MongoDB Atlas database secrets engine

MongoDB Atlas is one of the supported plugins for the database secrets engine. This plugin generates database credentials dynamically based on configured roles for MongoDB Atlas databases. It cannot support rotating the root user's credentials because it uses a public and private key pair to authenticate.

See the database secrets engine docs for more information about setting up the database secrets engine.

Capabilities

Setup

1. Enable the database secrets engine if it is not already enabled:

   $ vault secrets enable database
   Success! Enabled the database secrets engine at: database/
   

   By default, the secrets engine will enable at the name of the engine. To enable the secrets engine at a different path, use the -path argument.

2. Configure Vault with the proper plugin and connection information:

   $ vault write database/config/my-mongodbatlas-database \
       plugin_name=mongodbatlas-database-plugin \
       allowed_roles="*" \
       public_key="jmskfortvf" \
       private_key="ea6acbc7-8a30-4a3f-812e-6f869c08bcd1" \
       project_id="4f96cad208574fd14aa8dda3a"
   

Usage

After the secrets engine is configured and a user/machine has a Vault token with the proper permissions, it can generate credentials.

Password credentials

1. Configure a role that maps a name in Vault to a MongoDB Atlas command that executes and creates the database user credential:

   $ vault write database/roles/my-password-role \
       db_name=my-mongodbatlas-database \
       creation_statements='{"database_name": "admin","roles": [{"databaseName":"admin","roleName":"atlasAdmin"}]}' \
       default_ttl="1h" \
       max_ttl="24h"
   Success! Data written to: database/roles/my-password-role
   

2. Generate a new credential by reading from the /creds endpoint with the name of the role:

   $ vault read database/creds/my-password-role
       Key                Value
       ---                -----
       lease_id           database/creds/my-role/2f6a614c-4aa2-7b19-24b9-ad944a8d4de6
       lease_duration     1h
       lease_renewable    true
       password           FBYwnnh-fwc0quxtKf11
       username           v-my-password-role-DKbQEg6uRn
   

   Each invocation of the command generates a new credential.

   MongoDB Atlas database credentials eventually become consistent when the MongoDB Atlas Admin API coordinates with hosted clusters in your Atlas project. You cannot use the credentials successfully until the consistency process completes.

   If you plan to use MongoDB Atlas credentials in a pipeline, you may need to add a time delay or secondary process to account for the time required to establish consistency.

Client certificate credentials

1. Configure a role that maps a name in Vault to a MongoDB Atlas command that executes and creates the X509 type database user credential:

   $ vault write database/roles/my-dynamic-certificate-role \
     db_name=my-mongodbatlas-database \
     creation_statements='{"database_name": "$external", "x509Type": "CUSTOMER", "roles": [{"databaseName":"<db_name>","roleName":"readWrite"}]}' \
     default_ttl="1h" \
     max_ttl="24h" \
     credential_type="client_certificate" \
     credential_config=ca_cert="$(cat path/to/ca_cert.pem)" \
     credential_config=ca_private_key="$(cat path/to/private_key.pem)" \
     credential_config=key_type="rsa" \
     credential_config=key_bits=2048 \
     credential_config=signature_bits=256 \
     credential_config=common_name_template="{{.DisplayName}}_{{.RoleName}}_{{unix_time}}"
   Success! Data written to: database/roles/my-dynamic-certificate-role
   

2. Generate a new credential by reading from the /creds endpoint with the name of the role:

   ```shell-session
   $ vault read database/creds/my-dynamic-certificate-role
     Key                 Value
     ---                 -----
     request_id          b6556b2d-c379-5a92-465d-6597c506c821
     lease_id            database/creds/my-dynamic-certificate-role/AZ5tao6NjLJctx7fm1bujKEL
     lease_duration      1h
     lease_renewable     true
     client_certificate  -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
                         ...
                         -----END CERTIFICATE-----
     private_key         -----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----
                         ...
                         -----END PRIVATE KEY-----
     private_key_type    rsa
     username            CN=token_my-dynamic-certificate-role_1677262121
   ```
   

Client certificate authentication

MongoDB Atlas supports X.509 client certificate based authentication for enhanced authentication security as an alternative to username and password authentication. The MongoDB Atlas database plugin can be used to manage client certificate credentials for MongoDB Atlas users by using client_certificate credential_type.

See the usage section for examples using dynamic roles.

API

The full list of configurable options can be seen in the MongoDB Atlas Database Plugin HTTP API page.

For more information on the database secrets engine's HTTP API please see the Database Secrets Engine API page.