SECRET-SEN CyberArk Sentry Secrets Manager Questions and Answers

• AWS -> authn-iam
• Azure -> authn-azure
• GCP -> authn-gcp
• JWT Provider -> authn-jwt

Explanation: Conjur supports different authenticators for different cloud platforms. Each authenticator allows a resource or service running on the cloud platform to authenticate to Conjur using a unique identity token signed by the cloud provider. The following are the descriptions of each authenticator:

• authn-iam: Enables an AWS resource to use its AWS IAM role to authenticate with Conjur. The resource sends a request to the AWS Security Token Service (STS) to get a signed AWS access token, and then sends the token to Conjur for verification.
• authn-azure: Enables an Azure resource to authenticate with Conjur. The resource sends a request to the Azure Instance Metadata Service (IMDS) to get a signed Azure access token, and then sends the token to Conjur for verification.
• authn-gcp: Enables a Google Cloud Platform resource to authenticate with Conjur. The resource sends a request to the Google Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM) service to get a signed Google identity token, and then sends the token to Conjur for verification.
• authn-jwt: Enables an application to authenticate to Conjur using a JWT from a JWT Provider. The application obtains a JWT from the JWT Provider, and then sends the JWT to Conjur for verification.

References: You can find more information about the Conjur authenticators in the following resources:

• Supported Conjur Cloud authenticators
• Configure Conjur Cloud authenticators
• GCP Authenticator

 = This error occurs when the Vault Conjur Synchronizer installation script tries to log in to the Vault using the admin user credentials, but the admin user is already logged in to other sessions. The Vault has a limit on the number of concurrent sessions per user, and the default value is one. Therefore, the installation script fails to authenticate the admin user and returns the error message: Forbidden Logon Token is Empty - Cannot logon Unauthorized. To remediate the issue, the admin user must log out of any other sessions before running the installation script, or increase the limit on the number of concurrent sessions per user in the Vault configuration file12. References: =

• Troubleshoot CyberArk Vault Synchronizer 1, Error: Forbidden Logon Token is Empty - Cannot logon Unauthorized
• Vault.ini File Parameters 2, ConcurrentSessionsPerUser

The correct answer is A. On the new Leader, generate a Standby seed for the old Leader node and add it to the cluster member list. Rebuild the old Leader as a new Standby and then re-enroll the node to the cluster.

This is the recommended way to repair the cluster health after an auto-failover event, according to the CyberArk Sentry Secrets Manager documentation1. This method reuses the original Leader as a new Standby, without affecting the new Leader or the other Standby. The steps are as follows:

• On the new Leader, generate a Standby seed for the old Leader node using the command evoke seed standby . This will create a file named .tar in the current directory.
• On the new Leader, add the old Leader node to the cluster member list using the command evoke cluster add .
• On the old Leader server, stop and remove the container using the commands docker stop  and docker rm .
• On the old Leader server, copy the Standby seed file from the new Leader using the command scp :.tar .
• On the old Leader server, create a new container using the same name as the one you just destroyed, and load the Standby seed file using the command docker run --name -d --restart=always -v /var/log/conjur:/var/log/conjur -v /opt/conjur/backup:/opt/conjur/backup -p "443:443" -p "5432:5432" -p "1999:1999" cyberark/conjur:latest seed fetch .tar
• On the old Leader server, re-enroll the node to the cluster using the command evoke cluster enroll

The other options are not correct, as they either involve unnecessary or harmful steps, such as rebuilding the new Leader or the other Standby, or re-uploading the auto-failover policy in replace mode, which may cause data loss or inconsistency.

The correct order for prioritization of the findings is as follows:

• A new vulnerability scanner project is nearing completion and is expected to go into production soon. This scanner is owned by the Security Team that owns CyberArk. This finding should be prioritized first because it has the highest urgency, feasibility, and alignment with the Security Team’s goals. The vulnerability scanner is a critical security tool that needs to protect its credentials from unauthorized access. The Security Team can leverage their own expertise and authority to implement the Secrets Manager solution for this project without much delay or dependency.
• A large, high performance application under PCI DSS regulation will require many CPs. This will require a license purchase. The procurement process can take 6-12 months. The development team is eager to work with Security on this project. This finding should be prioritized second because it has a high impact, compliance requirement, and stakeholder support. The application handles sensitive payment card data that needs to be secured by the Secrets Manager solution. The development team is willing to collaborate with the Security Team on this project and can help with the technical aspects of the implementation. However, this finding also has a high cost and a long lead time due to the license purchase and the procurement process.
• A small, internally developed application under HIPPA regulation needs updates to the application code to retrieve secrets from a Secrets Manager solution. The development team stated they cannot accommodate this work before next quarter. This finding should be prioritized third because it has a moderate impact, compliance requirement, and feasibility. The application handles protected health information that needs to be secured by the Secrets Manager solution. The development team is aware of the need to update the application code to integrate with the Secrets Manager solution, but they have other priorities and constraints that prevent them from doing so in the near term.

Here's the reasoning behind this order:

1. New vulnerability scanner project:

This project directly impacts CyberArk's Security Team, making it a high priority due to potential internal security concerns. Additionally, its near-completion state suggests a quicker implementation timeframe.

2. Large application under PCI DSS:

While this application requires significant resources and time investment due to license purchase and development, its high performance and PCI DSS regulation compliance mandate prioritization. Delaying this project could potentially lead to security vulnerabilities and compliance issues.

3. Small application under HIPAA:

Although HIPAA regulation necessitates compliance, the application's size and development team's delay request suggest a lower priority compared to the previous two projects. However, it should still be addressed within the next quarter as mandated by the development team.

The CCP (Central Credential Provider) is a tool that enables applications to securely retrieve credentials from CyberArk Secrets Manager without hard-coding or storing them in files. The CCP can be installed on a single server or on multiple servers behind a load balancer for high availability and scalability. The load balancer is a device or service that distributes the network traffic among the CCP servers based on predefined rules and criteria.

The CCP supports multiple methods to authenticate applications, such as Allowed Machines, Client Certificate, OS User, Path, and Hash. These methods are based on registering information in the Vault with the unique application ID. For more information about the supported authentication methods, see Application authentication methods1.

When installing the CCP and configuring it for use behind a load balancer, some authentication methods may be affected by the load balancer’s behavior and settings. Specifically, the following authentication methods may be affected:

• Allowed Machines authentication: This method authenticates applications based on their IP address or hostname. If the load balancer replaces the source IP or hostname of the routed packets with its own IP or hostname, the CCP will not be able to authenticate the application that initiated the credential request. To enable the CCP to resolve the IP or hostname of the application, the load balancer needs to be configured as a transparent proxy or to attach the X-Forwarded-For header to the routed packets. For more information, see Load balance the Central Credential Provider2.
• Client Certificate authentication: This method authenticates applications based on their client certificate that is signed by a trusted certificate authority (CA). The client certificate is used to establish a secure and trusted connection between the application and the CCP. If the load balancer terminates the SSL connection before proxying the traffic to the CCP, the CCP will not be able to verify the client certificate of the application. To enable the CCP to validate the client certificate, the load balancer needs to be configured as a pass-through proxy or to forward the client certificate to the CCP. For more information, see Load balance the Central Credential Provider2.

The other authentication methods are not affected by the load balancer, as they do not rely on the IP, hostname, or certificate of the application. For example, the OS User method authenticates applications based on their Windows domain user, the Path method authenticates applications based on their URL path, and the Hash method authenticates applications based on a hash value that is generated from the application ID and a shared secret. These methods do not require any special configuration on the load balancer or the CCP.

The most likely cause for this issue is A. malformed Policy file. A 422 Response from Conjur indicates that the request was well-formed but was unable to be followed due to semantic errors. A common semantic error when loading policy is having a malformed Policy file, which means that the Policy file does not follow the correct syntax, structure, or logic of the Conjur Policy language. A malformed Policy file can result from typos, missing or extra characters, incorrect indentation, invalid references, or other mistakes that prevent Conjur from parsing and applying the Policy file. The message that accompanies the 422 Response will usually provide more details about the error and the location of the problem in the Policy file.

To resolve this issue, you should review the Policy file and check for any errors or inconsistencies. You can use a YAML validator or a text editor with syntax highlighting to help you identify and correct any syntax errors. You can also use the Conjur Policy Simulator to test and debug your Policy file before loading it to Conjur. The Conjur Policy Simulator is a web-based tool that allows you to upload your Policy file and see how it will affect the Conjur data model, without actually loading it to Conjur. You can also use the Conjur Policy Simulator to compare different versions of your Policy file and see the changes and conflicts between them. For more information, refer to the following resources:

• Policy - CyberArk, Section “Policy”
• Policy Language - CyberArk, Section “Policy Language”
• Conjur Policy Simulator - CyberArk, Section “Conjur Policy Simulator”

The correct sequence of installation steps for a Credential Provider on a Linux host is as follows:

• Download the correct install package to a directory on the Linux host and decompress1.
• Copy the aimparms.sample file to /var/tmp/aimparms. Create a Credential File with an account with sufficient permissions to install. Modify the Vault.ini file to point to the correct vault2.
• Install the correct Credential Provider package for the distribution of Linux using the command: rpm -ivh CARKaim-..rpm2.
• Check that the aimprv service is running using the command: service aimprv status2.

References: 1: Download the Credential Provider 2: Install Credential Provider on Linux / AIX

ServiceAccount and StatefulSet are two of the Kubernetes resources/objects that can be used as Conjur identities, in addition to Namespace and Deployment. Conjur identities are the entities that can authenticate with Conjur and retrieve secrets from it. Conjur supports authenticating Kubernetes resources/objects using the Conjur Kubernetes Authenticator, which is a sidecar or init container that runs alongside the application container and injects the Conjur access token into a shared volume. The application container can then use the access token to fetch secrets from Conjur.

A ServiceAccount is a Kubernetes resource that represents an identity for processes that run in a pod. ServiceAccounts can be used to grant specific privileges and permissions to the pod, and to enable communication with the Kubernetes API server. A ServiceAccount can be used as a Conjur identity by annotating it with the Conjur authentication policy branch ID, and by creating a Conjur host entity that matches the ServiceAccount name and namespace. The Conjur Kubernetes Authenticator will then use the ServiceAccount token to authenticate the pod with Conjur and obtain the Conjur access token.

A StatefulSet is a Kubernetes resource that manages the deployment and scaling of a set of pods, and provides guarantees about the ordering and uniqueness of these pods. StatefulSets are useful for applications that require stable and persistent identities, such as databases, message brokers, or distributed systems. A StatefulSet can be used as a Conjur identity by annotating it with the Conjur authentication policy branch ID, and by creating a Conjur host entity that matches the StatefulSet name and namespace. The Conjur Kubernetes Authenticator will then use the pod name and namespace to authenticate the pod with Conjur and obtain the Conjur access token.

The other options are not valid Kubernetes resources/objects that can be used as Conjur identities. Replica sets are a lower-level resource that are usually managed by higher-level resources such as Deployments or StatefulSets, and do not have their own identity or annotations. Secrets are a Kubernetes resource that store sensitive information such as passwords, tokens, or keys, and are not meant to be used as identities. Tokenreviews are a Kubernetes resource that are used to verify the validity of a ServiceAccount token, and are not meant to be used as identities either. References:

• Securing Secrets in Kubernetes - CyberArk Developer, Section “Conjur Kubernetes Authentication: A Hands-On Demonstration”
• GitHub - cyberark/secrets-provider-for-k8s: Cyberark secrets provider …, Section “Consuming Secrets from CyberArk Secrets Provider”
• Secure your Kubernetes-deployed applications with CyberArk Conjur, Section “How it works”
• Simplify and Improve Container Security Using New CyberArk Conjur …, Section “CyberArk Conjur Enterprise”
• Keeping Secrets Secure on Kubernetes - CyberArk Developer, Section “The Solution”

The correct process to upgrade the CCP Web Service is D. Uninstall and reinstall the CCP Web Service. The CCP Web Service is a component of the CyberArk Central Credential Provider (CCP) that enables applications to retrieve secrets from the CyberArk Vault using REST API calls. To upgrade the CCP Web Service, you need to first uninstall the existing CCP Web Service from the Windows Server Manager or the Control Panel, and then reinstall the CCP Web Service using the latest installation package from the CyberArk website. The installation package contains both the Credential Provider and the CCP Web Service components, and you need to run the AimWebService.msi file to install the CCP Web Service. You also need to make sure that the CCP Web Service has the correct configuration and permissions, and that the CyberArk CRL (Certificate Revocation List) is open from the CCP server.

The other options are not correct processes to upgrade the CCP Web Service. Running “sudo yum update aimprv” from the CLI is a command to update the Credential Provider on Linux, not the CCP Web Service on Windows. Double-clicking the Credential Provider installer executable and selecting upgrade is a process to upgrade the Credential Provider on Windows, not the CCP Web Service. Double-clicking the AimWebService.msi and selecting upgrade is not a valid option, as the CCP Web Service does not support an upgrade option, and you need to uninstall it first before reinstalling it. References =

• Upgrade the Central Credential Provider (CCP) - CyberArk, Section “Upgrade the Central Credential Provider (CCP)”
• Central Credential Provider web service configuration - CyberArk, Section “Central Credential Provider web service configuration”

Based on the image you sent, the correct network port to its function in Conjur are:

• 22: required for SSH access
• 443: TLS endpoint for Conjur UI and API
• 444: HTTP health endpoint: simplifies load balancer setup
• 1999: audit events are streamed from the Follower to the Leader (using syslog-ng)
• 5432: required for data replication from the Leader to Standbys and Followers (PostgreSQL)

These are the standard ports and protocols used by the Conjur components to communicate with each other and with external clients. The ports can be customized according to the network and security requirements of the organization. These ports are documented in the CyberArk Secrets Manager documentation1 and the CyberArk Secrets Manager training course2.

C. docker exec evoke ca import – –no-restart

This is the correct command to import the root CA certificate into Conjur. The evoke ca import command is used to import a certificate authority (CA) certificate into the Conjur appliance. The certificate can be either a root CA or an intermediate CA. The – –no-restart option prevents the Conjur appliance from restarting after importing the certificate. The parameter specifies the path and name of the root CA certificate file to be imported. This command will add the root CA certificate to the trusted CA store of the Conjur appliance, which is used to validate the certificates of the clients and servers that communicate with Conjur. This command is documented in the Conjur documentation1 and the Conjur training course2.

The other options are not correct commands to import the root CA certificate into Conjur. The evoke import command does not exist. The – –root option is not a valid option for the evoke ca import command. The ca import command is not a valid docker exec command.

According to the CyberArk Sentry Secrets Manager documentation, auto-failover is a feature that enables the automatic promotion of a standby node to a leader node in case of a leader failure. Auto-failover requires a quorum, which is a majority of nodes in the cluster that are available and synchronized. A quorum ensures that only one node can be promoted to a leader at a time and prevents split-brain scenarios. In the exhibit, each option shows a network diagram of a load balancer and four nodes, one of which is crossed out with a red X, indicating a leader failure. The text below each diagram indicates whether there is a quorum or not. Option C is the only example where auto-failover will occur, because there is a quorum of three out of four nodes, and one of the standby nodes can be promoted to a leader. Option A will not have auto-failover, because there is no quorum, as only two out of four nodes are available. Option B will not have auto-failover, because there is no quorum, as only one out of four nodes is available. Option D will not have auto-failover, because there is no quorum, as none of the nodes are available. References: 1: Auto-failover 2: Configure auto-failover

This is the correct answer because a minimal Conjur deployment that integrates with an existing CyberArk PAM Vault environment, supports high availability, and is redundant across two geographically disparate regions requires the following servers:

• 2 Linux servers for the Conjur master cluster, one in each region. The master cluster consists of a leader and a standby node that can automatically failover in case of a leader failure. The leader node performs read/write operations on the Conjur database and policy engine, while the standby node replicates the leader data and can be promoted to leader if needed. The master cluster also hosts the Conjur UI and API endpoints.
• 4 Linux servers for the Conjur follower clusters, two in each region. The follower clusters consist of one or more follower nodes that perform read-only operations on the Conjur database and policy engine, such as authentication, authorization, and secret retrieval. The follower clusters are horizontally scalable and can be configured behind a load balancer to handle high volumes of requests from applications and clients. The follower clusters also host the Conjur Synchronizer service, which synchronizes secrets from the CyberArk PAM Vault to the Conjur database.
• 2 Linux servers for the Conjur seed fetcher service, one in each region. The seed fetcher service is a utility that runs on a separate server and periodically fetches the Conjur seed files from the master cluster and distributes them to the follower clusters. The seed files contain the configuration and encryption keys that are required to join a follower node to the Conjur cluster. The seed fetcher service ensures that the follower clusters are always updated with the latest seed files and can join the Conjur cluster without manual intervention.
• 2 Windows servers for the CyberArk Central Credential Provider (CCP), one in each region. The CCP is a component that provides secure and centralized credential management for applications and clients that need to access secrets from the CyberArk PAM Vault. The CCP exposes a web service interface that allows applications and clients to request credentials based on their identity and permissions. The CCP integrates with the Conjur Synchronizer service to retrieve the secrets from the Conjur database and cache them locally for faster access.

Therefore, the total number of servers required for this deployment is 9 Linux servers and 2 Windows servers. This deployment architecture is based on the Conjur documentation1 and the Conjur training course2.

Line of business (LOB) is a term used by CyberArk Secrets Manager to describe the services that Conjur offers and typically refers to a group of application identities in Conjur. A LOB can be defined by a Conjur policy that grants permissions and access to secrets for a specific set of applications. For example, a LOB can represent a business unit, a project, a product, or a team within an organization. A LOB can also have sub-LOBs that inherit the permissions and secrets from the parent LOB, but can also have their own specific policies and secrets. A LOB can help organize and manage secrets for different applications in a hierarchical and scalable way. References: CyberArk Secrets Manager - Line of Business; CyberArk Secrets Manager - Policy Management; CyberArk Secrets Manager - Application Identity Management