CIS MySQL Benchmarks

Attackers on the network often seek out vulnerable Database Management Systems (DMS) to exploit confidential information and account credentials. MySQL is used by many web applications such as WordPress and Drupal, and is also a very popular target for attackers. All to often these systems are patched on an irregular basis, and in some cases only to fix an application issue. Due to this infrequent patching, MySQL servers can be left misconfigured, and provide an entry point for attackers to exploit and exfiltrate to confidential data. These reports provide a high-level overview of results gathered from CIS compliance scans using the CIS MySQL Server Benchmarks.

Tenable Network Security has been certified by CIS to perform a wide variety of platform and application audits based on the best practice consensus benchmarks developed by CIS. Tenable submits example test cases for all of the criteria within each unique benchmark, and then submits our results to CIS personnel for official certification. Tenable has created several audit files based on the CIS MySQL Server Benchmarks, which has been approved and certified by CIS staff members.

When performing managed scans with Tenable.sc, some CIS audits require additional patch audits and vulnerability checks. Any additional requirements for completing an audit using the CIS MySQL Server Benchmarks will be included within the audit file description text. In some cases, multiple scans may be required to be performed, as Tenable provides both Level 1 and Level 2 audit checks. Level 1 checks provide minimum setting recommendations, and are generally considered safe to apply to most systems. Level 2 checks include recommendations for complex or highly secure environments, and can lead to reduced functionality of key systems or applications.

When performing audit scans with Tenable.sc, audit files related to the CIS MySQL Server Benchmarks must first be uploaded to Tenable.sc. Next, the appropriate credentials must be added, after which a scan policy can be created. Finally, a scan can be scheduled. As part of the post scan jobs, the 'Auto-Run Reports' can be enabled automatically, running this report on the data collected using the appropriate audit file. Using these benchmarks will help to assess the effectiveness of existing security controls, and provide the critical information needed to improve an organization's security posture.

The reports are available in the Tenable.sc Feed, a comprehensive collection of dashboards, reports, Assurance Report Cards, and assets. The reports can be easily located in the Tenable.sc Feed under the category Compliance & Configuration Assessment. The report requirements are:

• Tenable.sc 5.2.0
• Nessus 8.5.1
• CIS Audit Files for CIS MySQL Server systems are required, and the files required for each template are listed below with their respective templates. 

Maintaining the security of web applications is challenging enough for any organization.  MySQL server provides a key requirement for organizations, and must be configured properly to protect confidential data. Tenable.sc helps to measure and communicate results with many compliance standards using the CIS Benchmarks. Tenable.sc comes with over 200 audit files for CIS and more than 400 audit files overall, which supports the security operations team in performing audits on many system types and applications. By prioritizing remediation actions for misconfigured systems, the organization can maximize their investment in compliance reporting and system hardening efforts. Tenable.sc delivers comprehensive security solutions that provide continuous visibility and critical context, enabling decisive actions to protect the organization.

Report Templates

CIS MySQL 4.1_5.1 v1.0.2 - This report template provides summaries of the audit checks for the MySQL 4.1, 5.0, 5.1 Community Edition benchmark. The report template focuses on systems with MySQL versions 4.1, 5.0, and 5.1 installed running on Windows Server 2003 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 platforms. The audit files required to support this report template are:

• CIS_MySQL_4.1_5.1_Benchmark_v1.0.2_LEVEL_1_DB.audit
• CIS_MySQL_4.1_5.1_Benchmark_v1.0.2_LEVEL_2_DB.audit
• CIS_MySQL_4.1_5.1_Benchmark_v1.0.2_OS_MS_L1.audit
• CIS_MySQL_4.1_5.1_Benchmark_v1.0.2_OS_MS_L2.audit
• CIS_MySQL_4.1_5.1_Benchmark_v1.0.2_OS_UNIX_L1.audit
• CIS_MySQL_4.1_5.1_Benchmark_v1.0.2_OS_UNIX_L2.audit

CIS Oracle MySQL Community Server 5.6 Benchmark v1.1.0 - This report template provides summaries of the audit checks for the CIS Oracle MySQL Community Server 5.6 Benchmark. The report template focuses on systems with MySQL Community Server 5.6 installed running on Windows Server 2008 R2 and Ubuntu Linux 14.04 platforms. The audit files required to support this report template are:

• CIS_MySQL_5.6_Community_Benchmark_v1.1.0_LEVEL_1_DB.audit
• CIS_MySQL_5.6_Community_Benchmark_v1.1.0_LEVEL_2_DB.audit
• CIS_MySQL_5.6_Community_Benchmark_v1.1.0_OS_MS_L1.audit
• CIS_MySQL_5.6_Community_Benchmark_v1.1.0_OS_MS_L2.audit
• CIS_MySQL_5.6_Community_Benchmark_v1.1.0_OS_UNIX_L1.audit
• CIS_MySQL_5.6_Community_Benchmark_v1.1.0_OS_UNIX_L2.audit

CIS Oracle MySQL Community Server 5.7 Benchmark v1.0.0 - This report template provides summaries of the audit checks for the CIS Oracle MySQL Community Server 5.7 Benchmark. The report template focuses on systems with MySQL Community Server 5.7 installed running on Windows Server 2008 R2 and Ubuntu Linux 14.04 platforms. The audit files required to support this report template are:

• CIS_MySQL_5.7_Community_Benchmark_v1.0.0_LEVEL_1_DB.audit
• CIS_MySQL_5.7_Community_Benchmark_v1.0.0_LEVEL_2_DB.audit
• CIS_MySQL_5.7_Community_Benchmark_v1.0.0_OS_MS_L1.audit
• CIS_MySQL_5.7_Community_Benchmark_v1.0.0_OS_MS_L2.audit
• CIS_MySQL_5.7_Community_Benchmark_v1.0.0_OS_UNIX_L1.audit
• CIS_MySQL_5.7_Community_Benchmark_v1.0.0_OS_UNIX_L2.audit

CIS Oracle MySQL Enterprise Edition 5.6 Benchmark v1.1.0 - This report template provides summaries of the audit checks for the CIS Oracle MySQL Enterprise Server 5.6 Benchmark. The report template focuses on systems with MySQL Enterprise Server 5.6 installed running on Windows Server 2008 R2 and Ubuntu Linux 14.04 platforms. The audit files required to support this report template are:

• CIS_MySQL_5.6_Enterprise_Benchmark_v1.1.0_LEVEL_1_DB.audit
• CIS_MySQL_5.6_Enterprise_Benchmark_v1.1.0_LEVEL_2_DB.audit
• CIS_MySQL_5.6_Enterprise_Benchmark_v1.1.0_OS_MS_L1.audit
• CIS_MySQL_5.6_Enterprise_Benchmark_v1.1.0_OS_MS_L2.audit
• CIS_MySQL_5.6_Enterprise_Benchmark_v1.1.0_OS_UNIX_L1.audit
• CIS_MySQL_5.6_Enterprise_Benchmark_v1.1.0_OS_UNIX_L2.audit

CIS Oracle MySQL Enterprise Edition 5.7 Benchmark v1.0.0 - This report template provides summaries of the audit checks for the CIS Oracle MySQL Enterprise Server 5.7 Benchmark. The report template focuses on systems with MySQL Enterprise Server 5.7 installed running on Windows Server 2008 R2 and Ubuntu Linux 14.04 platforms. The audit files required to support this report template are:

• CIS_MySQL_5.7_Enterprise_Benchmark_v1.0.0_Level_1_DB.audit
• CIS_MySQL_5.7_Enterprise_Benchmark_v1.0.0_Level_1_OS_Linux.audit
• CIS_MySQL_5.7_Enterprise_Benchmark_v1.0.0_Level_1_OS_MS.audit
• CIS_MySQL_5.7_Enterprise_Benchmark_v1.0.0_Level_2_DB.audit
• CIS_MySQL_5.7_Enterprise_Benchmark_v1.0.0_Level_2_OS_Linux.audit
• CIS_MySQL_5.7_Enterprise_Benchmark_v1.0.0_Level_2_OS_MS.audit

CIS MySQL Enterprise 8.0 Benchmark v1.1.0 - This report template provides summaries of the audit checks for the CIS MySQL Enterprise 8.0 Benchmark for Level 1 & 2 DB and Level 1 & 2 Linux OS. The report template focuses on systems with MySQL Enterprise 8.0 installed on Ubuntu Linux platforms. The audit files required to support this report template are:

• CIS_MySQL_8.0_Enterprise_Benchmark_v1.1.0_Level_1_DB.audit
• CIS_MySQL_8.0_Enterprise_Benchmark_v1.1.0_Level_2_OS_Linux.audit
• CIS_MySQL_8.0_Enterprise_Benchmark_v1.1.0_Level_2_DB.audit
• CIS_MySQL_8.0_Enterprise_Benchmark_v1.1.0_Level_1_OS_Linux.audit