Microsoft.compute.sshpublickeys.write

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Event Information

• The Microsoft.Compute.sshPublicKeys.write event in Azure for AzureVirtualMachines refers to an event where a user or process has written or updated the SSH public keys for a virtual machine in Azure.
• This event indicates that there has been a change in the SSH public keys associated with a specific virtual machine, which can be used for authentication purposes.
• It is important to monitor this event as it can help track any changes made to the SSH public keys, ensuring the security and access control of the virtual machine.

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Examples

1. Unauthorized access: If security is impacted with Microsoft.Compute.sshPublicKeys.write in Azure for AzureVirtualMachines, it could potentially allow unauthorized individuals to add or modify SSH public keys associated with virtual machines. This could lead to unauthorized access to the virtual machines, compromising the confidentiality and integrity of the data stored on them.
2. Privilege escalation: If security is impacted with Microsoft.Compute.sshPublicKeys.write in Azure for AzureVirtualMachines, an attacker with access to this permission could potentially escalate their privileges by adding their own SSH public key to a virtual machine. This could allow them to gain administrative access to the virtual machine and potentially compromise the entire Azure environment.
3. Key tampering: If security is impacted with Microsoft.Compute.sshPublicKeys.write in Azure for AzureVirtualMachines, an attacker with this permission could potentially tamper with existing SSH public keys associated with virtual machines. This could result in the compromise of SSH connections and the ability to intercept or modify data in transit between the virtual machine and other systems, leading to potential data breaches or unauthorized modifications.

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Remediation

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Using Console

1. Enable Azure Security Center:
   • Go to the Azure portal and search for “Security Center” in the search bar.
   • Select “Security Center” from the results and click on it.
   • In the Security Center dashboard, click on “Pricing & settings” in the left-hand menu.
   • Choose the subscription and resource group where your Azure Virtual Machines are located.
   • Click on “Apply to all resources” to enable Security Center for all resources in the selected subscription and resource group.
   • Review the pricing tier options and select the appropriate tier for your needs.
   • Click on “Save” to enable Security Center.
2. Implement Network Security Groups (NSGs):
   • Go to the Azure portal and search for “Virtual Machines” in the search bar.
   • Select “Virtual Machines” from the results and click on it.
   • Choose the virtual machine that you want to secure with NSGs.
   • In the virtual machine’s overview page, click on “Networking” in the left-hand menu.
   • Under “Inbound port rules”, click on “Add inbound port rule” to define the allowed inbound traffic.
   • Specify the necessary details such as source IP address range, destination port range, and protocol.
   • Repeat the above step to add additional inbound port rules as needed.
   • Click on “Save” to apply the NSG rules to the virtual machine.
3. Implement Azure Backup:
   • Go to the Azure portal and search for “Recovery Services vaults” in the search bar.
   • Select “Recovery Services vaults” from the results and click on it.
   • Click on “Add” to create a new Recovery Services vault.
   • Specify the necessary details such as subscription, resource group, and vault name.
   • Choose the appropriate region for the vault.
   • Click on “Review + create” and then “Create” to create the vault.
   • Once the vault is created, go to the virtual machine that you want to backup.
   • In the virtual machine’s overview page, click on “Backup” in the left-hand menu.
   • Click on “Backup now” to initiate an immediate backup of the virtual machine.
   • Follow the prompts to configure the backup settings and retention policy.
   • Click on “Enable backup” to start the backup process.

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Using CLI

1. Enable Azure Security Center for Azure Virtual Machines:
   • Use the Azure CLI command az vm update --name <vm_name> --resource-group <resource_group_name> --set "properties.securityProfile.securityCenterEnabled=true" to enable Azure Security Center for a specific virtual machine.
2. Configure Network Security Groups (NSGs) for Azure Virtual Machines:
   • Use the Azure CLI command az network nsg rule create --name <rule_name> --nsg-name <nsg_name> --resource-group <resource_group_name> --priority <priority_number> --source-address-prefixes <source_address_prefix> --destination-port-ranges <destination_port_range> --access <access_type> --protocol <protocol> to create a new NSG rule for a specific NSG and virtual machine.
3. Implement Azure Backup for Azure Virtual Machines:
   • Use the Azure CLI command az backup protection enable-for-vm --vm <vm_name> --resource-group <resource_group_name> --policy-name <policy_name> to enable Azure Backup protection for a specific virtual machine. Replace <policy_name> with the name of the backup policy you want to apply.

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Using Python

1. Automate VM deployment and configuration:
   • Use the Azure SDK for Python to programmatically create and configure virtual machines.
   • Write a Python script that leverages the Azure Management Libraries to automate the deployment process.
   • Use the azure-mgmt-compute library to create virtual machines with the desired configurations, such as specifying the VM size, OS image, and network settings.
2. Implement monitoring and alerting:
   • Use the Azure Monitor service to set up alerts for specific events or conditions on your virtual machines.
   • Write a Python script that utilizes the Azure Monitor API to create and manage alerts.
   • Configure the alerts to trigger actions, such as sending notifications or executing remediation scripts, when certain thresholds or conditions are met.
3. Implement security best practices:
   • Use the Azure Security Center to monitor and assess the security posture of your virtual machines.
   • Write a Python script that interacts with the Azure Security Center API to retrieve security recommendations and implement them.
   • Implement security measures such as enabling disk encryption, configuring network security groups, and applying access control policies using the azure-mgmt-security library.