🪂Secure Your Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

Security Risk Items and Control Recommendations for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

1. Unauthorized Access to AKS Cluster

   • Risk: Unauthorized users may gain access to the AKS cluster, leading to potential security breaches and data exposure.

   • Control Recommendation:

     • Use Azure Active Directory (AAD) for AKS cluster authentication.

     • Implement role-based access control (RBAC) to manage user permissions.

     • Regularly review and update access permissions and roles.

2. Container Vulnerabilities

   • Risk: Containers may have vulnerabilities that can be exploited, leading to compromised applications or services.

   • Control Recommendation:

     • Use vulnerability scanning tools (e.g., Azure Security Center, Trivy) to scan container images.

     • Regularly update container images and base images to the latest versions.

     • Use trusted sources for container images and avoid using unverified third-party images.

3. Insecure Network Communication

   • Risk: Network communication within the cluster or between the cluster and external services may be intercepted.

   • Control Recommendation:

     • Use network policies to restrict pod-to-pod and pod-to-service communications.

     • Implement HTTPS and TLS for encrypting network traffic.

     • Use Azure Private Link and network security groups (NSGs) to secure communication with external services.

4. Misconfigured Cluster Settings

   • Risk: Misconfigured cluster settings can lead to security vulnerabilities and operational issues.

   • Control Recommendation:

     • Regularly review and audit cluster configurations.

     • Use Azure Policy to enforce configuration best practices and compliance standards.

     • Implement best practices for Kubernetes security configurations (e.g., pod security policies, admission controllers).

5. Lack of Monitoring and Logging

   • Risk: Insufficient monitoring and logging can delay the detection and response to security incidents.

   • Control Recommendation:

     • Enable Azure Monitor and Azure Log Analytics for comprehensive monitoring and logging.

     • Use Azure Security Center to monitor security posture and detect threats.

     • Implement centralized logging for all Kubernetes components and applications.

6. Privilege Escalation

   • Risk: Users or processes may gain elevated privileges within the cluster, leading to potential security breaches.

   • Control Recommendation:

     • Implement least privilege principles for user and service accounts.

     • Use Kubernetes RBAC to restrict access to sensitive resources and operations.

     • Regularly audit and review role bindings and service account permissions.

7. Insecure API Access

   • Risk: Kubernetes API access might be exploited to gain unauthorized control over the cluster.

   • Control Recommendation:

     • Secure the Kubernetes API server with AAD authentication and RBAC.

     • Use network policies and firewalls to restrict access to the API server.

     • Enable audit logging for Kubernetes API server access.

8. Data at Rest and In Transit

   • Risk: Data stored in the cluster or transmitted between components may be accessed by unauthorized parties.

   • Control Recommendation:

     • Enable encryption for data at rest using Azure Disk Encryption.

     • Use TLS for all data in transit between cluster components.

     • Implement secrets management using Azure Key Vault or Kubernetes secrets.

9. Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks

   • Risk: DoS attacks can disrupt the availability of services running in the AKS cluster.

   • Control Recommendation:

     • Use Azure DDoS Protection to guard against DDoS attacks.

     • Implement resource quotas and limits to prevent resource exhaustion.

     • Monitor and scale cluster resources to handle increased traffic loads.

10. Supply Chain Risks

    • Risk: Dependencies and third-party components may introduce vulnerabilities.

    • Control Recommendation:

      • Use secure supply chain practices, including verifying the integrity of third-party components.

      • Regularly update dependencies and third-party libraries.

      • Implement image signing and verification to ensure the integrity of container images.