Source: Tenable Blog Author: Lior Zatlavi URL: https://www.tenable.com/blog/creating-elegant-azure-custom-roles-putting-notactions-into-action
ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:
Using Azure’s “NotActions” and “NotDataActions” attributes simplifies custom Role creation, making them more manageable, secure, and efficient.
MAIN POINTS:
- Azure RBAC enables assigning permissions via built-in or custom Roles using JSON-based role definitions.
- “Actions” and “DataActions” define allowed control plane and data plane operations, respectively.
- “NotActions” and “NotDataActions” exclude specific permissions from those granted in “Actions” and “DataActions.”
- Wildcards (*) help simplify permission definitions by grouping multiple related actions.
- “NotActions” is not a deny rule; permissions excluded here can still be granted in other assignments.
- Tenable Cloud Security analyzes permissions and suggests least-privileged custom Roles based on actual usage.
- Automatically generated least-privileged Roles reduce security risks by limiting unnecessary permissions.
- Using “NotActions” significantly reduces Role definition size, improving readability and manageability.
- Compact, structured Roles make debugging and auditing permissions much easier.
- Testing in a lower environment before applying custom Roles in production is crucial for security.
TAKEAWAYS:
- Leveraging “NotActions” and “NotDataActions” streamlines custom Role creation and enhances security.
- Wildcards simplify permission management by avoiding lengthy, repetitive role definitions.
- Least-privileged Roles mitigate security risks by restricting unnecessary access.
- Tenable Cloud Security automates permission analysis and generates optimized Role suggestions.
- Properly structured custom Roles improve operational efficiency and ease of maintenance.