Using a Read-Only filesystem for containers is a security best practice to prevent attackers from modifying the container's file system, which could lead to unauthorized access or damage to the host system. It limits the attack surface and provides an additional layer of protection to the containerized application. By using a Read-Only filesystem, the container is prevented from making any changes to the filesystem or writing new files, which reduces the risk of tampering with system files or applications. Any changes made by the application during runtime are stored in a separate, writable layer that is discarded when the container is stopped or deleted. This security best practice is especially useful for containers that run untrusted code or are exposed to the public internet.
Here are the steps to ensure that containers are running with a read-only filesystem where possible:
- Identify the containers that require read-only filesystems. Some containers may need to write to the filesystem, so it's important to carefully evaluate which containers can use a read-only filesystem.
- Update the container specifications or deployment manifests to set the appropriate settings for read-only filesystems.
- Test the containers to ensure that they function correctly with the read-only filesystem. If any issues are identified, troubleshoot and adjust the container settings as necessary.
- Implement monitoring and alerting to ensure that containers are running with the expected configuration, and to alert if any unexpected changes occur.
By following these steps, containers can be configured to run with a read-only filesystem where possible, which can help improve the security and stability of the container environment.
Note: Remediation steps provided by Lightlytics are meant to be suggestions and guidelines only. It is crucial to thoroughly verify and test any remediation steps before applying them to production environments. Each organization's infrastructure and security needs may differ, and blindly applying suggested remediation steps without proper testing could potentially cause unforeseen issues or vulnerabilities. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you validate and customize any remediation steps to meet your organization's specific requirements and ensure that they align with your security policies and best practices.
