Source URL: https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/articles/zero-trust-lessons-from-a-real-world-5g-cloud-core-security-assessment
Source: CSA
Title: 5G Cloud Core Security Assessment
Feedly Summary:
AI Summary and Description: Yes
Summary: The text discusses vulnerabilities in a 5G core network that adopted a cloud-native architecture, emphasizing the significance of Zero Trust principles in securing telecom infrastructures. It highlights various security flaws discovered in the assessment, providing key lessons for security professionals implementing Zero Trust strategies.
Detailed Description:
The text is a comprehensive analysis of vulnerabilities discovered in a Free5GC-based 5G core network hosted on Kubernetes in a public cloud. It utilizes these findings to stress the urgent need for adopting Zero Trust practices in cloud-native environments, specifically targeting telecom networks. Below are the major points discussed:
– **Importance of Zero Trust in 5G Networks**:
– The telecom landscape is shifting towards cloud-native frameworks, which increases the necessity of Zero Trust principles to secure communication infrastructures against evolving threats.
– Implicit Trust poses significant risks if not properly mitigated.
– **Key Vulnerabilities Uncovered**:
– **Rogue Network Function Registration**:
– NRF was vulnerable to unauthorized NF registrations due to the lack of authentication over HTTP, enabling impersonation and potential service disruptions.
– **Default Credentials**:
– Handling of default credentials (admin/admin) and weak access controls in MongoDB exposed critical subscriber data, illustrating that trust should not be defaulted and access needs to be strictly governed.
– **Kubernetes Misconfigurations**:
– Overly permissive RBAC settings permitted lateral movements between pods, emphasizing that Zero Trust also encompasses rigorous authorization beyond just authentication.
– **Cloud Infrastructure Weaknesses**:
– Issues like unrestricted sudo access and weak passwords revealed that cloud environments also need robust defenses, not only in applications but from the ground up.
– **Actionable Lessons for Implementing Zero Trust**:
– **Authenticate Everything**: Implement mutual authentication for critical infrastructure APIs using strong identities rooted in PKI.
– **Eliminate Defaults**: Immediately change default credentials and enforce granular access permissions.
– **Lock Down Kubernetes**: Strengthen RBAC and regularly conduct security scans of Kubernetes clusters.
– **Secure the Host and Cloud**: Enforce limited sudo privileges, rotate secrets frequently, and ensure stronger configurations within cloud environments through enhanced security practices.
– **Utilize TLS and Service Mesh**: Move away from default certificates and introduce comprehensive PKI solutions alongside a service mesh for mutual TLS (mTLS) to manage service interactions securely.
– **Conclusion on Zero Trust**:
– The text concludes that as 5G networks expand and integrate numerous partners and distributed functions, the need for a Zero Trust approach becomes a fundamental security requirement.
– Relying on outdated practices like implicit Trust and default configurations could expose advanced telecom deployments to vulnerabilities, thus making Zero Trust an operational necessity to maintain data integrity and service availability.
Overall, the text offers a critical lens on contemporary vulnerabilities while providing concrete steps for security professionals to enhance infrastructure security using Zero Trust principles.