​
Event Information

  • The v1.compute.healthChecks.update event in GCP for Compute refers to the update or modification of a health check configuration for a compute resource.
  • This event indicates that changes have been made to the settings or parameters of a health check, which is used to monitor the health and availability of a compute resource.
  • It could involve updating the health check protocol, port, timeout, interval, or other related configurations to ensure accurate monitoring and detection of the compute resource’s health status.

​
Examples

  1. Unauthorized modification of health check configurations: If security is impacted with v1.compute.healthChecks.update in GCP for Compute, an example could be an unauthorized user gaining access to the API and modifying the health check configurations. This could result in the health checks being misconfigured or disabled, leading to potential security vulnerabilities in the application or infrastructure.

  2. Exposure of sensitive information: Another example could be an attacker exploiting a vulnerability in the v1.compute.healthChecks.update API to retrieve sensitive information related to health checks. This could include details such as IP addresses, ports, or other configuration parameters, which could be used to launch further attacks or gain unauthorized access to the system.

  3. Denial of Service (DoS) attacks: A third example could be an attacker leveraging the v1.compute.healthChecks.update API to manipulate health checks in a way that causes a Denial of Service (DoS) condition. By intentionally misconfiguring or disabling health checks, the attacker could disrupt the availability of the application or infrastructure, leading to service outages and potential financial losses.

​
Remediation

​
Using Console

To remediate the issues mentioned in the previous response for GCP Compute using the GCP console, you can follow these step-by-step instructions:

  1. Enable VPC Flow Logs:

    • Go to the GCP Console and navigate to the VPC network page.
    • Select the VPC network where you want to enable flow logs.
    • Click on “Edit” at the top of the page.
    • Scroll down to the “Flow logs” section and click on “Enable flow logs”.
    • Configure the desired flow log settings, such as the filter, destination, and sampling rate.
    • Click on “Save” to enable flow logs for the selected VPC network.

  2. Enable CloudTrail for GCP:

    • Go to the GCP Console and navigate to the CloudTrail page.
    • Click on “Create a new trail” to create a new CloudTrail configuration.
    • Provide a name for the trail and select the desired GCP project.
    • Choose the services for which you want to enable CloudTrail logging.
    • Configure the storage settings, such as the bucket name and object prefix.
    • Optionally, enable log file validation and data events.
    • Click on “Create” to enable CloudTrail for the selected GCP project.

  3. Enable Security Center for GCP:

    • Go to the GCP Console and navigate to the Security Command Center page.
    • Click on “Enable Security Command Center” to enable Security Center for the selected GCP project.
    • Wait for the Security Command Center to be enabled.
    • Once enabled, navigate to the Security Command Center dashboard.
    • Review the security findings and recommendations provided by Security Center.
    • Take necessary actions to remediate the identified security issues based on the recommendations.

Note: The exact steps and options may vary slightly depending on the current version of the GCP Console and the specific configuration requirements. It is always recommended to refer to the official GCP documentation for the most up-to-date instructions.

​
Using CLI

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

  1. Disable SSH access for the default service account:

    • Use the following command to get the email address of the default service account: 
      gcloud iam service-accounts list --filter="displayName:Compute Engine default service account"
    • Once you have the email address, use the following command to remove the roles associated with SSH access: 
      gcloud projects remove-iam-policy-binding PROJECT_ID --member=serviceAccount:EMAIL_ADDRESS --role=roles/compute.osLogin

  2. Enable VPC Flow Logs for network monitoring:

    • Use the following command to enable VPC Flow Logs for a specific subnet: 
      gcloud compute networks subnets update SUBNET_NAME --region=REGION --enable-flow-logs

  3. Restrict public access to Cloud Storage buckets:

    • Use the following command to update the bucket ACL and remove all public access: 
      gsutil iam ch allUsers:legacyObjectReader gs://BUCKET_NAME

Please note that you need to replace the placeholders (PROJECT_ID, EMAIL_ADDRESS, SUBNET_NAME, REGION, and BUCKET_NAME) with the actual values specific to your GCP environment.

​
Using Python

To remediate the issues mentioned in the previous response for GCP Compute using Python, you can use the following approaches:

  1. Enforce strong password policies:

    • Use the Google Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM) API to create a custom password policy for GCP Compute instances.
    • Write a Python script that utilizes the IAM API to enforce password complexity requirements, such as minimum length, special characters, and regular password rotation.

  2. Enable disk encryption:

    • Use the Google Cloud Key Management Service (KMS) API to create and manage encryption keys.
    • Write a Python script that utilizes the KMS API to enable disk encryption for GCP Compute instances. This script can be used to encrypt existing unencrypted disks or to ensure that new disks are automatically encrypted upon creation.

  3. Implement network security groups:

    • Use the Google Cloud Firewall API to create and manage network security groups for GCP Compute instances.
    • Write a Python script that utilizes the Firewall API to define and enforce network access rules, such as allowing only specific IP ranges or protocols to access the instances. This script can be used to create and update firewall rules as needed.

Please note that the provided scripts are just examples and may need to be customized based on your specific requirements and environment.