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lacework-global-624

Set Vulnerability Assessment (VA) setting 'Periodic recurring scans' to 'on' for each SQL server (Automated)

Profile Applicability

• Level 2

Description

Enable Vulnerability Assessment (VA) Periodic recurring scans for critical SQL servers and corresponding SQL databases.

Rationale

VA setting 'Periodic recurring scans' schedules periodic (weekly) vulnerability scanning for the SQL server and corresponding Databases. Periodic and regular vulnerability scanning provides risk visibility based on updated known vulnerability signatures and best practices.

Impact

Enabling the Azure Defender for SQL feature will incur additional costs for each SQL server.

Audit

From Azure Portal

  1. Go to SQL servers
  2. Select a server instance
  3. Click on Security Center
  4. Ensure that Microsoft Defender for SQL is set to Enabled
  5. In Section Vulnerability Assessment Settings, Ensure Storage Accounts is configured.
  6. In Section Vulnerability Assessment Settings, Ensure Periodic recurring scans is set to On.

From Azure Powershell

Get the list of all SQL Servers

Get-AZSqlServer

For each Server

Get-AzSqlServerVulnerabilityAssessmentSetting -ResourceGroupName <resource group name> -ServerName <server name>

Ensure that value for parameter RecurringScansInterval is not set to None.

Sample Output:

ResourceGroupName : ResourceGroup01
ServerName : Server01
StorageAccountName : mystorage
ScanResultsContainerName : vulnerability-assessment
RecurringScansInterval : weekly
EmailSubscriptionAdmins : False
NotificationEmail : {}

Remediation

From Azure Portal

  1. Go to SQL servers.
  2. For each server instance.
  3. Click Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
  4. In Section Vulnerability Assessment Settings, set Storage Account if not already.
  5. Toggle 'Periodic recurring scans' to ON.
  6. Click Save.

From Azure Powershell

If not already, Enable Advanced Data Security for a SQL Server:

Set-AZSqlServerThreatDetectionPolicy -ResourceGroupName <resource group name> -ServerName <server name> -EmailAdmins $True

To enable ADS-VA service with 'Periodic recurring scans'

Update-AzSqlServerVulnerabilityAssessmentSetting -ResourceGroupName "<resource group name>" -ServerName "<Server Name>" -StorageAccountName "<Storage Name from same subscription and same Location" -ScanResultsContainerName "vulnerability-assessment" -RecurringScansInterval Weekly -EmailSubscriptionAdmins $true -NotificationEmail @("mail1@mail.com" , "mail2@mail.com")

References

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sql-database/sql-vulnerability-assessment
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/sql/servervulnerabilityassessments/listbyserver
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-in/powershell/module/Az.Sql/Update-AzSqlServerVulnerabilityAssessmentSetting?view=azps-2.6.0
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-in/powershell/module/Az.Sql/Get-AzSqlServerVulnerabilityAssessmentSetting?view=azps-2.6.0
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/benchmark/azure/security-controls-v3-posture-vulnerability-management#pv-6-perform-software-vulnerability-assessments