Security Hub controls for AWS AppSync
These Security Hub controls evaluate the AWS AppSync service and resources.
These controls may not be available in all AWS Regions. For more information, see Availability of controls by Region.
[AppSync.1] AWS AppSync API caches should be encrypted at rest
Category: Protect > Data Protection > Encryption of data-at-rest
Severity: Medium
Resource type:
AWS::AppSync::GraphQLApi
AWS Config rule: appsync-cache-ct-encryption-at-rest
Schedule type: Change triggered
Parameters: None
This control checks whether an AWS AppSync API cache is encrypted at rest. The control fails if the API cache isn't encrypted at rest.
Data at rest refers to data that's stored in persistent, non-volatile storage for any duration. Encrypting data at rest helps you protect its confidentiality, which reduces the risk that an unauthorized user can access it.
Remediation
You can't change the encryption settings after enabling caching for your AWS AppSync API. Instead, you must delete the cache and and recreate it with encryption enabled. For more information, see Cache encryption in the AWS AppSync Developer Guide.
[AppSync.2] AWS AppSync should have field-level logging enabled
Related requirements: PCI DSS v4.0.1/10.4.2
Category: Identify > Logging
Severity: Medium
Resource type:
AWS::AppSync::GraphQLApi
AWS Config rule:
appsync-logging-enabled
Schedule type: Change triggered
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description | Type | Allowed custom values | Security Hub default value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Field logging level |
Enum |
|
|
This control checks whether an AWS AppSync API has field-level logging turned on. The control fails
if the field resolver log level is set to None. Unless you provide custom
parameter values to indicate that a specific log type should be enabled, Security Hub produces a passed finding if the field resolver log level is either ERROR or
ALL.
You can use logging and metrics to identify, troubleshoot, and optimize your GraphQL queries. Turning on logging for AWS AppSync GraphQL helps you get detailed information about API requests and responses, identify and respond to issues, and comply with regulatory requirements.
Remediation
To turn on logging for AWS AppSync, see Setup and configuration in the AWS AppSync Developer Guide.
[AppSync.4] AWS AppSync GraphQL APIs should be tagged
Category: Identify > Inventory > Tagging
Severity: Low
Resource type:
AWS::AppSync::GraphQLApi
AWS Config rule: tagged-appsync-graphqlapi (custom Security Hub rule)
Schedule type: Change triggered
Parameters:
| Parameter | Description | Type | Allowed custom values | Security Hub default value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
requiredTagKeys
|
List of non-system tag keys that the evaluated resource must contain. Tag keys are case sensitive. | StringList | List of tags that meet AWS requirements | No default value |
This control checks whether an AWS AppSync GraphQL API has tags with the specific keys defined in the parameter
requiredTagKeys. The control fails if the GraphQL API doesn’t have any tag keys or if it doesn’t have all the keys specified in the
parameter requiredTagKeys. If the parameter requiredTagKeys isn't provided, the control only checks for the existence
of a tag key and fails if the GraphQL API isn't tagged with any key. System tags, which are automatically applied and begin with aws:,
are ignored.
A tag is a label that you assign to an AWS resource, and it consists of a key and an optional value. You can create tags to categorize resources by purpose, owner, environment, or other criteria. Tags can help you identify, organize, search for, and filter resources. Tagging also helps you track accountable resource owners for actions and notifications. When you use tagging, you can implement attribute-based access control (ABAC) as an authorization strategy, which defines permissions based on tags. You can attach tags to IAM entities (users or roles) and to AWS resources. You can create a single ABAC policy or a separate set of policies for your IAM principals. You can design these ABAC policies to allow operations when the principal's tag matches the resource tag. For more information, see What is ABAC for AWS? in the IAM User Guide.
Note
Don’t add personally identifiable information (PII) or other confidential or sensitive information in tags. Tags are accessible to many AWS services, including AWS Billing. For more tagging best practices, see Tagging your AWS resources in the AWS General Reference.
Remediation
To add tags to an AWS AppSync GraphQL API, see TagResource in the AWS AppSync API Reference.
[AppSync.5] AWS AppSync GraphQL APIs should not be authenticated with API keys
Related requirements: NIST.800-53.r5 AC-2(1), NIST.800-53.r5 AC-3, NIST.800-53.r5 AC-3(15), NIST.800-53.r5 AC-3(7), NIST.800-53.r5 AC-6
Category: Protect > Secure access management > Passwordless authentication
Severity: High
Resource type:
AWS::AppSync::GraphQLApi
AWS Config rule:
appsync-authorization-check
Schedule type: Change triggered
Parameters:
AllowedAuthorizationTypes:AWS_LAMBDA, AWS_IAM, OPENID_CONNECT, AMAZON_COGNITO_USER_POOLS(not customizable)
This control checks whether your application uses an API key to interact with an AWS AppSync GraphQL API. The control fails if an AWS AppSync GraphQL API is authenticated with an API key.
An API key is a hard-coded value in your application that is generated by the AWS AppSync service when you create an unauthenticated GraphQL endpoint. If this API key is compromised, your endpoint is vulnerable to unintended access. Unless you are supporting a publicly accessible application or website, we don't recommend using an API key for authentication.
Remediation
To set an authorization option for your AWS AppSync GraphQL API, see Authorization and authentication in the AWS AppSync Developer Guide.
[AppSync.6] AWS AppSync API caches should be encrypted in transit
Category: Protect > Data Protection > Encryption of data-in-transit
Severity: Medium
Resource type:
AWS::AppSync::ApiCache
AWS Config rule: appsync-cache-ct-encryption-in-transit
Schedule type: Change triggered
Parameters: None
This control checks whether an AWS AppSync API cache is encrypted in transit. The control fails if the API cache isn't encrypted in transit.
Data in transit refers to data that moves from one location to another, such as between nodes in your cluster or between your cluster and your application. Data may move across the internet or within a private network. Encrypting data in transit reduces the risk that an unauthorized user can eavesdrop on network traffic.
Remediation
You can't change the encryption settings after enabling caching for your AWS AppSync API. Instead, you must delete the cache and and recreate it with encryption enabled. For more information, see Cache encryption in the AWS AppSync Developer Guide.
