Index Level Security in Elasticsearch
Introduction
Index Level Security (ILS) in Elasticsearch allows you to control access to specific indices and the data they contain. This feature is essential for securing sensitive data and ensuring that users only have access to the information they need.
Prerequisites
Before you can implement Index Level Security in Elasticsearch, you need to have:
- Elasticsearch installed and running
- X-Pack security features enabled
- Basic understanding of Elasticsearch roles and users
Creating Roles with Index Permissions
To restrict access to specific indices, you need to create roles with index permissions. Here's an example of how to create a role that has read access to a specific index:
Use the following command to create a role:
PUT /_security/role/read_index_role { "indices": [ { "names": [ "index_name" ], "privileges": [ "read" ] } ] }
Assigning Roles to Users
After creating the role, you need to assign it to a user. Here’s how you can do it:
Use the following command to assign a role to a user:
PUT /_security/user/john_doe { "password" : "password", "roles" : [ "read_index_role" ], "full_name" : "John Doe", "email" : "john.doe@example.com" }
Verifying Access
To verify that the user has the correct access permissions, you can authenticate as that user and attempt to access the index:
Use the following command to authenticate as the user and access the index:
GET /index_name/_search { "auth": { "username": "john_doe", "password": "password" } }
If the user has the correct permissions, you will see the search results. Otherwise, you will receive an authorization error.
Advanced Index Permissions
Elasticsearch allows you to define more granular permissions for indices. For example, you can create a role that has read access to one index and write access to another:
PUT /_security/role/mixed_access_role { "indices": [ { "names": [ "read_only_index" ], "privileges": [ "read" ] }, { "names": [ "write_only_index" ], "privileges": [ "write" ] } ] }
Conclusion
Index Level Security in Elasticsearch is a powerful feature that helps you control access to your data. By creating roles with specific index permissions and assigning them to users, you can ensure that your sensitive data is protected and only accessible to authorized users.