Version: 1.1.0

https://github.com/harvard-itsecurity/docker-lastark

What is LastArk?

LastArk is a replacement in functionality for CyberArk's EPV (Enterprise Password Vault) - specifically, the Privileged Identity Management (PIM) component.

In plain words: this is a better (much better!) PIM which "takes over" AD/LDAP accounts, generates long random passwords, syncs those passwords to the AD/LDAP accounts, rotates these passwords at a custom specified time interval, and then allows the user to retrieve those passwords when they need them. LastArk also adds an additional benefit of pushing the rotating password object (in real time) to each user's LastPass Enterprise account.

This allows the user to use LastPass Enterprise as a password vault, and with the addition of LastArk, as a PIM, where each user can instantly retrieve their latest active privileged account password.

What do I need to use LastArk?

• You need a docker host which has access to the internet (direct, or via proxy)

• You need a LastPass Enterprise Account. This is your "backend" vault, and it's what we use to bridge to the user interface -- via LastPass.com and the LastPass Browser Extensions

• You need an AD (or LDAP) service (admin privileged/binddn) account which can modify the passwords for the users you want to manage.

• You need a SMTP (mail) relay that you can forward emails through

How do I (quickly, in 4 steps) get started?

1.) Create your directory structure:

Assuming /docker is your "docker data" directory, please create these realtive folders:

a.) Config: /docker/config/lastark.cfg (see "Create a Config file" for the requried format)

b.) Users: /docker/users Users directory -- see bellow for specifics in "Volumes you can override"

c.) Logs: /docker/logs Learn more in the "Volumes you can override" section bellow.

2.) Create a Config file:

In your /docker/configs create a config file named: lastark.cfg:

(note: format is key=value - please change the example values)

organization_type=UNIVERSITY
lastark_fqdn=lastark.fqdn.tld
password_rotation_time=15
lastpass_account_admin=lastpass-enterprise-login@fqdn.tld
lastpass_account_pass=LastPassEnterprisePassword
notification_to_email=alerts@fqdn.tld
notification_from_email=no-reply@fqdn.tld
mail_server_relay_host=mailhub.fqdn.tld
mail_server_relay_port=25
mail_server_from_domain=fqdn.tld
ad_ldap_uri=ldap://ad.fqdn.tld/
ad_ldap_searchbase=DC=oragnization,DC=fqdn,DC=tld
ad_ldap_binddn=CN=ABCD,OU=Service Accounts,OU=People,DC=oragnization,DC=fqdn,DC=tld
ad_ldap_bindpasswd=BindDNPassword

3.) Run the container:

a.) Bootstrap your LastPass Enterprise Account - ONE TIME ONLY!

This needs to be done ONLY once -- the first time you use LastArk. Don't run this more than one. In fact - after it runs, the container deletes the /bootstrap script.

Bootstrap LastPass Enterprise for LastArk:

docker run -it --rm \
    -v /docker/lastark/config/lastark.cfg:/root/lastark/config/lastark.cfg:ro \
    -v /docker/lastark/logs:/var/log/lastark \
    harvarditsecurity/lastark \
    /bootstrap

b.) Run the LastArk service:

docker run -it -d --restart=always \
    -p 8080:8080 \
    -v /docker/lastark/users:/root/lastark/users \
    -v /docker/lastark/config/lastark.cfg:/root/lastark/config/lastark.cfg:ro \
    -v /docker/lastark/logs:/var/log/lastark \
    harvarditsecurity/lastark

4.) You are done - now add some users

Now that your LastArk service is running, add some users.

There are two ways to do this:

Either by creating a users.provision file with one AD/LDAP user per line, and then moving the file to /docker/users, at which point it will be picked up by the service on the set password_rotation_time interval.

or

By using the REST API:

curl -is http://docker-host:8080/provision/$username -H 'accept: text/plain'

Which will add the user to the /docker/users/users.provision file.

Volumes you can override:

1.) Configs: /root/lastark/config/lastark.cfg

2.) Users: /root/lastark/users Users directory, which takes/creates these files:

• users.provision = users to be auto provisioned under LastArk on the next scheduled run (created by admin or API)

• users.last-provision = users last provisioned successfully under LastArk

• users.failed.provision = last users attempted (however, failed) to be provisioned

• users.txt = all users under LastArk control - auto password management/rotation

3.) Logs: /var/log/lastark Logs (by default: "LOG" file) which contains everything from informational to error to critical notices about LastArk operations

Config File Details

Here is an explanation of each line in the config file:

organization_type=
lastark_fqdn=
password_rotation_time=
lastpass_account_admin=
lastpass_account_pass=
notification_to_email=
notification_from_email=
mail_server_relay_host=
mail_server_relay_port=
mail_server_from_domain=
ad_ldap_uri=ldap://REPLACE-URI-HERE/
ad_ldap_searchbase=
ad_ldap_binddn=
ad_ldap_bindpasswd=

• organization_type - This is a bit arbitrary, but it was designed as a "prefix" to the Shares created in LastPass Enterprise. In an University setting, it makes sense to set this to "UNIVERSITY"
• lastark_fqdn - FQDN of docker container - used for valid email relaying in one place * password_rotation_time - minutes between password rotations and new-user provisioning.
• lastpass_account_admin - LastPass Enterprise account (email) login
• lastpass_account_pass - LastPass Enterprise account password
• notification_to_email - email address used for admin/system LastArk alerts/notifications. One recommendation is NOT to filter this into a folder. When the system sends an email, generally there is a very good reason for it.
• notification_from_email - arbitrary "from" address for the notification emails. Recommended to be set to "no-reply@yourcompanymaildomain.tld"
• mail_server_relay_host - Your SMTP relay. Must be only IP restricted/non-authenticated (for now at least!)
• mail_server_relay_port - Port for SMTP relay (generally 25)
• mail_server_from_domain - Domain used for the "FROM" email. Generally matches yourcompanymaildomain.tld.
• ad_ldap_uri - AD/LDAP URI. This MUST be in the format: ldap://host.fqdn.tld/ (If you want TLS/SSL, you must add -Z to the scripts in the tools directory under the docker image, and re-build. In the future, we can add this as an option. Also, if you are going to use TLS/SSL make sure that your AD/LDAP servers have a certificate that includes the DNS subject alternative name, including the URI you are pointing to. Otherwise, you will need to add "TLS_REQCERT never" in /etc/openldap/ldap.conf
• ad_ldap_searchbase - self expalnatory. The search base. Do not try to escape, quote, etc the equivalent of: DC=oragnization,DC=fqdn,DC=tld
• ad_ldap_binddn - self expalnatory. The search base. Do not try to escape, quote, etc the equivlanet of: CN=ABCD,OU=Service Accounts,OU=People,DC=oragnization,DC=fqdn,DC=tld
• ad_ldap_bindpasswd - the AD/LDAP Bind Password

As you can clearly see by now, your lastark.cfg is "sensitive" to say the least. It is your responsibility to protect this file. This is no different from any other config file that contains secrets/passwords. This is also the reason we suggest mounting in your container as "read-only" (:ro).

Extra Security with the Config File

Even though the config file is mounted read-only, it's at least hypothetically possible to imagine a scenario where someone will find a way to modify it and re-load it. One of the ways we add additional security around that is with the CONFIG_HASH check.

The idea behind this is that you compute the sha1sum hash of your lastark.cfg, and pass it to docker as a runtime environment parameter --env CONFIG_HASH=$sha1sum. LastArk will keep checking and comparing the run time config against the preset hash, and if it ever differs, it will log the event and notify you via email.

The docker run with the hash checking enabled would look like this:

# Assuming the sha1sum of your your lastark.cfg is: da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709

docker run -it -d --restart=always \
    --env CONFIG_HASH=da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709 \
    -p 8080:8080 \
    -v /docker/lastark/users:/root/lastark/users \
    -v /docker/lastark/config/lastark.cfg:/root/lastark/config/lastark.cfg:ro \
    -v /docker/lastark/logs:/var/log/lastark \
    harvarditsecurity/lastark

Help/Questions/Comments:

For help or more info, please open a GitHub issue

Feel free to submit improvements/PRs!