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Security Checklist

This document provides a list of security measures that you should implement to protect your MongoDB installation. The list is not meant to be exhaustive.

  • Enable access control and specify the authentication mechanism. You can use MongoDB's SCRAM or x.509 authentication mechanism or integrate with your existing Kerberos/LDAP infrastructure. Authentication requires that all clients and servers provide valid credentials before they can connect to the system.


    See also:

    • Authentication

    • Enable Access Control

  • Create a user administrator first, then create additional users. Create a unique MongoDB user for each person/application that accesses the system.

  • Follow the principle of least privilege. Create roles that define the exact access rights required by a set of users. Then create users and assign them only the roles they need to perform their operations. A user can be a person or a client application.

    Note

    A user can have privileges across different databases. If a user requires privileges on multiple databases, create a single user with roles that grant applicable database privileges instead of creating the user multiple times in different databases.


    See also:

  • Configure MongoDB to use TLS/SSL for all incoming and outgoing connections. Use TLS/SSL to encrypt communication between mongod and mongos components of a MongoDB deployment as well as between all applications and MongoDB.

    Starting in version 4.0, MongoDB uses the native TLS/SSL OS libraries:

    Platform
    TLS/SSL Library
    Windows
    Secure Channel (Schannel)
    Linux/BSD
    OpenSSL
    macOS
    Secure Transport

    Note

    MongoDB disables support for TLS 1.0 encryption on systems where TLS 1.1+ is available. For more details, see Disable TLS 1.0.


    See also: Configure mongod and mongos for TLS/SSL.

  • Starting with MongoDB Enterprise 3.2, you can encrypt data in the storage layer with the WiredTiger storage engine's native Encryption at Rest.

  • If you are not using WiredTiger's encryption at rest, MongoDB data should be encrypted on each host using file-system, device, or physical encryption (e.g. dm-crypt). Protect MongoDB data using file-system permissions. MongoDB data includes data files, configuration files, auditing logs, and key files.

  • Collect logs to a central log store. These logs contain DB authentication attempts including source IP address.

  • Track access and changes to database configurations and data. MongoDB Enterprise includes a system auditing facility that can record system events (e.g. user operations, connection events) on a MongoDB instance. These audit records permit forensic analysis and allow administrators to verify proper controls. You can set up filters to record specific events, such as authentication events.


    See also:

  • Run MongoDB processes with a dedicated operating system user account. Ensure that the account has permissions to access data but no unnecessary permissions.


    See also: Install MongoDB

  • MongoDB supports the execution of JavaScript code for certain server-side operations: mapReduce, $where, $accumulator, and $function. If you do not use these operations, disable server-side scripting by using the --noscripting option on the command line.

  • Keep input validation enabled. MongoDB enables input validation by default through the net.wireObjectCheck setting. This ensures that all documents stored by the mongod instance are valid BSON.

  • The Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG) contains security guidelines for deployments within the United States Department of Defense. MongoDB Inc. provides its STIG, upon request, for situations where it is required. Please request a copy for more information.

  • For applications requiring HIPAA or PCI-DSS compliance, please refer to the MongoDB Security Reference Architecture to learn more about how you can use the key security capabilities to build compliant application infrastructure.

If you use an antivirus (AV) scanner or an endpoint detection and response (EDR) scanner, configure your scanner to exclude the database storage path and the database log path from the scan.

The data files in the database storage path are compressed. Additionally, if you use the encrypted storage engine, the data files are also encrypted. The I/O and CPU costs to scan these files may significantly decrease performance without providing any security benefits.

If you don't exclude the directories in your database storage path and database log path, the scanner could quarantine or delete important files. Missing or quarantined files can corrupt your database and crash your MongoDB instance.

  • Periodically check for MongoDB Product CVE and upgrade your products .

  • Consult the MongoDB end of life dates and upgrade your MongoDB installation. In general, try to stay on the latest version.

  • Ensure that your information security management system policies and procedures extend to your MongoDB installation, including performing the following:

    • Periodically apply patches to your machine and review guidelines.

    • Review policy/procedure changes, especially changes to your network rules to prevent inadvertent MongoDB exposure to the Internet.

    • Review MongoDB database users and periodically rotate them.

If you suspect that you have identified a security bug in any MongoDB products, please report the issue through the MongoDB Bug Submission Form.

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Security