User Account Certificates Should Be Rotated
More Info:
The certificates should be rotated periodically.Risk Level
HighAddress
SecurityCompliance Standards
NISTTriage and Remediation
How to Prevent
Using Console
Using Console
To prevent the misconfiguration of user account certificates not being rotated in AWS IAM using the AWS Management Console, follow these steps:
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Enable IAM Access Analyzer:
- Navigate to the IAM dashboard in the AWS Management Console.
- In the left-hand navigation pane, select “Access Analyzer.”
- Click on “Create analyzer” and follow the prompts to enable IAM Access Analyzer. This tool helps you identify and mitigate security risks, including certificate rotation.
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Set Up Certificate Expiration Alerts:
- Go to the AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) in the AWS Management Console.
- Select the certificate you want to monitor.
- Configure CloudWatch Alarms to notify you before the certificate expires. This can be done by setting up a CloudWatch Event Rule that triggers an SNS notification.
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Implement IAM Policies for Certificate Rotation:
- Navigate to the IAM dashboard.
- In the left-hand navigation pane, select “Policies.”
- Create a new policy that enforces certificate rotation by specifying conditions related to certificate age.
- Attach this policy to the relevant IAM users or roles.
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Regularly Review and Rotate Certificates:
- Periodically review the list of active certificates in the AWS Certificate Manager (ACM).
- Manually rotate certificates that are nearing expiration or have been in use for an extended period.
- Document and follow a regular schedule for certificate rotation to ensure compliance.
Using CLI
Using CLI
To prevent the misconfiguration of user account certificates not being rotated in AWS IAM using the AWS CLI, you can follow these steps:
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Create a Policy to Enforce Certificate Rotation:
Create an IAM policy that enforces the rotation of user account certificates. This policy can be attached to IAM users or roles to ensure compliance.
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Attach the Policy to IAM Users or Groups:
Attach the created policy to the IAM users or groups that need to comply with the certificate rotation policy.
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Set Up a CloudWatch Rule to Monitor Certificate Age:
Create a CloudWatch rule to monitor the age of IAM user certificates and trigger an alert or Lambda function if a certificate is older than a specified threshold.
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Create a Lambda Function to Check and Notify:
Create a Lambda function that checks the age of IAM user certificates and sends notifications if they are older than the allowed threshold. Ensure the Lambda function has the necessary permissions to access IAM and send notifications.
Using Python
Using Python
To prevent the misconfiguration of not rotating user account certificates in IAM using Python scripts, you can follow these steps:
1. Set Up AWS SDK (Boto3)
First, ensure you have the AWS SDK for Python (Boto3) installed. You can install it using pip if you haven’t already:2. Create a Python Script to List IAM Users and Their Certificates
You need to create a script that lists all IAM users and their associated certificates. This will help you identify which certificates need to be rotated.3. Automate Certificate Rotation
Create a script to automate the rotation of certificates. This script will deactivate old certificates and create new ones.4. Schedule the Script to Run Periodically
Use a task scheduler like cron (Linux/macOS) or Task Scheduler (Windows) to run the script periodically, ensuring certificates are rotated regularly.Example for cron (Linux/macOS):
- Open the crontab editor:
- Add a cron job to run the script every 90 days: