Role Based Access Control | Security | Elasticsearch Tutorial

Introduction to Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is a method used to regulate access to computer or network resources based on the roles of individual users within an organization. Users are assigned roles, and roles are granted permissions to perform certain operations or access specific data.

RBAC in Elasticsearch

Elasticsearch, a powerful search and analytics engine, supports RBAC to ensure secure access to data. In Elasticsearch, roles define a set of permissions, and users are assigned roles to control their access to indices, documents, and clusters.

Creating Roles

Roles in Elasticsearch can be created using the REST API. A role can have privileges for indices, clusters, and applications. Below is an example of how to create a role using the REST API.

Example: Creating a role named data_reader that grants read access to all indices.

PUT /_security/role/data_reader
{
  "cluster": ["monitor"],
  "indices": [
    {
      "names": [ "*" ],
      "privileges": ["read"]
    }
  ]
}

Assigning Roles to Users

Users in Elasticsearch can be created and managed using the REST API. After creating a user, roles can be assigned to them to control their access. Below is an example of how to create a user and assign the data_reader role to them.

Example: Creating a user named john_doe with the data_reader role.

PUT /_security/user/john_doe
{
  "password" : "password123",
  "roles" : [ "data_reader" ],
  "full_name" : "John Doe",
  "email" : "john.doe@example.com"
}

Testing User Access

After creating users and assigning roles, you can test user access by making authenticated requests to Elasticsearch. If a user tries to perform an action they don't have permissions for, Elasticsearch will deny the request.

Example: Testing access for user john_doe.

GET /_security/_authenticate
{
  "username": "john_doe",
  "password": "password123"
}

{
  "username" : "john_doe",
  "roles" : [ "data_reader" ],
  "full_name" : "John Doe",
  "email" : "john.doe@example.com",
  "metadata" : { },
  "enabled" : true
}

Managing Roles and Users

Roles and users can be updated or deleted using the REST API. This allows for flexible and dynamic access control management.

Example: Updating the data_reader role to include write access.

PUT /_security/role/data_reader
{
  "cluster": ["monitor"],
  "indices": [
    {
      "names": [ "*" ],
      "privileges": ["read", "write"]
    }
  ]
}

Conclusion

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is essential for securing access to data in Elasticsearch. By creating roles with specific privileges and assigning them to users, you can ensure that only authorized users can perform certain actions or access specific data. This tutorial provided a comprehensive guide to implementing RBAC in Elasticsearch, including creating roles, assigning roles to users, and managing access control.

Role-Based Access Control in Elasticsearch