MongoDB Container Hardening Workflow

A workflow for hardening a MongoDB container against a STIG using Packer and Ansible, including a scanning step and a threshold validation step to verify compliance.

Dependencies

• Docker - Container engine.
• Packer - A container image builder tool.
• Ansible - An orchestration tool that can target containers. Used as the provisioner to STIG-harden the container under Packer's direction.
• Progress Chef's InSpec testing framework.
• SAF CLI for validating the results of the InSpec scan against a defined threshold (e.g. "95% of tests pass", or "no high-severity failures")

Tailoring Your Scan to Your Environment

To ensure the profile runs correctly in your specific environment, you need to configure the inputs in the inputs.yml. This will OVERRIDE THE VALUE SET in inspec.yml located here. A template file named inputs_template.yml is provided to help you get started. More information about InSpec inputs can be found in the InSpec Profile Documentation.

Verify Ansible Variables

Ensure that the Ansible variables are correctly set under spec/ansible/roles/mongo-stig/defaults/main.yml

Example inputs.yml

# The username for the MongoDB administrative account.
mongo_dba: "root"

# The password for the MongoDB administrative account.
mongo_dba_password: "root"

# The hostname or IP address of the MongoDB server.
mongo_host: "localhost"

# The port number on which the MongoDB server is listening.
mongo_port: "27017"

# The database to authenticate against.
mongo_auth_source: "admin"

# The path to the Certificate Authority (CA) bundle file for SSL/TLS connections.
ca_file: "/etc/ssl/CA_bundle.pem"

# The path to the MongoDB SSL/TLS certificate key file.
certificate_key_file: "/etc/ssl/mongodb.pem"

# Adding a user to 'mongo_superusers'
mongo_superusers:
  - "admin.root"
  - "test.myTester"

Usage

1. Clone the Repository

   Start by cloning the mongo-hardening repository from GitHub to your local machine:

   git clone https://github.com/mitre/mongodb-enterprise-advanced-4-stig-baseline-hardening.git
   cd mongo-hardening

2. Create MongoDB Certificates

   Follow the README.md under the certificates directory to download the DoD Certificates PKI Bundle and to create any other necessary certificates.

3. Update the Ansible Role's Default Values

   Visit the defaults/main.yml in the mongo-stig role repository to see the available variables. Review these variables and decide which ones, if any, you want to update for your environment.

   If you decide to update any variables, modify the vars section of the playbook located at spec/ansible/mongo-stig-hardening-playbook.yml

4. Create and Update inputs.yml for Inspec

   Execute the following command to create the inputs.yml file under spec/mongo-inspec-profile by copying inputs_template.yml and renaming it to inputs.yml. Update this file with your values.

   cp spec/mongo-inspec-profile/inputs_template.yml spec/mongo-inspec-profile/inputs.yml

5. Update inspec.yml for InSpec

   Update the inspec.yml file located at spec/mongo-inspec-profile/inspec.yml with your values. Most values should remain unchanged; only modify them if you are certain about the changes to avoid causing issues with the Ansible playbook execution.

6. Check Configuration Flags

   If you want to disable the fips_mode or enterprise_edition flags, ensure they are disabled in both spec/ansible/mongo-stig-hardening-playbook.yml and spec/ansible/roles/mongo-stig/defaults/main.yml.

7. Initialize Packer

   Initialize Packer to install the required Ansible and Docker plugins:

   packer init .

8. Update variables.pkrvar.hcl for Packer Variables

   Update the variables.pkrvar.hcl with your variables for mongo-validate.pkr.hcl

   Execute the following command to create the variables.pkrvar.hcl file by copying variables_template.pkrvar.hcl and renaming it to variables.pkrvar.hcl. Update this file with your values.

   cp variables_template.pkrvar.hcl variables.pkrvar.hcl

   8.1 Optional: Update the attestation_template.json Now if Using a STIG Viewer

   If you have a STIG Viewer available, you can update the attestation_template.json now to avoid rerunning the validation Packer file. This allows you to look up the control IDs beforehand and check for compliance in advance.

   Follow the instructions here to proceed, and then return to this step once done.

9. Build the Hardened Image

   Execute the following command to build and save the hardened Mongo image:

   packer build mongo-hardening.pkr.hcl

10. Validate the Hardened Image

    Execute the following command to test the hardened Mongo image:

    packer build -var-file="variables.pkrvar.hcl" mongo-validate.pkr.hcl

11. Run the Hardened Image

    Execute the following command to run the hardened Mongo image:

    docker run -d \
       --name mongo-hardened \
       -p 27017:27017 \
       -v mongodb_configdb:/data/configdb \
       -v mongodb_db:/data/db \
       -e PATH="/usr/local/src/openssl-3.1.0/apps:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin" \
       -e LD_LIBRARY_PATH="/usr/local/src/openssl-3.1.0:" \
       mongo-hardened \
       mongod --config /etc/mongod.conf

12. Cleanup Test Users and Roles Once the hardened Mongo image is up and running, ensure you review and clean up any test users, roles, and databases that may have been created during the validation process.

    • Databases:

      • products

    • Users:

      • test.myTester
      • products.myRoleTestUser

    • Roles:

      • products.myTestRole

    For a full check of what could have been created, visit the inspec repository and review the users and roles listed there.

Inspec Report

After running the hardening and validation packer files, a report will be generated in reports/mongo_inspec_results.json.

1. Upload the Results:

   Upload the mongo_inspec_results.json file to Heimdall. There should be 19 Not Reviewed controls. These controls need to be attested to.

2. Edit the Attestation Template:

   Execute the following command to create the attestation.json file under reports by copying attestation_template.json and renaming it to attestation.json.

   cp spec/mongo-inspec-profile/inputs_template.yml spec/mongo-inspec-profile/inputs.yml

   Alternatively, you can also have the SAF CLI guide you through the creation of the attestation file. For instructions on how to use the CLI to create an attestation, please refer to the SAF CLI documentation.

3. Review and Provide Explanations:

   Manually review each control and provide an explanation on whether it passed or failed.

4. Update variables.pkrvar.hcl:

   Update variables.pkrvar.hcl with your new attestation file values.

5. Re-run the Packer Validation to Apply Your Attestations

   Execute the following command to test the hardened Mongo image, it should now produce a docker image tagged with passed:

   packer build -var-file="variables.pkrvar.hcl" mongo-validate.pkr.hcl

6. Re-upload to Heimdall:

   Upload the new mongo_inspec_results.json file back into Heimdall see your compliance level.

Notes

Certificates

For the full README, refer to the certificates folder.

• If you encounter connection errors, ensure you have the latest OpenSSL version (last tested with OpenSSL 3.3.0).

InSpec Profile

Full repository here.

• Running InSpec Checks

  • Remove the --controls flag to run all inspec checks at once.

  inspec exec spec/mongo-inspec-profile/ -t docker://mongo-hardened --controls=SV-252134 --input-file=spec/mongo-inspec-profile/inputs.yml --reporter cli json:reports/mongo_inspec_results.json --no-create-lockfile --enhanced-outcomes

• Deeper Testing with InSpec Shell

  inspec shell -t docker://mongo-hardened --depends=spec/mongo-inspec-profile/ --input-file=spec/mongo-inspec-profile/inputs.yml

• You can add additional types of scanning beyond InSpec (or get InSpec to run more than one testing profile) by modifying the scripts/scan.sh file. See the MITRE SAF(c) Validation Library for more InSpec profiles, or use your favorite image scanning tool.

Ansible Role

Full repository here.

Authors

• Sean Chacon Cai - seanlongcc

Special Thanks

• Will Dower - wdower