NoSQL Database Security Assessment
Comprehensive penetration testing and security assessment for NoSQL databases including MongoDB, Redis, Elasticsearch, Cassandra, and Neo4j. Identify NoSQL injection vulnerabilities, authentication weaknesses, and configuration issues.
Supported NoSQL Databases
Expertise in all NoSQL database types and their unique attack vectors
Document Store
4.4, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0
Key-Value Store
6.x, 7.x
Search Engine
7.x, 8.x
Wide Column Store
4.x, 5.x
Document Store
3.x
Key-Value & Document
AWS Managed
Graph Database
4.x, 5.x
In-Memory Cache
1.6.x
NoSQL Injection Attack Types
We test all NoSQL injection attack vectors for each database type
Exploiting MongoDB operators like $gt, $ne, $regex, $where in query parameters to bypass authentication or extract data.
Example Payloads:
{"$gt": ""}{"$ne": null}Injecting JavaScript code through $where clauses or server-side JavaScript evaluation in MongoDB.
Example Payloads:
$where: 'this.password.match(/^a/)'sleep(5000)Exploiting Redis commands like CONFIG, EVAL, or DEBUG to execute arbitrary commands or read/write files.
Example Payloads:
CONFIG SET dir /var/wwwEVAL "os.execute('id')"Manipulating Elasticsearch Query DSL to access unauthorized data, execute scripts, or cause DoS.
Example Payloads:
{"script": {"source": "..."}}{"bool": {"must_not": []}}Injecting malicious Cypher queries in Neo4j to extract graph data or modify relationships.
Example Payloads:
' OR 1=1 //MATCH (n) RETURN n LIMIT 1000Using NoSQL features to make server-side requests to internal services or cloud metadata endpoints.
Example Payloads:
http://169.254.169.254Internal service URLsDatabase-Specific Vulnerabilities
Each NoSQL database has unique attack vectors that we specialize in
No Authentication
MongoDB instances exposed without authentication enabled
Operator Injection
Unvalidated JSON input allowing $gt, $ne, $regex operators
Server-Side JS
$where clause allowing JavaScript execution
No Password
Redis exposed without requirepass configured
CONFIG Command
CONFIG SET allowing file write and RCE
Lua RCE
EVAL command allowing arbitrary Lua script execution
Open Access
Elasticsearch cluster without X-Pack security
Script Execution
Painless or Groovy scripting enabled without restrictions
Snapshot Exposure
Snapshot repository accessible without authentication
What Do We Assess?
Comprehensive coverage of all NoSQL database security aspects
- MongoDB Operator Injection
- JavaScript Injection
- Redis Command Injection
- Query DSL Injection
- Cypher Injection
- BSON Injection
- Authentication Bypass
- Default Credentials
- RBAC/ACL Review
- Field-Level Access Control
- Inter-Node Authentication
- LDAP/AD Integration
- Inter-Node Communication
- Replica Set Configuration
- Sharding Security
- Master/Slave Security
- Gossip Protocol
- Network Segmentation
- Encryption in Transit (TLS)
- Encryption at Rest
- Field-Level Encryption
- Key Management
- Sensitive Data Masking
- Backup Security
- CIS Benchmark Review
- Dangerous Feature Disable
- Network Binding
- Logging Configuration
- Unnecessary Services
- Security Patches
- Operation Logging
- Audit Trail
- Anomaly Detection
- Log Integrity
- Retention Policies
- Security Alerting
Common Findings
Vulnerabilities we commonly discover in NoSQL database assessments
NoSQL database accessible from network without any authentication
Application vulnerable to operator or JavaScript injection attacks
Database connections not using TLS encryption
Application users with administrative or excessive database privileges
Database operations not being logged for security audit
Features like server-side JavaScript or CONFIG command enabled
Assessment Process
Our structured approach to NoSQL database security assessment
Identify NoSQL database instances, versions, exposed ports, and cluster topology. Map the data model and access patterns.
Test for default credentials, authentication bypass, and weak authentication mechanisms. Evaluate inter-node authentication.
Execute comprehensive NoSQL injection tests including operator injection, JavaScript injection, and command injection.
Assess configuration against CIS benchmarks and vendor security guidelines. Review network binding, TLS, and logging settings.
Attempt to escalate privileges through RBAC misconfigurations, dangerous commands, or cluster exploitation.
Detailed technical report with database-specific remediation guidance and prioritized action items.
Deliverables
Comprehensive documentation you will receive at the end of the assessment
High-level overview of findings and risk posture for management
Detailed findings with CVSS scores and database-specific exploitation proof
Working NoSQL injection payloads specific to your database type
CIS Benchmark compliance report for your NoSQL database
Database-specific hardening steps and secure configuration templates
Validation of remediation effectiveness after fixes are applied
Frequently Asked Questions
NoSQL injection exploits the specific query languages and data formats of NoSQL databases. Unlike SQL injection which targets SQL syntax, NoSQL injection targets JSON operators ($gt, $ne), JavaScript code ($where), or database-specific commands. MongoDB operator injection, Redis command injection, and Elasticsearch Query DSL injection are common examples.
We assess all major NoSQL databases: Document stores (MongoDB, CouchDB), Key-value stores (Redis, Memcached, DynamoDB), Wide-column stores (Cassandra, HBase), Graph databases (Neo4j), and Search engines (Elasticsearch, OpenSearch). Each has unique security features and attack vectors that we specialize in.
We test MongoDB injection through multiple vectors: 1) Operator injection using $gt, $ne, $regex, $in operators to bypass authentication, 2) JavaScript injection via $where clauses, 3) BSON type confusion attacks, 4) Aggregation pipeline injection, and 5) Map-reduce function injection. We use both automated tools and manual techniques.
Redis CONFIG attack exploits the CONFIG SET command to write arbitrary files to the server. An attacker can set the database file location (dir) and filename (dbfilename), then insert SSH keys or web shells into the database, and trigger a save operation. This leads to Remote Code Execution (RCE). We test for CONFIG command availability and proper ACL restrictions.
Elasticsearch assessment covers: X-Pack security configuration (or Open Distro Security), API authentication and authorization, Query DSL injection through script fields or function_score, Index-level and field-level security, Network exposure and cluster communication encryption, Snapshot repository security, and Kibana dashboard access controls.
A single NoSQL database instance typically takes 3-5 business days. Complex environments with clusters, sharding, or multiple database types may require 1-2 weeks. Assessment scope includes both the database itself and application-layer injection testing, which impacts timeline.
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