FIPS 140-2 Level 1 compliance

[PJ]

Is Vault FIPS 140-2 Level 1 certified? Expecting anything above level 1 would be be unfair given the fact that Vault is a software based cryptographic storage/module. 

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For people interested in FIPS, this wiki is useful: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIPS_140-2 

[Jeff Mitchell]

Hi PJ,

Vault itself is not FIPS 140-2 certified. However, we've been looking
into whether Vault in conjunction with a FIPS 140-2 HSM protecting
Vault's master key is sufficient to use Vault for work where FIPS is
required.

Best,
Jeff

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[ori troyna]

hello Jeff,

is there a progress with Vault torwards fips 140-2?

thanks,

Ori

[Jeff Mitchell]

Hi Ori,

We are actively discussing with experts how Vault can be a part of a
FIPS 140-2 compliant solution; we believe that by using Vault with a
140-2 compliant HSM encrypting its master key (e.g. its root of trust)
that Vault can then be part of the compliant set of systems.

Best,
Jeff

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[sbel...@evident.io]

Has there been any update on this issue?

[Carlos OKieffe]

Hi,

I am trying to see if Vault will be usable in a government project that requires FIPS compliance on AWS.

I read this, https://www.vaultproject.io/intro/vs/hsm.html, that mentioned "Vault doesn't replace an HSM. Instead, they can be complementary; a compliant HSM can protect Vault's master key to help Vault comply with regulatory requirements"

how do you 'protect the master key' in this case?

[Jeff Mitchell]

Hi Carlos,

The HSM can be used to encrypt the master key. If using Vault Enterprise, Vault can directly talk to the HSM to feed it the encrypted key, get the decrypted value back, and use it to unlock the encryption keyring.

Best,

Jeff

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[Carlos OKieffe]

Thanks for the response, Jeff.

Regarding, 'The HSM can be used to encrypt the master key', I am not sure how to do this.  

1) Is the master key exposed via the API?  

I know If I call 

curl -X PUT -d "{\"secret_shares\":1, \"secret_threshold\":1}" http://${server IP}:8200/v1/sys/init

then, in the response, the singular unseal key is the master key (I read the hashicorp/vault/vault/init.go source code)

Or 

(2) is there a configuration for vault that says 'store my master key this way ...' ?

Thanks in advance

[Jeff Mitchell]

Hi Carlos,

It's item #2, but only available with Vault Enterprise Premium.

Best,

Jeff

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[Carlos OKieffe]

Ah, 

So, only Vault Enterprise Premium can be made FIPS compliant?

[Patrick Townsend]

Hi PJ,

Disclaimer: my company has a key management solution that is FIPS 140-2 compliant, and I've managed NIST validation and FIPS 140-2 projects.

 

It is difficult to see how Vault could be considered FIPS 140-2 compliant even when the Vault master key is protected by an HSM which is itself FIPS 140-2 compliant. There are a large number of requirements for FIPS 140-2 compliance. Here are just a couple of those:

 

First, the Vault master key would need to be generated using a NIST compliant process. For symmetric key generation this would typically involve the use of a NIST approved deterministic random number generation routine as described in NIST Special Publication 800-90A Revision 1, which you can find here:

 

http://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-90Ar1.pdf

 

Since Vault is written in the Go language it is probably using the Go language <rand> function or similar. The Go language reference describes the use of a pseudo random number routine that is not NIST compliant. You can find the Go language specification here:

 

https://golang.org/ref/spec

 

Secondly, and related to the first point, NIST compliant random number generators use either a secure hash algorithm or an encryption algorithm. Whichever method is used the hash or encryption method must also be NIST compliant. I can find no evidence that the Go language hash and crypto functions have been NIST validated. The list of compliant hash libraries are here:

 

https://csrc.nist.gov/Projects/Cryptographic-Algorithm-Validation-Program/Validation/Validation-List/SHS

 

https://csrc.nist.gov/Projects/Cryptographic-Algorithm-Validation-Program/Validation/Validation-List/SHA-3

 

The AES encryption validation list is here:

 

https://csrc.nist.gov/Projects/Cryptographic-Algorithm-Validation-Program/Validation/Validation-List/AES

 

Please let me know if there are any errors in the above analysis.

 

It would be great to see Vault achieve FIPS 140-2 compliance. There is a clear path to validating this compliance that is open to anyone. See the NIST National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP). Organizations which achieve NVLAP status can take you through the process.

Patrick

[Jeff Mitchell]

Hi Patrick,

Thank you for your input.

We do not, and have not, claimed that the crypto stacks in use by
Vault are NIST certified. However, we have a breadth of customers and
the specifics of FIPS 140-2 that they are required to adhere to varies
widely depending on industry, compliance standards, and so on. The
auditing and certification being performed on Vault will not suffice
to meet the FIPS requirements of all potential Vault customers, but
via countless customer discussions we know that it will be sufficient
for many.

The auditing is being performed now and we will have more details to
share when it is completed.

Best,
Jeff

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[Patrick Townsend]

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the clarification. Can you describe which parts of Vault are FIPS 140-2 compliant, and which are not? Also, will you post the results of the audit and certification?

Patrick

[Jeff Mitchell]

Hi Patrick,

> Thanks for the clarification. Can you describe which parts of Vault are FIPS
> 140-2 compliant, and which are not?

That is what our auditors (Leidos) are determining.

> Also, will you post the results of the
> audit and certification?

They will certainly be available for our customers to examine. I
honestly am not sure of the terms of the audit, simply because I was
not a part of those discussions. For example, Vault's codebase
undergoes regular audits by NCC Group, but the terms of the audit only
allow the actual documented results to be disclosed to third parties
under NDA. (My understanding is that the methods used during the audit
-- what is looked for, how it is tested, etc. -- are considered trade
secrets.)

Best,
Jeff

[Patrick Townsend]

Hi Jeff,

I understand that code audits, pen testing, and other security reviews are often not made public. We've been through that ourselves. However, all NIST certifications are publicly available on the NIST website. All professional key management solutions go through NIST validation and the results are posted for public review. This helps prospective customers in both the public and private sectors evaluate solutions and have confidence in them. Having discussed security testing with Leidos in the past I am reasonably sure that they would be willing to prepare a summary of results for public consumption. I am sure that you would agree that transparency in this respect is good for all of us in the industry.

Here's hoping that Vault can eventually go through the full FIPS 140-2 validation process and achieve provable compliance with FIPS 140-2. It is a spine-straightening experience and well worth it. Actually validating to the FIPS 140-2 standard is the only legitimate way to rightfully claim that level of compliance. You would be justifiably proud of achieving that certification for Vault. 

Best regards,

Patrick

[Jeff Mitchell]

Hi Patrick,

We will make no compliance contradictory what our auditors certify.

Best,

Jeff

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[Jeff Mitchell]

Apologies for my phone swallowing words. Let me try again:

We will make no compliance claims contradictory to what our auditors certify.

Thanks,

Jeff