configuration settings. OMB establishes federal policy on configuration requirements for federal information systems. Related controls: AC-19, CM-2, CM-3, CM-7, SI-4.
References: OMB Memoranda 07-11, 07-18, 08-22; NIST Special Publications 800-70, 800-128; Web: http://nvd.nist.gov, http://checklists.nist.gov, http://www.nsa.gov.
The organization:
a. Establishes and documents configuration settings for information technology products employed within the information system using [Assignment: organization-defined security configuration checklists] that reflect the most restrictive mode consistent with operational requirements;
b. Implements the configuration settings;
c. Identifies, documents, and approves any deviations from established configuration settings for [Assignment: organization-defined information system components] based on [Assignment: organization-defined operational requirements]; and
d. Monitors and controls changes to the configuration settings in accordance with organizational policies and procedures.
Supplemental Guidance: Configuration settings are the set of parameters that can be changed in hardware, software, or firmware components of the information system that affect the security posture and/or functionality of the system. Information technology products for which security- related configuration settings can be defined include, for example, mainframe computers, servers (e.g., database, electronic mail, authentication, web, proxy, file, domain name), workstations, input/output devices (e.g., scanners, copiers, and printers), network components (e.g., firewalls, routers, gateways, voice and data switches, wireless access points, network appliances, sensors), operating systems, middleware, and applications. Security-related parameters are those parameters impacting the security state of information systems including the parameters required to satisfy other security control requirements. Security-related parameters include, for example: (i) registry settings; (ii) account, file, directory permission settings; and (iii) settings for functions, ports, protocols, services, and remote connections. Organizations establish organization-wide configuration settings and subsequently derive specific settings for information systems. The established settings become part of the systems configuration baseline.
Common secure configurations (also referred to as security configuration checklists, lockdown
and hardening guides, security reference guides, security technical implementation guides) provide recognized, standardized, and established benchmarks that stipulate secure configuration settings for specific information technology platforms/products and instructions for configuring those information system components to meet operational requirements. Common secure configurations can be developed by a variety of organizations including, for example, information technology product developers, manufacturers, vendors, consortia, academia, industry, federal agencies, and other organizations in the public and private sectors. Common secure configurations include the United States Government Configuration Baseline (USGCB) which affects the implementation of CM-6 and other controls such as AC-19 and CM-7. The Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP) and the defined standards within the protocol (e.g., Common Configuration Enumeration) provide an effective method to uniquely identify, track, and control configuration settings. OMB establishes federal policy on configuration requirements for federal information systems. Related controls: AC-19, CM-2, CM-3, CM-7, SI-4.
References: OMB Memoranda 07-11, 07-18, 08-22; NIST Special Publications 800-70, 800-128; Web: http://nvd.nist.gov, http://checklists.nist.gov, http://www.nsa.gov.
Establish and maintain baseline configurations and inventories of organizational systems (including hardware, software, firmware, and documentation) throughout the respective system development life cycles.
Shared
Microsoft and the customer share responsibilities for implementing this requirement.
Baseline configurations are documented, formally reviewed, and agreed-upon specifications for systems or configuration items within those systems. Baseline configurations serve as a basis for future builds, releases, and changes to systems. Baseline configurations include information about system components (e.g., standard software packages installed on workstations, notebook computers, servers, network components, or mobile devices; current version numbers and update and patch information on operating systems and applications; and configuration settings and parameters), network topology, and the logical placement of those components within the system architecture. Baseline configurations of systems also reflect the current enterprise architecture. Maintaining effective baseline configurations requires creating new baselines as organizational systems change over time. Baseline configuration maintenance includes reviewing and updating the baseline configuration when changes are made based on security risks and deviations from the established baseline configuration. Organizations can implement centralized system component inventories that include components from multiple organizational systems. In such situations, organizations ensure that the resulting inventories include system-specific information required for proper component accountability (e.g., system association, system owner). Information deemed necessary for effective accountability of system components includes hardware inventory specifications, software license information, software version numbers, component owners, and for networked components or devices, machine names and network addresses. Inventory specifications include manufacturer, device type, model, serial number, and physical location. [SP 800-128] provides guidance on security-focused configuration management.
Establish and enforce security configuration settings for information technology products employed in organizational systems.
Shared
Microsoft and the customer share responsibilities for implementing this requirement.
Configuration settings are the set of parameters that can be changed in hardware, software, or firmware components of the system that affect the security posture or functionality of the system. Information technology products for which security-related configuration settings can be defined include mainframe computers, servers, workstations, input and output devices (e.g., scanners, copiers, and printers), network components (e.g., firewalls, routers, gateways, voice and data switches, wireless access points, network appliances, sensors), operating systems, middleware, and applications. Security parameters are those parameters impacting the security state of systems including the parameters required to satisfy other security requirements. Security parameters include: registry settings; account, file, directory permission settings; and settings for functions, ports, protocols, and remote connections. Organizations establish organization-wide configuration settings and subsequently derive specific configuration settings for systems. The established settings become part of the systems configuration baseline. Common secure configurations (also referred to as security configuration checklists, lockdown and hardening guides, security reference guides, security technical implementation guides) provide recognized, standardized, and established benchmarks that stipulate secure configuration settings for specific information technology platforms/products and instructions for configuring those system components to meet operational requirements. Common secure configurations can be developed by a variety of organizations including information technology product developers, manufacturers, vendors, consortia, academia, industry, federal agencies, and other organizations in the public and private sectors. [SP 800-70] and [SP 800-128] provide guidance on security configuration settings.
The organization:
a. Establishes and documents configuration settings for information technology products employed within the information system using [Assignment: organization-defined security configuration checklists] that reflect the most restrictive mode consistent with operational requirements;
b. Implements the configuration settings;
c. Identifies, documents, and approves any deviations from established configuration settings for [Assignment: organization-defined information system components] based on [Assignment: organization-defined operational requirements]; and
d. Monitors and controls changes to the configuration settings in accordance with organizational policies and procedures.
Supplemental Guidance: Configuration settings are the set of parameters that can be changed in hardware, software, or firmware components of the information system that affect the security posture and/or functionality of the system. Information technology products for which security- related configuration settings can be defined include, for example, mainframe computers, servers (e.g., database, electronic mail, authentication, web, proxy, file, domain name), workstations, input/output devices (e.g., scanners, copiers, and printers), network components (e.g., firewalls, routers, gateways, voice and data switches, wireless access points, network appliances, sensors), operating systems, middleware, and applications. Security-related parameters are those parameters impacting the security state of information systems including the parameters required to satisfy other security control requirements. Security-related parameters include, for example: (i) registry settings; (ii) account, file, directory permission settings; and (iii) settings for functions, ports, protocols, services, and remote connections. Organizations establish organization-wide configuration settings and subsequently derive specific settings for information systems. The established settings become part of the systems configuration baseline.
Common secure configurations (also referred to as security configuration checklists, lockdown
and hardening guides, security reference guides, security technical implementation guides) provide recognized, standardized, and established benchmarks that stipulate secure configuration settings for specific information technology platforms/products and instructions for configuring those information system components to meet operational requirements. Common secure configurations can be developed by a variety of organizations including, for example, information technology product developers, manufacturers, vendors, consortia, academia, industry, federal agencies, and other organizations in the public and private sectors. Common secure configurations include the United States Government Configuration Baseline (USGCB) which affects the implementation of CM-6 and other controls such as AC-19 and CM-7. The Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP) and the defined standards within the protocol (e.g., Common Configuration Enumeration) provide an effective method to uniquely identify, track, and control configuration settings. OMB establishes federal policy on configuration requirements for federal information systems. Related controls: AC-19, CM-2, CM-3, CM-7, SI-4.
References: OMB Memoranda 07-11, 07-18, 08-22; NIST Special Publications 800-70, 800-128; Web: http://nvd.nist.gov, http://checklists.nist.gov, http://www.nsa.gov.
a. Establish and document configuration settings for components employed within the system that reflect the most restrictive mode consistent with operational requirements using [Assignment: organization-defined common secure configurations];
b. Implement the configuration settings;
c. Identify, document, and approve any deviations from established configuration settings for [Assignment: organization-defined system components] based on [Assignment: organization-defined operational requirements]; and
d. Monitor and control changes to the configuration settings in accordance with organizational policies and procedures.
Ensure security controls for remote access to server include the following:
(a) restrict access to only hardened and locked down end-point devices;
(b) use secure tunnels such as TLS and VPN IPSec;
(c) deploy ‘gateway’ server with adequate perimeter defences and protection such as firewall, IPS and antivirus; and
(d) close relevant ports immediately upon expiry of remote access.
Prevent or detect against unauthorized or malicious software
Shared
The customer is responsible for implementing this recommendation.
Restricts Application and Software Installation — The ability to install applications
and software is restricted to authorized individuals.
• Detects Unauthorized Changes to Software and Configuration Parameters — Processes are in place to detect changes to software and configuration parameters that
may be indicative of unauthorized or malicious software.
• Uses a Defined Change Control Process — A management-defined change control
process is used for the implementation of software.
• Uses Antivirus and Anti-Malware Software — Antivirus and anti-malware software
is implemented and maintained to provide for the interception or detection and remediation of malware.
• Scans Information Assets from Outside the Entity for Malware and Other Unauthorized Software — Procedures are in place to scan information assets that have been
transferred or returned to the entity’s custody for malware and other unauthorized
software and to remove any items detected prior to its implementation on the network.
The customer is responsible for implementing this recommendation.
Manages Changes Throughout the System Life Cycle — A process for managing
system changes throughout the life cycle of the system and its components (infrastructure, data, software, and procedures) is used to support system availability and
processing integrity.
• Authorizes Changes — A process is in place to authorize system changes prior to
development.
• Designs and Develops Changes — A process is in place to design and develop system changes.
• Documents Changes — A process is in place to document system changes to support ongoing maintenance of the system and to support system users in performing
their responsibilities.
• Tracks System Changes — A process is in place to track system changes prior to
implementation.
• Configures Software — A process is in place to select and implement the configuration parameters used to control the functionality of software.
• Tests System Changes — A process is in place to test system changes prior to implementation.
• Approves System Changes — A process is in place to approve system changes prior
to implementation.
• Deploys System Changes — A process is in place to implement system changes.
• Identifies and Evaluates System Changes — Objectives affected by system changes
are identified and the ability of the modified system to meet the objectives is evaluated throughout the system development life cycle.
• Identifies Changes in Infrastructure, Data, Software, and Procedures Required to
Remediate Incidents — Changes in infrastructure, data, software, and procedures
required to remediate incidents to continue to meet objectives are identified and the
change process is initiated upon identification.
• Creates Baseline Configuration of IT Technology — A baseline configuration of IT
and control systems is created and maintained.
• Provides for Changes Necessary in Emergency Situations — A process is in place
for authorizing, designing, testing, approving, and implementing changes necessary
in emergency situations (that is, changes that need to be implemented in an urgent
time frame).
Additional points of focus that apply only in an engagement using the trust services criteria for
confidentiality:
• Protects Confidential Information — The entity protects confidential information
during system design, development, testing, implementation, and change processes
to meet the entity’s objectives related to confidentiality.
Additional points of focus that apply only in an engagement using the trust services criteria for
privacy:
• Protects Personal Information — The entity protects personal information during
system design, development, testing, implementation, and change processes to meet
the entity’s objectives related to privacy.