Ensure ysql_enable_auth is set to true

CriticalLevel 1Automatedyugabytedb

Description

The ysql_enable_auth GFlag controls whether password authentication is required for YSQL connections. When set to false (the default), connections are accepted without authentication, which is only appropriate for isolated development environments. In all other environments, this flag must be enabled to enforce password-based access control for the YSQL interface. Reads the YB-TServer GFlags from the web UI at ${YB_TSERVER_WEB:-127.0.0.1:9000}/varz; run it against every TServer. Passes when ysql_enable_auth=true.

How it is checked

Audit method: Shell command

shell

out=$(curl -sf "http://${YB_TSERVER_WEB:-127.0.0.1:9000}/varz?raw=1" 2>/dev/null) || exit 1; if printf '%s\n' "$out" | grep -qE -- '--ysql_enable_auth=(true)([^[:alnum:]_]|$)'; then echo compliant; else echo noncompliant; fi

Expected output: compliant

How it is fixed

Fix method: Guidance or infrastructure patch

Add --ysql_enable_auth=true to every YB-TServer startup configuration and restart it; then change the default yugabyte password (5.7).

Properties

Operating systems: Any
Tags: yugabytedbauthentication
Reference: CIS YugabyteDB Benchmark v2.0.0 - 5.6 Ensure ysql_enable_auth is set to true

Check this host

Run this on a machine you are allowed to audit. The scan is read-only.

shell

tmaegis scan --target yugabytedb