MongoDB must prevent nonprivileged users from executing privileged functions, to include disabling, circumventing, or altering implemented security safeguards/countermeasures.

Severity	Group ID	Group Title	Version	Rule ID	Date	STIG Version
medium	V-265936	SRG-APP-000340-DB-000304	MD7X-00-006800	SV-265936r1028813_rule	2024-09-27	1

Description
Preventing nonprivileged users from executing privileged functions mitigates the risk that unauthorized individuals or processes may gain unnecessary access to information or privileges. System documentation should include a definition of the functionality considered privileged. Depending on circumstances, privileged functions can include, for example, establishing accounts, performing system integrity checks, or administering cryptographic key management activities. Nonprivileged users are individuals that do not possess appropriate authorizations. Circumventing intrusion detection and prevention mechanisms or malicious code protection mechanisms are examples of privileged functions that require protection from nonprivileged users. A privileged function in the DBMS/database context is any operation that modifies the structure of the database, its built-in logic, or its security settings. This would include all Data Definition Language (DDL) statements and all security-related statements. In a MongoDB environment, it encompasses, but is not necessarily limited to: createCollection() dropCollection() grantRolesToUsers() revokeRolesFromUsers() There may also be Data Manipulation Language (DML) statements that, subject to context, should be regarded as privileged. Possible examples include: deleteOne(), deleteMany() updateOne(), updateMany() any find(), insertXXX(), updateXXX(), deleteXXX() to an application-defined security table executed by other than a security principal. Depending on the capabilities of the DBMS and the design of the database and associated applications, the prevention of unauthorized use of privileged functions may be achieved by means of DBMS security features, database triggers, other mechanisms, or a combination of these.

Description

Preventing nonprivileged users from executing privileged functions mitigates the risk that unauthorized individuals or processes may gain unnecessary access to information or privileges. System documentation should include a definition of the functionality considered privileged. Depending on circumstances, privileged functions can include, for example, establishing accounts, performing system integrity checks, or administering cryptographic key management activities. Nonprivileged users are individuals that do not possess appropriate authorizations. Circumventing intrusion detection and prevention mechanisms or malicious code protection mechanisms are examples of privileged functions that require protection from nonprivileged users. A privileged function in the DBMS/database context is any operation that modifies the structure of the database, its built-in logic, or its security settings. This would include all Data Definition Language (DDL) statements and all security-related statements. In a MongoDB environment, it encompasses, but is not necessarily limited to: createCollection() dropCollection() grantRolesToUsers() revokeRolesFromUsers() There may also be Data Manipulation Language (DML) statements that, subject to context, should be regarded as privileged. Possible examples include: deleteOne(), deleteMany() updateOne(), updateMany() any find(), insertXXX(), updateXXX(), deleteXXX() to an application-defined security table executed by other than a security principal. Depending on the capabilities of the DBMS and the design of the database and associated applications, the prevention of unauthorized use of privileged functions may be achieved by means of DBMS security features, database triggers, other mechanisms, or a combination of these.

ℹ️ Check
A organizational or site-specific document should exist and be reviewed to determine what built-in MongoDB roles and associated privileges may be considered authorized and what users are administrative users. For each database, run the following commands in MongoDB as an administrative user to determine what users and roles they are assigned: > use <database> > db.getUsers() For any nonadministrative user in a database, check if any roles are not compliant with the site-specific documentation for users. If any nonadministrative user in a database has a noncompliant role, this is a finding.

ℹ️ Check

A organizational or site-specific document should exist and be reviewed to determine what built-in MongoDB roles and associated privileges may be considered authorized and what users are administrative users. For each database, run the following commands in MongoDB as an administrative user to determine what users and roles they are assigned: > use <database> > db.getUsers() For any nonadministrative user in a database, check if any roles are not compliant with the site-specific documentation for users. If any nonadministrative user in a database has a noncompliant role, this is a finding.

✔️ Fix
Ensure users are assigned only to authorized roles. To revoke a role from a user in a database, run the following commands: > use <database> > db.revokeRolesFromUser( "<username>", [ <roles> ], { <writeConcern> } ) https://www.mongodb.com/docs/v7.0/reference/method/db.revokeRolesFromUser/