MongoDB Security

Introduction to MongoDB Security

Security in MongoDB is a critical aspect of database administration. This guide covers essential security features, best practices, and implementation strategies to protect your MongoDB deployment.

MongoDB Security

Key Areas of MongoDB Security

Authentication

User Authentication

// Create admin user
db.createUser({
    user: "admin",
    pwd: "securePassword",
    roles: [
        { role: "userAdminAnyDatabase", db: "admin" },
        { role: "dbAdminAnyDatabase", db: "admin" }
    ]
})

// Enable authentication
security:
  authorization: enabled

// Connect with authentication
mongosh --authenticationDatabase "admin" -u "admin" -p "securePassword"

Authentication Methods

  • SCRAM-SHA-256 (default)
  • LDAP Authentication
  • Kerberos Authentication
  • x.509 Certificate Authentication
  • MongoDB Atlas Authentication

Authorization & Access Control

Built-in Roles

  • Database User Roles
  • Database Administration Roles
  • Cluster Administration Roles
  • Backup and Restoration Roles
  • Superuser Roles
// Create custom role
db.createRole({
    role: "appUser",
    privileges: [
        {
            resource: { db: "myApp", collection: "users" },
            actions: [ "find", "update", "insert" ]
        }
    ],
    roles: []
})

Custom Roles

  • Define specific privileges
  • Resource-based access control
  • Action-based permissions
  • Role inheritance
  • Role management

Network Security

Network Configuration

  • Bind IP addresses
  • Firewall rules
  • Network isolation
  • Port configuration
  • Connection limits
# MongoDB configuration
net:
  port: 27017
  bindIp: 127.0.0.1
  ssl:
    mode: requireSSL
    PEMKeyFile: /etc/ssl/mongodb.pem

SSL/TLS Configuration

  • Certificate management
  • SSL/TLS protocols
  • Certificate validation
  • Client authentication
  • Certificate rotation

Data Security

Encryption

Encryption at Rest

Protect data stored on disk using encryption

Encryption in Transit

Secure data transmission using SSL/TLS

Field-Level Encryption

Encrypt sensitive fields in documents

Data Protection

  • Data masking
  • Field-level encryption
  • Data classification
  • Access auditing
  • Data retention policies

Auditing & Compliance

Audit Configuration

# Enable auditing
auditLog:
  destination: file
  format: JSON
  path: /var/log/mongodb/audit.log
  filter: '{ "users": [{ "user": "admin", "db": "admin" }] }'

Compliance Features

  • Audit logging
  • Compliance reporting
  • Access tracking
  • Security monitoring
  • Policy enforcement

Best Practices

Security Guidelines

  • Regular security audits
  • Password policies
  • Network security
  • Encryption implementation
  • Access control

Common Pitfalls

  • Weak passwords
  • Insufficient access control
  • Missing encryption
  • Poor network security
  • Inadequate monitoring

Next Steps

Now that you understand MongoDB security, you can explore:

MongoDB Tutorial