Ensure that the --client-cert-auth argument is set to true (etcd)

Enable client authentication on etcd service. etcd is a highly-available key value store used by Kubernetes deployments for persistent storage of all of its REST API objects. These objects are sensitive in nature and should not be available to unauthenticated clients. You should enable the client authentication via valid certificates to secure the access to the etcd service.

Risk Level: High
Cloud Entity: Pods
CloudGuard Rule ID: D9.K8S.CRY.13
Covered by Spectral: Yes
Category: Compute

GSL LOGIC

KubernetesPod where labels contain [value='etcd'] and namespace = 'kube-system' should have spec.containers with [parsedArgs contain [key like 'client-cert-auth' and value = 'true']]

REMEDIATION

Edit the etcd pod specification file $etcdconf on the master
node and set the below parameter.
--client-cert-auth='true'

References

  1. https://coreos.com/etcd/docs/latest/op-guide/security.html
  2. https://kubernetes.io/docs/admin/etcd/
  3. https://coreos.com/etcd/docs/latest/op-guide/configuration.html#client-cert-auth

Pods

Pods are the smallest deployable units of computing that can be created and managed in Kubernetes.A Pod is a group of one or more containers (such as Docker containers), with shared storage/network, and a specification for how to run the containers.

Compliance Frameworks

  • CIS Kubernetes Benchmark v1.20
  • CIS Kubernetes Benchmark v1.23
  • CIS Kubernetes Benchmark v1.24
  • CIS Kubernetes Benchmark v1.4.0
  • CIS Kubernetes Benchmark v1.5.1
  • CIS Kubernetes Benchmark v1.6.1
  • Kubernetes NIST.SP.800-190
  • Kubernetes v.1.13 CloudGuard Best Practices
  • Kubernetes v.1.14 CloudGuard Best Practices