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Event Information

  • The cloudsql.instances.promoteReplica event in GCP for CloudSQL indicates that a replica instance has been promoted to become the new primary instance.
  • This event is triggered when the failover process occurs in a CloudSQL high availability configuration, where the primary instance becomes unavailable and a replica instance is automatically promoted to take its place.
  • The promoteReplica event is important as it signifies the successful transition of the replica instance to the primary role, ensuring continuous availability and minimal downtime for the CloudSQL database.

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Examples

  • Unauthorized access: If security is impacted with cloudsql.instances.promoteReplica in GCP for CloudSQL, one example could be if the promotion process allows unauthorized access to the replica instance. This could potentially expose sensitive data or allow malicious actors to manipulate the database.

  • Data integrity: Another example could be if the promotion process does not ensure data integrity during the replication process. If data is not properly synchronized or replicated, it could lead to data inconsistencies or corruption, impacting the security and reliability of the database.

  • Network security: The promotion process may also impact network security if it does not enforce secure communication channels between the replica and the promoted instance. Without proper encryption and authentication mechanisms, sensitive data transmitted during the promotion process could be intercepted or tampered with, compromising the security of the database.

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Remediation

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Using Console

  1. Enable automatic backups:
  • Go to the GCP Console and navigate to the Cloud SQL instances page.
  • Select the instance for which you want to enable automatic backups.
  • Click on the “Edit” button.
  • Scroll down to the “Backup” section and check the box next to “Automated backups”.
  • Set the desired backup retention period.
  • Click on the “Save” button to apply the changes.
  1. Enable SSL/TLS encryption for connections:
  • Go to the GCP Console and navigate to the Cloud SQL instances page.
  • Select the instance for which you want to enable SSL/TLS encryption.
  • Click on the “Edit” button.
  • Scroll down to the “Connections” section and check the box next to “Require SSL”.
  • Choose the appropriate SSL/TLS certificate option.
  • Click on the “Save” button to apply the changes.
  1. Enable VPC Service Controls:
  • Go to the GCP Console and navigate to the VPC Service Controls page.
  • Click on the “Create Perimeter” button.
  • Enter a name for the perimeter and select the desired project.
  • Choose the appropriate configuration for the perimeter.
  • Add the Cloud SQL instance to the perimeter by clicking on the “Add Service” button and selecting “Cloud SQL”.
  • Configure the desired access levels and restrictions.
  • Click on the “Create” button to create the perimeter and apply the changes.

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Using CLI

To remediate the issues mentioned in the previous response for GCP CloudSQL using GCP CLI, you can follow these steps:

  1. Enable automatic backups:

    • Use the following command to enable automatic backups for a CloudSQL instance: 
      gcloud sql instances patch INSTANCE_NAME --backup-start-time START_TIME
      Replace INSTANCE_NAME with the name of your CloudSQL instance and START_TIME with the desired backup start time.

  2. Configure SSL/TLS encryption:

    • Use the following command to configure SSL/TLS encryption for a CloudSQL instance: 
      gcloud sql instances patch INSTANCE_NAME --require-ssl
      Replace INSTANCE_NAME with the name of your CloudSQL instance.

  3. Enable VPC Service Controls:

    • Use the following command to enable VPC Service Controls for a CloudSQL instance: 
      gcloud beta sql instances update INSTANCE_NAME --enable-vpc-service-controls --network NETWORK_NAME --subnet SUBNET_NAME
      Replace INSTANCE_NAME with the name of your CloudSQL instance, NETWORK_NAME with the name of your VPC network, and SUBNET_NAME with the name of your subnet.

Please note that these commands assume you have the necessary permissions to make changes to the CloudSQL instances. Make sure to replace the placeholders with the appropriate values specific to your environment.

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Using Python

To remediate the issues mentioned in the previous response for GCP CloudSQL using Python, you can follow these steps:

  1. Enable automatic backups:
    • Use the googleapiclient library to interact with the Cloud SQL API.
    • Use the instances().get() method to retrieve the current configuration of the Cloud SQL instance.
    • Set the backupConfiguration.enabled field to True to enable automatic backups.
    • Use the instances().update() method to update the Cloud SQL instance with the new configuration.
from googleapiclient import discovery
from oauth2client.client import GoogleCredentials

credentials = GoogleCredentials.get_application_default()
service = discovery.build('sqladmin', 'v1beta4', credentials=credentials)

project_id = 'your-project-id'
instance_name = 'your-instance-name'

instance = service.instances().get(project=project_id, instance=instance_name).execute()
instance['settings']['backupConfiguration']['enabled'] = True

service.instances().update(project=project_id, instance=instance_name, body=instance).execute()
  1. Enable SSL/TLS encryption:
    • Use the googleapiclient library to interact with the Cloud SQL API.
    • Use the instances().get() method to retrieve the current configuration of the Cloud SQL instance.
    • Set the settings.ipConfiguration.requireSsl field to True to enforce SSL/TLS encryption.
    • Use the instances().update() method to update the Cloud SQL instance with the new configuration.
from googleapiclient import discovery
from oauth2client.client import GoogleCredentials

credentials = GoogleCredentials.get_application_default()
service = discovery.build('sqladmin', 'v1beta4', credentials=credentials)

project_id = 'your-project-id'
instance_name = 'your-instance-name'

instance = service.instances().get(project=project_id, instance=instance_name).execute()
instance['settings']['ipConfiguration']['requireSsl'] = True

service.instances().update(project=project_id, instance=instance_name, body=instance).execute()
  1. Enable VPC Service Controls:
    • Use the googleapiclient library to interact with the Access Context Manager API.
    • Use the accessPolicies().get() method to retrieve the current configuration of the access policy.
    • Set the servicePerimeters[].resources[].services[].vpcAccessibleServices[].enableRestriction field to True for Cloud SQL.
    • Use the accessPolicies().update() method to update the access policy with the new configuration.
from googleapiclient import discovery
from oauth2client.client import GoogleCredentials

credentials = GoogleCredentials.get_application_default()
service = discovery.build('accesscontextmanager', 'v1', credentials=credentials)

access_policy_name = 'your-access-policy-name'
service_perimeter_name = 'your-service-perimeter-name'

access_policy = service.accessPolicies().get(name=access_policy_name).execute()
for service_perimeter in access_policy['servicePerimeters']:
    if service_perimeter['name'] == service_perimeter_name:
        for resource in service_perimeter['resources']:
            if resource['service'] == 'sqladmin.googleapis.com':
                resource['vpcAccessibleServices'][0]['enableRestriction'] = True

service.accessPolicies().update(name=access_policy_name, body=access_policy).execute()

Please note that you need to replace 'your-project-id', 'your-instance-name', 'your-access-policy-name', and 'your-service-perimeter-name' with the actual values specific to your environment.