cis-cassandra40-v110-3-8

name	cis-cassandra40-v110-3.8
description	Review Superuser/Admin Roles
category	cis-cassandra
version	1.1.0
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["cis","cassandra","access-control","roles","superuser","admin"]
cis_id	3.8
cis_benchmark	CIS Apache Cassandra 4.0 Benchmark v1.1.0
tech_stack	["cassandra"]
cwe_ids	[]
chains_with	[]
prerequisites	[]
severity_boost	{}

3.8 Review Superuser/Admin Roles

Profile Applicability

• Level 1 - Cassandra
• Level 1 - Cassandra on Linux

Description

The IS_SUPERUSER privilege found in the system_auth.roles table governs who can control the entire Cassandra database and all of its data contained within.

Rationale

The IS_SUPERUSER privilege allows whoever has it to do anything to the data and full administrator rights to the database, including changing passwords, creating, dropping roles. Limiting the accounts that have the IS_SUPERUSER role reduces the chances that an attacker can exploit these capabilities.

Audit

Execute the following SQL statement to audit this setting:

select role, is_superuser from system_auth.roles;

Looking for is_superuser = True

Remediation

Perform the following steps to remediate this setting:

Looking at those users from the query that have is_superuser = True, decide if that user truly needs that role, if not, for each user, issue the following SQL statement (replace <role> with the role name from the query):

alter role <role> with superuser=false;

Default Value

By default, only cassandra role has superuser privileges.

References

None specified in benchmark.

CIS Controls

v8:

• 5.4 Restrict Administrator Privileges to Dedicated Administrator Accounts - Restrict administrator privileges to dedicated administrator accounts on enterprise assets. Conduct general computing activities, such as internet browsing, email, and productivity suite use, from the user's primary, non-privileged account.

v7:

• 4.3 Ensure the Use of Dedicated Administrative Accounts - Ensure that all users with administrative account access use a dedicated or secondary account for elevated activities. This account should only be used for administrative activities and not internet browsing, email, or similar activities.

Profile

• Level 1 | Manual