Role-based access control in Elasticsearch - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is Role-based Access Control (RBAC) in Elasticsearch?

RBAC in Elasticsearch is a security method that assigns permissions to users based on their roles. Each role defines what actions a user can perform on specific resources like indices or clusters.

beginner

How do you define a role in Elasticsearch?

A role in Elasticsearch is defined by specifying cluster privileges, index privileges, and optionally application privileges. It controls what users assigned to that role can do.

beginner

Example of an index privilege in an Elasticsearch role?

An index privilege could be 'read', which allows users to search and get documents from an index. Other privileges include 'write', 'delete', and 'manage'.

intermediate

What is the purpose of the 'run_as' privilege in Elasticsearch RBAC?

The 'run_as' privilege allows a user to execute actions as another user. This is useful for delegation or impersonation scenarios.

beginner

How does RBAC improve security in Elasticsearch?

RBAC limits user access to only what is necessary for their role, reducing the risk of unauthorized data access or accidental changes.

In Elasticsearch RBAC, what does a role primarily define?

A The permissions a user has

B The user's password

C The network settings

D The hardware configuration

A role defines the permissions a user has on cluster and index resources.

Which privilege allows a user to search documents in an index?

A write

B read

C delete

D manage

The 'read' privilege allows searching and retrieving documents from an index.

What does the 'run_as' privilege enable in Elasticsearch?

A Impersonating another user

B Running queries faster

C Changing cluster settings

D Deleting indices

The 'run_as' privilege lets a user perform actions as another user.

Which of these is NOT a typical component of an Elasticsearch role?

A Cluster privileges

B Index privileges

C Application privileges

D User password

User passwords are not part of role definitions.

Why is RBAC important for Elasticsearch security?

A It speeds up queries

B It manages hardware resources

C It limits user access to necessary actions

D It backs up data automatically

RBAC restricts user permissions to only what their role requires, improving security.

Explain how roles and privileges work together in Elasticsearch RBAC.

Think about what a role controls and how privileges describe what can be done.

Describe the benefits of using Role-based Access Control in Elasticsearch.

Consider how controlling access helps protect data.