Kingdom: Security Features

Software security is not security software. Here we're concerned with topics like authentication, access control, confidentiality, cryptography, and privilege management.

Kubernetes Misconfiguration: Missing ServiceAccount Admission Controller

YAML

Abstract

The command to start a Kubernetes API server disables the ServiceAccount admission controller.

Explanation

Kubernetes distinguishes between the concept of a user account and a service account, which is for a process to run in a Pod. The ServiceAccount admission controller automates the service account management. Some benefits of the ServiceAccount admission controller are to mitigate access token exfiltration with automated credential rotation and eliminate the need to persist secrets in storage. The ServiceAccount admission controller is enabled by default but has been deliberately disabled.

Example 1: The following Pod definition starts a Kubernetes API server and disables the ServiceAccount admission controller.


apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
...
spec:
  containers:
  - command:
    - kube-apiserver
    ...
    - --disable-admission-plugins=ServiceAccount,PodNodeSelector
    ...

References

[1] Kubernetes API Server The Kubernetes Authors

[2] Using Admission Controllers The Kubernetes Authors

[3] Standards Mapping - CIS Kubernetes Benchmark Recommendation 1.2.13

[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 321

[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [13] CWE ID 287, [19] CWE ID 798

[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [14] CWE ID 287, [20] CWE ID 798

[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [14] CWE ID 287, [15] CWE ID 798

[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [14] CWE ID 287, [22] CWE ID 798

[9] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-002450

[10] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 IA

[11] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Insufficient Data Protection

[12] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SC-12 Cryptographic Key Establishment and Management (P1), SC-13 Cryptographic Protection (P1)

[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SC-12 Cryptographic Key Establishment and Management, SC-13 Cryptographic Protection

[14] Standards Mapping - OWASP API 2023 API8 Security Misconfiguration

[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 2.6.3 Look-up Secret Verifier Requirements (L2 L3), 2.7.1 Out of Band Verifier Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 2.7.2 Out of Band Verifier Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 2.7.3 Out of Band Verifier Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 2.8.4 Single or Multi Factor One Time Verifier Requirements (L2 L3), 2.8.5 Single or Multi Factor One Time Verifier Requirements (L2 L3), 3.7.1 Defenses Against Session Management Exploits (L1 L2 L3), 6.2.1 Algorithms (L1 L2 L3), 9.2.1 Server Communications Security Requirements (L2 L3), 9.2.3 Server Communications Security Requirements (L2 L3)

[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M6 Broken Cryptography

[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A10 Insecure Configuration Management

[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A6 Security Misconfiguration

[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A5 Security Misconfiguration

[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A6 Security Misconfiguration

[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A05 Security Misconfiguration

[22] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.8, Requirement 8.4

[23] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.3, Requirement 6.5.8, Requirement 8.4

[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.3.1, Requirement 6.5.3, Requirement 8.4

[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.3.1, Requirement 6.5.3, Requirement 8.2.1

[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.3.1, Requirement 6.5.3, Requirement 8.2.1

[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.3.1, Requirement 6.5.3, Requirement 8.2.1

[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.3.1, Requirement 6.5.3, Requirement 8.2.1

[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4, Requirement 6.5.3, Requirement 6.5.6, Requirement 8.3.2

[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4, Requirement 6.5.3, Requirement 6.5.6, Requirement 8.3.2

[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 7.2 - Use of Cryptography

[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 7.1 - Use of Cryptography

[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 7.2 - Use of Cryptography

[34] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Porous Defenses - CWE ID 259

[35] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Porous Defenses - CWE ID 798

[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Porous Defenses - CWE ID 798

[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3210.1 CAT II, APP3350 CAT I

[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3210.1 CAT II, APP3350 CAT I

[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3210.1 CAT II, APP3350 CAT I

[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3210.1 CAT II, APP3350 CAT I

[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3210.1 CAT II, APP3350 CAT I

[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3210.1 CAT II, APP3350 CAT I

[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3210.1 CAT II, APP3350 CAT I

[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002010 CAT II

[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002010 CAT II

[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002010 CAT II

[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002010 CAT II

[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002010 CAT II

[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002010 CAT II

[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002010 CAT II

[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002010 CAT II

[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002010 CAT II

[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002010 CAT II

[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002010 CAT II

[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002010 CAT II

[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002010 CAT II

[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002010 CAT II

[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002010 CAT II

[59] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Application Misconfiguration (WASC-15)

desc.structural.yaml.kubernetes_misconfiguration_missing_serviceaccount_admission_controller.base