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: Shared Service Account Credentials

Abstract
The command to start the Kubernetes controller manager permits service account credentials shared among controllers.
Explanation
Service account credentials are shared among controllers because the command to start the Kubernetes controller manager does not contain the --use-service-account-credentials=true flag. This flag instructs the controller manager to start each controller using a separate service account. When used in combination with role-based access control (RBAC), this ensures that each controller runs with the minimum permissions needed to perform its tasks.

Example 1: The following configuration starts a Kubernetes controller manager without the --use-service-account-credentials flag.

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
...
spec:
  containers:
    - command:
        - /usr/local/bin/kube-controller-manager
    image: k8s.gcr.io/kube-controller-manager:v1.9.7
...
References
[1] Kubernetes controller manager The Kubernetes Authors
[2] Standards Mapping - CIS Azure Kubernetes Service Benchmark 2
[3] Standards Mapping - CIS Microsoft Azure Foundations Benchmark complete
[4] Standards Mapping - CIS Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service Benchmark 5
[5] Standards Mapping - CIS Amazon Web Services Foundations Benchmark 1
[6] Standards Mapping - CIS Google Cloud Computing Platform Benchmark complete
[7] Standards Mapping - CIS Google Kubernetes Engine Benchmark normal
[8] Standards Mapping - CIS Kubernetes Benchmark complete
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 276
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-000381, CCI-002233, CCI-002235
[11] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Access Violation
[12] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 AC-6 Least Privilege (P1)
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 AC-6 Least Privilege
[14] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A10 Insecure Configuration Management
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A6 Security Misconfiguration
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A5 Security Misconfiguration
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A6 Security Misconfiguration
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A01 Broken Access Control
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP API 2023 API8 Security Misconfiguration
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 4.1.4 General Access Control Design (L1 L2 L3), 4.1.3 General Access Control Design (L1 L2 L3), 4.1.5 General Access Control Design (L1 L2 L3), 4.2.1 Operation Level Access Control (L1 L2 L3), 4.3.3 Other Access Control Considerations (L2 L3), 13.4.2 GraphQL and other Web Service Data Layer Security Requirements (L2 L3)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M5 Poor Authorization and Authentication
[22] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.5.7, Requirement 7.2
[23] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.8
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.10
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.10
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.10
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.10
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control, Control Objective C.2.3 - Web Software Access Controls
[32] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3500 CAT II
[33] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3500 CAT II
[34] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3500 CAT II
[35] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3500 CAT II
[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3500 CAT II
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3500 CAT II
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3500 CAT II
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-000500 CAT II, APSC-DV-000510 CAT I, APSC-DV-001500 CAT II
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-000500 CAT II, APSC-DV-000510 CAT I, APSC-DV-001500 CAT II
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-000500 CAT II, APSC-DV-000510 CAT I, APSC-DV-001500 CAT II
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-000500 CAT II, APSC-DV-000510 CAT I, APSC-DV-001500 CAT II
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-000500 CAT II, APSC-DV-000510 CAT I, APSC-DV-001500 CAT II
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-000500 CAT II, APSC-DV-000510 CAT I, APSC-DV-001500 CAT II
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-000500 CAT II, APSC-DV-000510 CAT I, APSC-DV-001500 CAT II
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-000500 CAT II, APSC-DV-000510 CAT I, APSC-DV-001500 CAT II
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-000500 CAT II, APSC-DV-000510 CAT I, APSC-DV-001500 CAT II
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-000500 CAT II, APSC-DV-000510 CAT I, APSC-DV-001500 CAT II
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-000500 CAT II, APSC-DV-000510 CAT I, APSC-DV-001500 CAT II
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-000500 CAT II, APSC-DV-000510 CAT I, APSC-DV-001500 CAT II
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-000500 CAT II, APSC-DV-000510 CAT I, APSC-DV-001500 CAT II
[52] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Insufficient Authorization (WASC-02)
[53] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Insufficient Authorization
desc.structural.yaml.kubernetes_misconfiguration_shared_service_account_credentials.base