Cis Ocp V190 1.2.28

---
name: cis-ocp-v190-1.2.28
description: "Ensure that the --etcd-cafile argument is set as appropriate (Manual)"
category: cis-openshift
version: "1.9.0"
author: cyberstrike-official
tags: [cis, openshift, kubernetes, redhat, control-plane, api-server, etcd, tls, ca-file, certificates]
cis_id: "1.2.28"
cis_benchmark: "CIS Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform Benchmark v1.9.0"
tech_stack: [kubernetes, openshift, redhat]
cwe_ids: []
chains_with: []
prerequisites: []
severity_boost: {}
---

# CIS Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform Benchmark v1.9.0 - Control 1.2.28

## Profile Applicability

- **Level:** 1

## Description

`etcd` should be configured to make use of TLS encryption for client connections.

## Rationale

`etcd` is a highly-available key value store used by Kubernetes deployments for persistent storage of all of its REST API objects. These objects are sensitive in nature and should be protected by client authentication. This requires the API server to identify itself to the `etcd` server using a SSL Certificate Authority file.

## Impact

TLS and client certificate authentication must be configured for `etcd`.

## Audit Procedure

OpenShift uses X.509 certificates to provide secure communication to `etcd`. OpenShift does not use values assigned to the `etcd-cafile` argument. OpenShift generates the `etcd-cafile` and sets the arguments appropriately in the API server. OpenShift includes multiple certificate authorities (CAs) providing independent chains of trust, increasing the security posture of the cluster. The certificates generated by each CA are used to identify a particular OpenShift platform component to another OpenShift platform component. Communication with `etcd` is secured by the `etcd` serving CA.

Run the following command:

```bash
oc get configmap config -n openshift-kube-apiserver -ojson | \
  jq -r '.data["config.yaml"]' | \
  jq -r '.apiServerArguments["etcd-cafile"]'
```

Verify that the following is returned:

`/etc/kubernetes/static-pod-resources/configmaps/etcd-serving-ca/ca-bundle.crt`

## Remediation

None.

## Default Value

By default, OpenShift uses X.509 certificates to provide secure communication to `etcd`. OpenShift does not use values assigned to `etcd-cafile`. OpenShift generates the `etcd-cafile` and sets the arguments appropriately in the API server. Communication with `etcd` is secured by the `etcd` serving CA.

## References

1. https://docs.openshift.com/container-platform/latest/security/certificate_types_descriptions/etcd-certificates.html
2. https://docs.openshift.com/container-platform/latest/operators/index.html
3. https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/command-line-tools-reference/kube-apiserver/
4. https://etcd.io/

## CIS Controls

| Controls Version | Control                                           | IG 1 | IG 2 | IG 3 |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| v8               | 3.10 Encrypt Sensitive Data in Transit            |      | \*   | \*   |
| v7               | 14.4 Encrypt All Sensitive Information in Transit |      | \*   | \*   |

## MITRE ATT&CK Mappings

| Techniques / Sub-techniques | Tactics | Mitigations |
| --------------------------- | ------- | ----------- |
| T1552                       | TA0006  | M1022       |

## Profile

**Level 1** (Manual)