Database security

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  1. Database Security for Wiki Administrators

Database security is a critical aspect of maintaining a healthy and trustworthy MediaWiki installation. A compromised database can lead to data loss, website defacement, unauthorized access to user information, and a significant loss of trust. This article provides a comprehensive overview of database security best practices for MediaWiki administrators, ranging from fundamental concepts to more advanced techniques. It’s geared towards those with limited prior experience in database administration, focusing on practical steps to secure a MySQL/MariaDB database, which is the most common backend for MediaWiki.

Understanding the Threat Landscape

Before diving into specific security measures, it's important to understand the types of threats your database faces. These can be broadly categorized as:

  • **SQL Injection:** This is arguably the most common and dangerous threat. Attackers exploit vulnerabilities in application code to insert malicious SQL statements into database queries. Successful SQL injection can allow an attacker to read, modify, or delete data, or even execute arbitrary commands on the database server.
  • **Brute-Force Attacks:** Attackers attempt to guess database credentials (username and password) by systematically trying different combinations.
  • **Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attacks:** Overwhelming the database server with requests, making it unavailable to legitimate users.
  • **Privilege Escalation:** An attacker gains access to a low-privilege account and then exploits vulnerabilities to gain higher-level privileges, potentially gaining full control of the database.
  • **Data Breaches (Insider Threats):** Malicious or negligent actions by individuals with authorized access to the database.
  • **Malware:** Malware installed on the web server or database server itself can compromise database security.
  • **Unpatched Vulnerabilities:** Outdated database software and related components often contain security vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit.

Core Security Principles

Several core principles underpin effective database security:

  • **Least Privilege:** Grant users only the minimum privileges necessary to perform their tasks. Avoid granting unnecessary permissions. This is paramount.
  • **Defense in Depth:** Implement multiple layers of security controls. Don't rely on a single security measure.
  • **Regular Updates:** Keep the database software, operating system, and all related components up to date with the latest security patches.
  • **Strong Passwords:** Enforce strong password policies for all database users.
  • **Regular Backups:** Create regular backups of the database to ensure data recovery in case of a disaster or security breach.
  • **Monitoring and Auditing:** Monitor database activity for suspicious behavior and audit logs to track changes and identify potential security incidents.
  • **Input Validation & Sanitization:** All data entering the database, especially from user input, should be rigorously validated and sanitized to prevent SQL injection attacks.
  • **Encryption:** Encrypt sensitive data both in transit and at rest.

Securing Your MySQL/MariaDB Database

The following steps outline how to secure a MySQL/MariaDB database used by MediaWiki. These steps assume you have administrative access to the database server.

1. **Remove Anonymous Users:** By default, MySQL/MariaDB may create anonymous user accounts. These should be removed immediately. 

   ```sql
   USE mysql;
   DELETE FROM user WHERE User=;
   FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
   ```

2. **Remove the Root Account's Remote Access:** The `root` account should only be accessible from `localhost`. Disable remote access for the `root` account. 

   ```sql
   USE mysql;
   UPDATE user SET Host='localhost' WHERE User='root' AND Host!='localhost';
   FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
   ```

3. **Create a Dedicated Database User for MediaWiki:** Never use the `root` account for your MediaWiki installation. Create a dedicated user with limited privileges. 

   ```sql
   CREATE USER 'mediawiki'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_strong_password';
   GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON wikidb.* TO 'mediawiki'@'localhost';
   FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
   ```
   Replace `wikidb` with the actual name of your MediaWiki database and `your_strong_password` with a strong, unique password.  Consider restricting access to specific IP addresses if appropriate.

4. **Restrict Privileges:** Grant only the necessary privileges to the MediaWiki user. Avoid granting `ALL PRIVILEGES` unless absolutely required. Specifically, consider restricting privileges like `FILE` if your MediaWiki instance doesn't heavily rely on file uploads. 

   ```sql
   REVOKE FILE ON wikidb.* FROM 'mediawiki'@'localhost';
   FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
   ```

5. **Secure the `Local infile` Option:** The `local infile` option allows clients to load data from local files. This feature can be exploited by attackers. Disable it. 

   ```sql
   SET GLOBAL local_infile = OFF;
   ```
   Add this line to your MySQL/MariaDB configuration file (`my.cnf` or `my.ini`) to make the change persistent.

6. **Implement Strong Password Policies:** Enforce strong password policies for all database users. This includes requiring a minimum password length, complexity (uppercase, lowercase, numbers, symbols), and regular password changes. MySQL 8.0 and later provide built-in password validation policies. See the MySQL Documentation on Password Validation for details.

7. **Regularly Audit Database Logs:** Enable and regularly review database logs to detect suspicious activity. Pay attention to failed login attempts, unusual queries, and privilege escalation attempts.

8. **Enable Query Logging (with Caution):** Query logging can provide valuable insights into database activity, but it can also generate a large amount of data and impact performance. Enable query logging only when necessary and for a limited time. Consider using slow query logging to identify queries that are taking a long time to execute. See MySQL Slow Query Log for more information.

9. **Use Prepared Statements (Parameterized Queries):** Prepared statements are the most effective way to prevent SQL injection attacks. They separate the SQL code from the data, preventing attackers from injecting malicious SQL statements. MediaWiki's core code already utilizes prepared statements extensively – ensure your extensions and custom code do the same. Learn more about Prepared Statements in PHP.

10. **Keep MySQL/MariaDB Updated:** Regularly update your MySQL/MariaDB server to the latest version to patch security vulnerabilities. Subscribe to security mailing lists to receive notifications about new vulnerabilities. See the MySQL Security Advisories and MariaDB Security Advisories.

11. **Firewall Configuration:** Configure your firewall to restrict access to the database server only to authorized hosts (e.g., your web server). Block all other incoming connections.

12. **Encryption in Transit (SSL/TLS):** Enable SSL/TLS encryption for all connections to the database server. This protects data from being intercepted in transit. See the MySQL Documentation on Using SSL/TLS.

13. **Encryption at Rest:** Consider encrypting the database files at rest to protect data from unauthorized access if the server is physically compromised. This can be achieved using disk encryption tools or database-specific encryption features.

14. **Regular Backups:** Implement a robust backup strategy. Backups should be stored securely and tested regularly to ensure they can be restored successfully. Consider offsite backup storage for disaster recovery. See MediaWiki Backups for general backup considerations for your wiki.

Advanced Security Considerations

  • **Database Auditing Tools:** Consider using dedicated database auditing tools to provide more detailed and comprehensive audit trails.
  • **Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS):** Implement an IDS to detect and alert you to suspicious activity on the database server.
  • **Web Application Firewall (WAF):** A WAF can help protect against SQL injection attacks and other web-based attacks.
  • **Database Activity Monitoring (DAM):** DAM solutions provide real-time monitoring of database activity and can help identify and prevent security breaches.
  • **Regular Security Scans:** Perform regular vulnerability scans on your database server to identify potential weaknesses. Tools like [Nessus](https://www.tenable.com/products/nessus) or [OpenVAS](https://www.openvas.org/) can be helpful.
  • **Data Masking/Tokenization:** For sensitive data, consider using data masking or tokenization techniques to protect it from unauthorized access.
  • **Database Firewall:** A database firewall provides an additional layer of security by filtering database traffic and blocking malicious requests. [Imperva](https://www.imperva.com/) is one example.
  • **Row-Level Security (RLS):** Implement RLS to control access to specific rows of data based on user roles or other criteria.
  • **Continuous Monitoring:** Implement continuous monitoring of database performance and security metrics to identify and respond to potential issues in real-time. Utilize tools like [Datadog](https://www.datadoghq.com/) or [New Relic](https://newrelic.com/).
  • **Threat Intelligence Feeds:** Integrate threat intelligence feeds into your security monitoring system to stay informed about the latest threats and vulnerabilities. [AlienVault OTX](https://otx.alienvault.com/) is a good starting point.
  • **Security Information and Event Management (SIEM):** A SIEM system collects and analyzes security logs from various sources, including the database server, to identify and respond to security incidents. [Splunk](https://www.splunk.com/) is a popular SIEM solution.
  • **Zero Trust Architecture:** Consider implementing a Zero Trust architecture, which assumes that no user or device is trusted by default and requires strict verification before granting access to resources. See [NIST Zero Trust Architecture](https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework/zero-trust-architecture).
  • **Database Hardening Guides:** Consult database hardening guides from vendors like [CIS Benchmarks](https://www.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/) for specific configuration recommendations.
  • **Regular Penetration Testing:** Engage a security firm to conduct regular penetration testing of your database and web application to identify and exploit vulnerabilities.
  • **Stay Updated on Security Trends:** Follow security blogs, news outlets, and conferences to stay informed about the latest security trends and best practices. [KrebsOnSecurity](https://krebsonsecurity.com/) and [Dark Reading](https://www.darkreading.com/) are valuable resources.
  • **Implement a Web Application and API Protection (WAAP) solution:** Tools like [Cloudflare](https://www.cloudflare.com/waap/) provide comprehensive protection against various web-based attacks, including SQL injection.
  • **Utilize Database Vulnerability Assessment (DVA) tools:** Tools like [Qualys Database Assessment](https://www.qualys.com/products/vulnerability-management/database-assessment/) help identify vulnerabilities in your database configuration and data.
  • **Monitor for Database Anomalies:** Use anomaly detection techniques to identify unusual database activity that could indicate a security breach. [Dynatrace](https://www.dynatrace.com/) offers database anomaly detection capabilities.
  • **Implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC):** RBAC allows you to define roles with specific permissions and assign users to those roles, simplifying access management and improving security.
  • **Regularly Review and Update Security Policies:** Your security policies should be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect changes in the threat landscape and your organization's security requirements.


Conclusion

Database security is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix. By implementing the principles and steps outlined in this article, you can significantly reduce the risk of a database breach and protect your MediaWiki installation and its valuable data. Remember to stay vigilant, keep your software up to date, and continuously monitor your database for suspicious activity. A proactive approach to security is essential for maintaining a secure and trustworthy wiki.


MediaWiki Administration MediaWiki Security Extension Security PHP Security MySQL Documentation MariaDB Documentation Database Backups SQL Injection Prevention Prepared Statements Firewall Configuration

[OWASP SQL Injection] [OWASP Top Ten] [SANS Institute] [CIS Security] [Tenable] [OpenVAS] [Imperva] [Cloudflare] [Qualys] [Dynatrace] [AlienVault OTX] [Splunk] [NIST] [KrebsOnSecurity] [Dark Reading] [Nessus] [Datadog] [New Relic] [Imperva Database Security] [Qualys Database Assessment] [Dynatrace Database Anomaly Detection] [Cloudflare WAAP]

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