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Event Information

  • The v1.compute.instances.delete event in GCP for Compute refers to the deletion of a virtual machine instance in the Google Cloud Platform.
  • This event indicates that a specific virtual machine instance has been permanently removed from the Compute Engine.
  • It is important to note that this event is irreversible and all data associated with the instance will be lost.

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Examples

  • Unauthorized deletion of instances: If security is impacted with v1.compute.instances.delete in GCP, it could potentially allow unauthorized users or malicious actors to delete instances without proper authorization. This could lead to data loss, service disruption, and potential security breaches.

  • Data exposure: If an instance is deleted using v1.compute.instances.delete, it is important to ensure that any sensitive data stored on that instance is properly handled. If the deletion process does not include proper data sanitization or encryption, it could result in data exposure and compromise the security and privacy of the data.

  • Access control issues: The v1.compute.instances.delete operation should be restricted to authorized users or roles to prevent unauthorized deletion of instances. If there are access control misconfigurations or vulnerabilities, it could allow unauthorized users to delete instances, leading to security risks and potential disruptions to the infrastructure.

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Remediation

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Using Console

  1. Enable VPC Flow Logs:
  • Go to the GCP Console and navigate to the VPC network where the Compute instances are located.
  • Select the subnet(s) associated with the Compute instances.
  • Click on “Edit” to modify the subnet configuration.
  • Scroll down to the “Flow logs” section and click on “Enable flow logs”.
  • Configure the desired flow log settings, such as the log destination and filter.
  • Click on “Save” to enable VPC flow logs for the selected subnet(s).
  1. Implement Network Security Groups:
  • Go to the GCP Console and navigate to the VPC network where the Compute instances are located.
  • Select the subnet(s) associated with the Compute instances.
  • Click on “Edit” to modify the subnet configuration.
  • Scroll down to the “Firewall rules” section and click on “Add firewall rule”.
  • Configure the necessary firewall rule(s) to restrict inbound and outbound traffic based on the desired security requirements.
  • Click on “Save” to apply the firewall rule(s) to the selected subnet(s).
  1. Implement Identity and Access Management (IAM) Roles:
  • Go to the GCP Console and navigate to the IAM & Admin section.
  • Click on “IAM” to manage IAM roles and permissions.
  • Identify the relevant IAM roles that need to be assigned to the Compute instances.
  • Click on “Add” to add a new IAM role assignment.
  • Select the desired Compute instances or instance groups.
  • Choose the appropriate IAM role(s) based on the required access level.
  • Click on “Save” to apply the IAM role(s) to the selected Compute instances.

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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.

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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 passwords:

    • Use the Google Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM) API to create a custom role with the necessary permissions to manage user accounts.
    • Write a Python script that utilizes the IAM API to enforce strong password policies for GCP Compute instances.
    • The script should iterate through all the instances and update the passwords for each user account, ensuring they meet the required complexity criteria.

  2. Enable disk encryption:

    • Use the Google Cloud Disk Encryption API to enable disk encryption for GCP Compute instances.
    • Write a Python script that utilizes the Disk Encryption API to enable encryption for all the disks attached to the instances.
    • The script should iterate through all the instances and enable encryption for each disk, ensuring data at rest is protected.

  3. Implement network security groups:

    • Use the Google Cloud VPC Firewall API to create network security groups (firewall rules) for GCP Compute instances.
    • Write a Python script that utilizes the VPC Firewall API to define and apply the necessary firewall rules to restrict inbound and outbound traffic.
    • The script should iterate through all the instances and apply the defined firewall rules, ensuring only authorized traffic is allowed.

Please note that the actual implementation of these scripts may vary based on your specific requirements and the Python libraries you choose to use.