securing the internet facing e-business suite

07/19/04 NorCal OAUG Training Day, Paper 2.4

John Peters, JRPJR, Inc. 1

Securing the Internet Facing

E-Business Suite

John PetersJRPJR, Inc.

[email protected]



• How many of you have an Internet Facing Oracle Application Module? Or Considered Buying one?– iStore– iCustomers– iSuppliers– iSupport– iRequitment– iReceivables– Others???

• How many of you have thought about security?



• General Oracle Applications Security (why this is not enough)

• Various Systems Configuration Options

• An Optimal Solution at This Time

• External Facing eBusiness Suite Functionality Issues

What you should learn from this presentation:



• Note 189367.1, 06-JAN-2005 Best Practices for Securing the E-Business Suite*** An excellent starting point ***

• Covers each applications component:– SQL*Net Listener– Database– Applications Tier– eBusiness Suite– Desktop– OS

General Oracle Applications Security



• Note 189367.1, 06-JAN-2005• But leaves many holes

– Does not provide a configuration overview

– Does not adequately address external eBusiness Suite modules

– Just barely touches on OS Issues– Does not address user registration

issues

General Oracle Applications Security



Typical OraApps ConfigurationInternal Users Only

• One or more physical servers for each Tier• Typically a router between the servers and the user• Connection between users and servers is typically

non-SSL HTTP:// (not HTTPS://)

SAN DeviceDB

DatabaseTier

ApplicationsTier

UserComputers

Router



• SSL encrypts communications between users and the Applications Tier

• Sometimes SOX pushes this as a requirement

• Possibly a 10-15% performance hit• Hardware Accelerators are available

• Probably not required and overkill for internal users running on a switched network

Non-SSL vs SSLFor Internal Users Only



• ‘A Guide to Understanding and Implementing SSL with Oracle Applications 11i’, Note:123718.1

• This document changes so keep up to date with it

• There are issues associated with some modules which call servlets: – Configurator (even if you are not using it OM calls it for

PTO Kits)– iPayment– Fix requires running a non-SSL web listener

• Again SSL is probably not required for most sites

SSL ImplementationFor Internal Users Only



• Example 1No DMZ, Open Up Firewall

• Example 2DMZ Application Server

• Example 3DMZ Web Cache Server

• Example 4DMZ Web Cache ServerDedicated External Applications Server

OraApps Internet Facing Configurations



Example 1: Non-DMZ Configuration (do not do this)

Drawbacks• With same ports open that internal users use,

internal functionality is exposed to the internet• Without SSL between the Internet User’s

Computer and Applications Tier communications can be eave’s dropped on

SAN DeviceDB

DatabaseTier

ApplicationsTier

UserComputers

Router

Internet UserComputers

CorporateFirewall

Corporate NetworkInternet

non-SSL



Example 2: DMZ Application Server Configuration

Benefits• Internet Communication is done through SSL• SSL End Point is not on Internal Applications Tier• Communication between DMZ Applications Tier

and DB Tier are done through SQL*net• DMZ must be compromised for a hacker to get in

SAN DeviceDB

DatabaseTier

ApplicationsTier

UserComputers

Router


CorporateFirewall

DMZ Firewall

DMZApplications

Tier

DMZ Corporate NetworkInternet

SSLnon-SSL



Example 2: DMZ Application Server Configuration

Drawbacks• DMZ Applications Tier exposes too much to a possible

hacker• DMZ Applications Tier must be patched and

monitored• Not currently autoconfig and ad tools supported

SAN DeviceDB

DatabaseTier

ApplicationsTier

UserComputers

Router


CorporateFirewall

DMZ Firewall

DMZApplications

Tier


SSLnon-SSL



Example 3: DMZ Web Cache Server

Benefits• All the benefits of Example 2• Ports are filtered, only http traffic between Internet and

Applications Tier• Minimize software components in DMZ• Only one Applications Tier to patch• Can change URL, masking the Oracle Application

URLs were http://mysite.com/OA_HTML/URLs can be http://mysite.com/external/

SAN DeviceDB

DatabaseTier

ApplicationsTier

UserComputers

Router


CorporateFirewall

DMZ Firewall


SSLnon-SSL

DMZWeb Cache



Example 3: DMZ Web Cache Server

Drawbacks• Applications Tier still exposes too much

to a possible hacker. You can deep link to JSP pages if you know their names.

SAN DeviceDB

DatabaseTier

ApplicationsTier

UserComputers

Router


CorporateFirewall

DMZ Firewall


SSLnon-SSL

DMZWeb Cache



• Web Cache is a component of Oracle iAS 10G (and prior versions)

• Web Cache in my example is installed without Oracle iAS 10G(standalone installation)

• Minimal set of software– No Infrastructure DB– None of the other components of iAS– Perfect for a DMZ deployment

• Please refer to the product documentation on OTNOracle Application Server 10g Release 2 (10.1.2)

• Please talk to your Oracle Sales Rep for licensing information.

What is Web Cache



• Web Cache sits between the users and the origin servers (Applications Tier)

• Web Cache stores or caches data into memory based on rules you specify

• The primary purpose is to improve performance of web sites

• Our purpose is to:– Provide an SSL termination point– Change the URL’s served up– Filter the URL’s (not available yet)

• Web Cache can also provide an error page should the Application Tier be down for maintenance

What does Web Cache do?



Example 4: DMZ Web Cache & Dedicated Apps Tier

Benefits• External Applications Tier can have all of

the components not required by the Internet Users removed. Thus preventing deep linking issues.

SAN DeviceDB

DatabaseTier

InternalApplications

Tier

UserComputers

Router


CorporateFirewall

DMZ Firewall


SSLnon-SSL

DMZWeb Cache

ExternalApplications

Tier



Example 4: DMZ Web Cache & Dedicated Apps Tier

Drawbacks• External Applications Tier not supported

by Oracle tools. You have to manually maintain this tier.

SAN DeviceDB

DatabaseTier

InternalApplications

Tier

UserComputers

Router


CorporateFirewall

DMZ Firewall


SSLnon-SSL

DMZWeb Cache

ExternalApplications

Tier



• Eliminates the need for Example 4’s External Application Server

• WebCache Server in DMZ will filter URL’s• External Product Teams will supply URL

patterns• Mitigating the “unnecessary code” problem• Described in Oracle OpenWorld Paper

‘Oracle E-Business Suite Security Management’ by George Buzsaki, VP Applications Technology Products at Oracle

‘DMZ Reverse Proxy Server’



My Recommendation

• Go with Example 3 for now.• You can hack the Apache web server configuration to

provide some URL filtering• Keep an eye open for Oracle’s ‘DMZ Reverse Proxy

Server’ filtering release

SAN DeviceDB

DatabaseTier

ApplicationsTier

UserComputers

Router


CorporateFirewall

DMZ Firewall


SSLnon-SSL

DMZWeb Cache



How does it work (step 1)

• Internet users go to:https://mysite.com/external/login.jsp

• Connects using SSL to port 443 of the DMZ Web Cache Server on NIC 1

SAN DeviceDB

DatabaseTier

ApplicationsTier

UserComputers

Router


CorporateFirewall

DMZ Firewall


SSLnon-SSL

DMZWeb Cache




• Web Cache reviews URL request to see if page/data is cached in memory

• If so it serves up page/data

SAN DeviceDB

DatabaseTier

ApplicationsTier

UserComputers

Router


CorporateFirewall

DMZ Firewall


SSLnon-SSL

DMZWeb Cache




• Web Cache sends request out to the Application Tier (Origin Server) http://myserver.com:8000/OA_HTML/login.jsp

• Communication is through NIC 2 using non-SSL• Notice the URL changes• Application Tier responds, Web Cache relays page/data to the

Internet User

SAN DeviceDB

DatabaseTier

ApplicationsTier

UserComputers

Router


CorporateFirewall

DMZ Firewall


SSLnon-SSL

DMZWeb Cache



• My recommendation is a small server like:– Dell PowerEdge 2850 or 1850– 2 CPU server – 4GB of RAM– Dual NICs

• Run Linux on this Server

Web Cache Server HW



• Dual NIC’s allow us to configure them– One NIC Internet Facing– One NIC Application Tier Facing

• We are effectively using this server to route traffic from one network to the other

Web Cache Server NIC Configuration



• Reinstall the factory installed OS• Install only the essential

components– Compilers– Kernal Source– X Windows/GNOME

• Install an intrusion detection product like TripWire

Hardening the Linux OS



Creates a database of files on your server storing information like:– Inode number– Multiple Checksums– File Size– File Permission– File Ownership

• You create the Policy file describing what directories/files to track• Reports can be run periodically to tell you if something changed

and are sent via email• TripWire DB and Policy Files are stored on another centralized

server• This takes a while to setup and change the policy file to keep the

noise to a minimum• Was an Open Source product, included on older Linux distributions• Now is commercial, www.tripwire.com

TripWire



• OS Security issues don’t just exist for Microsoft products

• Subscribe to your Linux vendor’s patching/support service

• Emails will alert you when fixes are available and are tailored to your install

• The automated tools for patching the OS are fairly easy to use

Keep Linux Patched



Don’t forget the TEST instance

PROD

TEST

SAN DeviceDB

DatabaseTier

ApplicationsTier

UserComputers

Router


CorporateFirewall

DMZ Firewall


SSLnon-SSL

DMZWeb Cache

SAN DeviceDB

DatabaseTier

ApplicationsTier

UserComputers

Router


CorporateFirewall

DMZ Firewall


SSLnon-SSL

DMZWeb Cache



• Down time for patching is now a bigger deal with External Users

• Web Cache can serve up “System Down For Maintenance” messages to External Users, rather than no server found browser errors

• What was 6am to 6pm support, now turns into 24x7

• Who do external users contact for support?

Support Issues



• All External Facing eBusiness Suite Applications utilize FND_USER

• All of these non-company resources have accounts on your system– iStore Users– iReceivables Users– iSupplier Users– iRecruitment Users

User Registration Issues



• Come up with a Userid Standard for both classes of users:– Internal Users– External Users

• Internal Users<first name initial><last name><windows login>jsmith

• External Users<email address>[email protected]

How to know who is who



• They are different• Internal and External differences

– Password aging– Handling of Password reset requests– Responsibility requests– Responsibility verifications– End date

• Also eBusiness Suite Record History is instantly visible and identifiable.

Internal vs External



• iStore’s user registration page inserts FND_USER records– User records can not be purged– Internal and External Users are mixed

together(use a convention of email address for external users)

– They are routed for approval but if denied they are unusable forever

– Approval process is really insufficient for most business cases

User Registration Page Issues



• iStore’s user registration page requests the Party Number from the customer registering.– How many customers know they are 123456– If they enter 123465 they are linked to a

completely different customer– Once incorrectly linked it is almost

impossible to correct in CRM, FND_USER, TCA

– FND_USER record is lost for further use

User Registration Page Issues (cont.)



• Soution:– Create a custom form and table – External userids request are stored in the

custom table for review– Data is reviewed and if okay entered by

internal resources into the Oracle Applications registration processes to ensure it’s accuracy

• Denial of Service attacks will fill this custom table which we can delete records from. This object can be created with no redo log actions to minimize impact on archive logs if required.

User Registration Page Issues (cont.)



• External Facing eBusiness Suite modules bring Security issues to light

• You might ask, Why do this to yourself?

• There are legitimate business reasons to use External Facing eBusiness Suite modules

• Just go into them with open eyes and an understanding of what you are getting into

Summary



• Note:189367.1, 06-JAN-2005 Best Practices for Securing the E-Business Suite

• Note:243324.1, 08-JUL-2003

Securing Oracle E-Business Suite for Internet Access by Suppliers

• Note:229335.1, 19-MAY-2004 Best Practices for Securing Oracle E-Business Suite for Internet Access

Additional References



• Linux Security Cookbook– by Daniel J. Barrett, Richard E. Silverman, Robert G.

Byrnes O'Reilly • Real World Linux Security: Intrusion

Prevention, Detection and Recovery– by Bob Toxen

Prentice Hall PTR

Additional Book References



• My contact information:John [email protected] http://www.jrpjr.com

• Additional reference papers can be found at:http://www.norcaloaug.orghttp://www.jrpjr.com

http://www.norcaloaug.org/

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