Unusual activity at CI/CD environments should be monitored

unusual_activity_monitored

Severity

high

Family

CI/ CD Security

Description

Insufficient logging and visibility risks allow an adversary to carry out malicious activities within the CI/CD environment without being detected during any phase of the attack kill chain, including identifying the attacker’s TTPs (Techniques, Tactics and Procedures) as part of any post-incident investigation.

This check attempts to determine whether the project uses a tool to monitor activity in the CI/CD environments (live or processing Audit logs). By now, this only applies to GitHub.

Security

Monitoring unusual activity in CI/CD systems is of paramount importance for organizations. CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) systems play a crucial role in software development, enabling teams to automate the build, testing, and deployment processes. However, the very nature of CI/CD systems makes them attractive targets for malicious actors and introduces risks that need to be mitigated. Here are several reasons why monitoring unusual activity in CI/CD systems is essential:

Early Detection of Security Breaches: CI/CD systems often have access to critical resources, such as source code repositories, build environments, and deployment pipelines. Monitoring unusual activity allows organizations to detect security breaches early on, enabling them to respond promptly and minimize the potential impact. By inspecting audit logs and monitoring live activities, organizations can identify suspicious behavior, such as unauthorized access attempts or unusual patterns of activity, which could indicate a security compromise.
Protection of Intellectual Property: In software development, intellectual property (IP) is highly valuable. CI/CD systems typically store and handle source code, configurations, and sensitive data related to applications. Monitoring unusual activity helps protect an organization’s intellectual property by identifying any unauthorized access or attempts to extract valuable source code or proprietary information. Detecting such activities in real-time can allow organizations to take immediate action to prevent data theft or leakage.
Prevention of Unauthorized Deployments: CI/CD systems streamline the deployment process and automate the release of software updates. However, if left unmonitored, they can become an entry point for attackers to deploy malicious code into production environments. By monitoring CI/CD systems for unusual activity, organizations can ensure that only authorized and validated code is deployed. This helps prevent unauthorized deployments and reduces the risk of introducing vulnerabilities or compromising the stability of applications.
Compliance and Auditing: Many organizations operate within regulated industries that have specific compliance requirements. Monitoring CI/CD systems helps ensure compliance by providing a detailed audit trail of activities. Inspecting audit logs allows organizations to demonstrate that proper security controls are in place and monitor adherence to compliance policies. This is particularly important for industries such as finance, healthcare, and government, where data protection and privacy regulations are stringent.
Proactive Incident Response: By actively monitoring CI/CD systems, organizations can proactively detect and respond to incidents. Unusual activity may indicate potential security threats or vulnerabilities that require immediate attention. Timely detection allows for swift incident response, minimizing the impact on applications and infrastructure. Proactive monitoring also aids in identifying potential weaknesses or misconfigurations in CI/CD systems, allowing organizations to address them before they are exploited by attackers.
Continuous Improvement of Security Posture: Monitoring CI/CD systems not only helps detect security incidents but also provides valuable insights into the overall security posture of an organization. By analyzing patterns of unusual activity, organizations can identify recurring vulnerabilities, weaknesses, or gaps in their security measures. This information can then be used to improve security policies, enhance access controls, and implement additional safeguards, thereby strengthening the security of CI/CD systems and the entire software development lifecycle.

In summary, monitoring unusual activity in CI/CD systems is vital for organizations to detect security breaches, protect intellectual property, prevent unauthorized deployments, ensure compliance, facilitate proactive incident response, and continuously improve their security posture. By implementing robust monitoring mechanisms, organizations can mitigate risks, safeguard their software development processes, and enhance the overall security of their applications and infrastructure.

Mitigation / Fix

Use a tool to monitor activity in the CI/CD environments, like our Xygeni Sensor. See Unusual Activity Detection for reference.