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Ensure that Separation of duties is enforced while assigning KMS related roles to users

It is recommended that the principle of 'Separation of Duties' is enforced while assigning KMS related roles to users.

Category

Controls

Medium

Applies to

Google Cloud

Coverage

1 queries

Asset types

1 covered

Overview

It is recommended that the principle of 'Separation of Duties' is enforced while assigning KMS related roles to users.

Rationale

Built-in/Predefined IAM role Cloud KMS Admin allows user/identity to create, delete, and manage service account(s). Built-in/Predefined IAM role Cloud KMS CryptoKey Encrypter/Decrypter allows user/identity (with adequate privileges on concerned resources) to encrypt and decrypt data at rest using encryption key(s). Built-in/Predefined IAM role Cloud KMS CryptoKey Encrypter allows user/identity (with adequate privileges on concerned resources) to encrypt data at rest using encryption key(s). Built- in/Predefined IAM role Cloud KMS CryptoKey Decrypter allows user/identity (with adequate privileges on concerned resources) to decrypt data at rest using encryption key(s).

Separation of duties is the concept of ensuring that one individual does not have all necessary permissions to be able to complete a malicious action. In Cloud KMS, this could be an action such as using a key to access and decrypt data that that user should not normally have access to. Separation of duties is a business control typically used in larger organizations, meant to help avoid security or privacy incidents and errors. It is considered best practice.

Any user(s) should not have Cloud KMS Admin and any of the Cloud KMS CryptoKey Encrypter/Decrypter, Cloud KMS CryptoKey Encrypter, Cloud KMS CryptoKey Decrypter roles assigned at a time.

Remediation guidance

From Console

  1. Go to IAM & Admin/IAM using https://console.cloud.google.com/iam-admin/iam
  2. For member having Cloud KMS Admin and any of the Cloud KMS CryptoKeyEncrypter/Decrypter, Cloud KMS CryptoKey Encrypter, Cloud KMS CryptoKey Decrypter roles granted/assigned, click on the Delete Bin icon to remove role from member.

Note: Removal of a roles should be done as per the business requirement.

Impact

Removed roles should be assigned to some other user, as per business needs.

References

  1. https://cloud.google.com/kms/docs/separation-of-duties

Notes

Users granted with Owner (roles/owner) and Editor (roles/editor) have privileges equivalent to Cloud KMS Admin and Cloud KMS CryptoKey Encrypter/Decrypter. To avoid the misuse, Owner and Editor roles should be granted to very limited users and Use of these primitive privileges should be minimal. These requirements are addressed in separate recommendations.

Service-wide remediation

Recommended when many resources are affected: fix the platform baseline first so new resources inherit the secure setting, then remediate the existing flagged resources in batches.

Google Cloud

Use organization or folder policies where available, shared project templates, logs and alerting baselines, and IaC modules so new resources inherit the secure setting.

Operational rollout

  1. Fix the baseline first at the account, subscription, project, cluster, or tenant scope that owns this control.
  2. Remediate the currently affected resources in batches, starting with internet-exposed and production assets.
  3. Re-scan and track approved exceptions with an owner and expiry date.

Query logic

These are the stored checks tied to this control.

Separation of duties is enforced while assigning KMS related roles to users

Connectors

Google Cloud

Covered asset types

IAMUser

Expected check: eq []

{
  iamUsers(
    where: {
      AND: [
        {
          hasIAMRole_SOME: {
            OR: [
              { name: "roles/cloudkms.admin" }
              { name: "roles/owner" }
              { name: "roles/editor" }
            ]
          }
        }
        {
          hasIAMRole_SOME: {
            OR: [
              { name: "roles/cloudkms.cryptoKeyEncrypterDecrypter" }
              { name: "roles/cloudkms.cryptoKeyEncrypter" }
              { name: "roles/cloudkms.cryptoKeyDecrypter" }
            ]
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  ) {
    ...AssetFragment
  }
}
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