# Database Access with Self-Hosted MongoDB Teleport can provide secure access to MongoDB via the [Teleport Database Service](https://goteleport.com/docs/enroll-resources/database-access.md). This allows for fine-grained access control through the [Teleport RBAC system](https://goteleport.com/docs/enroll-resources/database-access/rbac.md). The Teleport Database Service proxies traffic from database clients to self-hosted databases in your infrastructure. Teleport maintains a certificate authority (CA) for database clients. You configure your database to trust the Teleport database client CA, and the Teleport Database Service presents certificates signed by this CA when proxying user traffic. With this setup, there is no need to store long-lived credentials for self-hosted databases. Meanwhile, the Teleport Database Service verifies self-hosted databases by checking their TLS certificates against either the Teleport database CA or a custom CA used with the database. In this guide, you will: 1. Configure your MongoDB database for Teleport access. 2. Add the database to your Teleport cluster. 3. Connect to the database via Teleport. ## How it works The Teleport Database Service authenticates to your self-hosted MongoDB database using mutual TLS. MongoDB trusts the Teleport certificate authority for database clients, and presents a certificate signed by either the Teleport database CA or a custom CA. When a user initiates a database session, the Teleport Database Service presents a certificate signed by Teleport. The authenticated connection then proxies client traffic from the user. **Self-Hosted** ![Enroll MongoDB with a Self-Hosted Teleport Cluster](/docs/assets/images/mongodb_selfhosted-f84728c2f3437bb38242c79f0131a84f.png) **Teleport Enterprise Cloud** ![Enroll MongoDB with a Cloud-Hosted Teleport Cluster](/docs/assets/images/mongodb_cloud-982b51901dbda3b7e71adfdb6061f120.png) ## Prerequisites - A running Teleport cluster. If you want to get started with Teleport, [sign up](https://goteleport.com/signup) for a free trial or [set up a demo environment](https://goteleport.com/docs/get-started/deploy-community.md). - The `tctl` and `tsh` clients. Installing `tctl` and `tsh` clients 1. Determine the version of your Teleport cluster. The `tctl` and `tsh` clients must be at most one major version behind your Teleport cluster version. Send a GET request to the Proxy Service at `/v1/webapi/find` and use a JSON query tool to obtain your cluster version. Replace teleport.example.com:443 with the web address of your Teleport Proxy Service: ``` $ TELEPORT_DOMAIN=teleport.example.com:443 $ TELEPORT_VERSION="$(curl -s https://$TELEPORT_DOMAIN/v1/webapi/find | jq -r '.server_version')" ``` 2. Follow the instructions for your platform to install `tctl` and `tsh` clients: **Mac** Download the signed macOS .pkg installer for Teleport, which includes the `tctl` and `tsh` clients: ``` $ curl -O https://cdn.teleport.dev/teleport-${TELEPORT_VERSION?}.pkg ``` In Finder double-click the `pkg` file to begin installation. --- DANGER Using Homebrew to install Teleport is not supported. The Teleport package in Homebrew is not maintained by Teleport and we can't guarantee its reliability or security. --- **Windows - Powershell** ``` $ curl.exe -O https://cdn.teleport.dev/teleport-v${TELEPORT_VERSION?}-windows-amd64-bin.zip Unzip the archive and move the `tctl` and `tsh` clients to your %PATH% NOTE: Do not place the `tctl` and `tsh` clients in the System32 directory, as this can cause issues when using WinSCP. Use %SystemRoot% (C:\Windows) or %USERPROFILE% (C:\Users\) instead. ``` **Linux** All of the Teleport binaries in Linux installations include the `tctl` and `tsh` clients. For more options (including RPM/DEB packages and downloads for i386/ARM/ARM64) see our [installation page](https://goteleport.com/docs/installation.md). ``` $ curl -O https://cdn.teleport.dev/teleport-v${TELEPORT_VERSION?}-linux-amd64-bin.tar.gz $ tar -xzf teleport-v${TELEPORT_VERSION?}-linux-amd64-bin.tar.gz $ cd teleport $ sudo ./install Teleport binaries have been copied to /usr/local/bin ``` * MongoDB cluster (standalone or replica set) version `3.6` or newer. --- NOTE Teleport database access supports MongoDB `3.6` and newer. Older versions have not been tested and are not guaranteed to work. MongoDB `3.6` was released in November 2017 and reached EOL in April 2021 so if you're still using an older version, consider upgrading. --- * To check that you can connect to your Teleport cluster, sign in with `tsh login`, then verify that you can run `tctl` commands using your current credentials. For example, run the following command, assigning teleport.example.com to the domain name of the Teleport Proxy Service in your cluster and email\@example.com to your Teleport username: ``` $ tsh login --proxy=teleport.example.com --user=email@example.com $ tctl status Cluster teleport.example.com Version 19.0.0-dev CA pin sha256:abdc1245efgh5678abdc1245efgh5678abdc1245efgh5678abdc1245efgh5678 ``` If you can connect to the cluster and run the `tctl status` command, you can use your current credentials to run subsequent `tctl` commands from your workstation. If you host your own Teleport cluster, you can also run `tctl` commands on the computer that hosts the Teleport Auth Service for full permissions. * A certificate authority for MongoDB Replica Set, and the public certificate for that CA, in PEM format: /path/to/your/ca.crt. You can also configure Teleport to trust this CA for standalone MongoDB instances. Why do I need my own CA? Distributed databases like MongoDB Replica Set use mTLS for node-to-node communication. Teleport requires that you have your own CA to issue certificates for node-to-node mTLS communication. Teleport uses a split-CA architecture for database access. The Teleport `db` CA issues server certificates and the `db_client` CA issues client certificates. Databases are configured to trust the Teleport `db_client` CA for client authentication, but not the `db` CA. Additionally, Teleport only issues *ephemeral* `db_client` CA certificates. When a MongoDB Replica Set node connects to another MongoDB Replica Set node, it must present a certificate that the other node trusts for client authentication. Since Teleport does not issue long-lived `db_client` certificates, the node needs to have a long-lived certificate issued by another CA that its peer node trusts. The split `db` and `db_client` CA architecture was introduced as a security fix in Teleport versions 14.3.7 and 15. See [Database CA Migrations](https://goteleport.com/docs/zero-trust-access/management/security/db-ca-migrations.md) for more information. ## Step 1/3. Install and configure Teleport ### Set up the Teleport Database service The Database Service requires a valid join token to join your Teleport cluster. Run the following `tctl` command and save the token output in `/tmp/token` on the server that will run the Database Service: ``` $ tctl tokens add --type=db --format=text abcd123-insecure-do-not-use-this ``` Install and configure Teleport where you will run the Teleport Database Service: **Linux Server** To install a Teleport Agent on your Linux server: The recommended installation method is the cluster install script. It will select the correct version, edition, and installation mode for your cluster. 1. Assign teleport.example.com:443 to your Teleport cluster hostname and port, but not the scheme (https\://). 2. Run your cluster's install script: ``` $ curl "https://teleport.example.com:443/scripts/install.sh" | sudo bash ``` On the host where you will run the Teleport Database Service, start Teleport with the appropriate configuration. Note that a single Teleport process can run multiple different services, for example multiple Database Service agents as well as the SSH Service or Application Service. The step below will overwrite an existing configuration file, so if you're running multiple services add `--output=stdout` to print the config in your terminal, and manually adjust `/etc/teleport.yaml`. Generate a configuration file at `/etc/teleport.yaml` for the Database Service: **Teleport Enterprise/Enterprise Cloud** ``` $ sudo teleport db configure create \ -o file \ --token=/tmp/token \ --proxy=teleport.example.com:443 \ --name=example-mongo \ --protocol=mongodb \ --uri=mongodb://mongo.example.com:27017 \ --labels=env=dev ``` **Teleport Community Edition** ``` $ sudo teleport db configure create \ -o file \ --token=/tmp/token \ --proxy=mytenant.teleport.sh:443 \ --name=example-mongo \ --protocol=mongodb \ --uri=mongodb://mongo.example.com:27017 \ --labels=env=dev ``` Configure the Teleport Database Service to start automatically when the host boots up by creating a systemd service for it. The instructions depend on how you installed the Teleport Database Service. **Package Manager** On the host where you will run the Teleport Database Service, enable and start Teleport: ``` $ sudo systemctl enable teleport $ sudo systemctl start teleport ``` **TAR Archive** On the host where you will run the Teleport Database Service, create a systemd service configuration for Teleport, enable the Teleport service, and start Teleport: ``` $ sudo teleport install systemd -o /etc/systemd/system/teleport.service $ sudo systemctl enable teleport $ sudo systemctl start teleport ``` You can check the status of the Teleport Database Service with `systemctl status teleport` and view its logs with `journalctl -fu teleport`. **Kubernetes Cluster** Teleport provides Helm charts for installing the Teleport Database Service in Kubernetes Clusters. Configure Helm to fetch Teleport charts from the Teleport Helm repository: ``` $ helm repo add teleport https://charts.releases.teleport.dev ``` Refresh the local Helm cache by fetching the latest charts: ``` $ helm repo update ``` **Self-Hosted** Install the Teleport Kube Agent into your Kubernetes Cluster with the Teleport Database Service configuration. ``` $ JOIN_TOKEN=$(cat /tmp/token) $ helm install teleport-kube-agent teleport/teleport-kube-agent \ --create-namespace \ --namespace teleport-agent \ --set roles=db \ --set proxyAddr=teleport.example.com:443 \ --set authToken=${JOIN_TOKEN?} \ --set "databases[0].name=example-mongo" \ --set "databases[0].uri=mongodb://mongo.example.com:27017" \ --set "databases[0].protocol=mongodb" \ --set "databases[0].static_labels.env=dev" \ --version 19.0.0-dev ``` **Cloud-Hosted** Install the Teleport Kube Agent into your Kubernetes Cluster with the Teleport Database Service configuration. ``` $ JOIN_TOKEN=$(cat /tmp/token) $ helm install teleport-kube-agent teleport/teleport-kube-agent \ --create-namespace \ --namespace teleport-agent \ --set roles=db \ --set proxyAddr=mytenant.teleport.sh:443 \ --set authToken=${JOIN_TOKEN?} \ --set "databases[0].name=example-mongo" \ --set "databases[0].uri=mongodb://mongo.example.com:27017" \ --set "databases[0].protocol=mongodb" \ --set "databases[0].static_labels.env=dev" \ --version 18.7.3 ``` Make sure that the Teleport Agent pod is running. You should see one `teleport-kube-agent` pod with a single ready container: ``` $ kubectl -n teleport-agent get pods NAME READY STATUS RESTARTS AGE teleport-kube-agent-0 1/1 Running 0 32s ``` --- TIP A single Teleport process can run multiple services, for example multiple Database Service instances as well as other services such as the SSH Service or Application Service. --- You can specify either a single connection address or a MongoDB [connection string](https://docs.mongodb.com/manual/reference/connection-string/) as a URI. For example, when connecting to a replica set: ``` $ --uri="mongodb://mongo1.example.com:27017,mongo2.example.com:27017/?replicaSet=rs0" ``` By default, Teleport will connect to the primary replica set member. If you'd like to connect to a secondary instead, Teleport will respect `readPreference` connection string setting: ``` $ --uri="mongodb://mongo1.example.com:27017,mongo2.example.com:27017/?replicaSet=rs0&readPreference=secondary" ``` ### Create a Teleport user --- TIP To modify an existing user to provide access to the Database Service, see [Database Access Controls](https://goteleport.com/docs/enroll-resources/database-access/rbac.md) --- **Teleport Community Edition** Create a local Teleport user with the built-in `access` role: ``` $ tctl users add \ --roles=access \ --db-users="*" \ --db-names="*" \ alice ``` **Teleport Enterprise/Enterprise Cloud** Create a local Teleport user with the built-in `access` and `requester` roles: ``` $ tctl users add \ --roles=access,requester \ --db-users="*" \ --db-names="*" \ alice ``` | Flag | Description | | ------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `--roles` | List of roles to assign to the user. The builtin `access` role allows them to connect to any database server registered with Teleport. | | `--db-users` | List of database usernames the user will be allowed to use when connecting to the databases. A wildcard allows any user. | | `--db-names` | List of logical databases (aka schemas) the user will be allowed to connect to within a database server. A wildcard allows any database. | --- WARNING Database names are only enforced for PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and Cloud Spanner databases. --- For more detailed information about database access controls and how to restrict access see [RBAC](https://goteleport.com/docs/enroll-resources/database-access/rbac.md) documentation. If you opt for a stricter selection of database names for your user, which differs from the wildcard approach illustrated in this guide, it is essential to include the `admin` database. This ensures MongoDB clients won't have issues while connecting and executing operations such as retrieving server information, listing databases, and aborting transactions. ## Step 2/3. Configure MongoDB ### Create a MongoDB user Teleport will use [X.509 authentication](https://docs.mongodb.com/manual/tutorial/configure-x509-client-authentication/) when connecting to a MongoDB instance. Users authenticating with client certificates must be created in the `$external` MongoDB authentication database. MongoDB treats the entire `Subject` line of the client certificate as a username. When connecting to a MongoDB server, say as a user `alice`, Teleport will sign an ephemeral certificate with the `CN=alice` subject. To create this user in the database, connect to it using the `mongosh` or `mongo` shell and run the following command: ``` db.getSiblingDB("$external").runCommand( { createUser: "CN=alice", roles: [ { role: "readWriteAnyDatabase", db: "admin" } ] } ) ``` Update the [roles](https://docs.mongodb.com/manual/tutorial/manage-users-and-roles/) accordingly to grant the user appropriate database permissions. ### Set up mutual TLS **Standalone** Teleport uses mutual TLS authentication with self-hosted databases. These databases must be configured with Teleport's certificate authority to be able to verify client certificates. They also need a certificate/key pair that Teleport can verify. To use issue certificates from your workstation with `tctl`, your Teleport user must be allowed to impersonate the system role `Db`. Include the following `allow` rule in your Teleport user's role: ``` allow: impersonate: users: ["Db"] roles: ["Db"] ``` When connecting to standalone MongoDB, sign the certificate for the hostname over which Teleport will be connecting to it. For example, if your MongoDB server is accessible at `mongo.example.com` hostname, run: ``` $ tctl auth sign --format=mongodb --host=mongo.example.com --out=mongo --ttl=2190h ``` --- TTL We recommend using a shorter TTL, but keep in mind that you'll need to update the database server certificate before it expires to not lose the ability to connect. Pick the TTL value that best fits your use-case. --- The command will create two files: `mongo.cas` with Teleport's certificate authority and `mongo.crt` with the generated certificate and key pair. You will need these files to enable mutual TLS on your MongoDB server. If your MongoDB instance already has a CA that it uses to sign certificates , you only need to export a Teleport CA certificate for MongoDB to authenticate traffic from the Teleport Database Service. 1. Replace example.teleport.sh:443 with the host and web port of the Teleport Proxy Service in your cluster. Run the following command on your workstation: ``` $ tctl auth export --type=db-client --auth-server=example.teleport.sh:443 > server.cas ``` The command creates 1 file, `server.cas`. 2. Generate a certificate and key pair for MongoDB to present to Teleport by retrieving them from the CA you use for MongoDB. Append them to a single file, `mongo.crt`. 3. Modify the Teleport Database Service to trust your MongoDB CA, assigning /path/to/your/ca.crt to the path to your CA certificate: ``` databases: - name: "example-mongodb" protocol: "mongodb" uri: "mongodb.example.com:27017" static_labels: "env": "example" tls: ca_cert_file: "/path/to/your/ca.crt" ``` Now the Teleport Database Service will trust certificates presented by your MongoDB. **Replica Set** Export the Teleport Database Client CA from Teleport, and then add it as an additional trusted CA by concatenating it with your CA's certificate: ``` $ tctl auth export --type=db-client > db-client-ca.crt $ cat /path/to/your/ca.crt db-client-ca.crt > /etc/certs/mongo.cas ``` When MongoDB is configured to trust these CAs, it will trust the Teleport Database Client CA and allow access via Teleport, while still allowing MongoDB replication over TLS using your CA's certs for peer verification. Modify the Teleport Database Service to trust your MongoDB Replica Set CA, assigning /path/to/your/ca.crt to the path to your CA certificate: ``` databases: - name: "example-mongodb" protocol: "mongodb" uri: "mongodb.example.com:27017" static_labels: "env": "example" tls: ca_cert_file: "/path/to/your/ca.crt" ``` Now the Teleport Database Service will trust certificates presented by your MongoDB Replica Set. Use the generated secrets to enable mutual TLS in your `mongod.conf` configuration file and restart the database: **MongoDB 3.6 - 4.2** ``` net: ssl: mode: requireSSL PEMKeyFile: /etc/certs/mongo.crt CAFile: /etc/certs/mongo.cas ``` **MongoDB 4.2+** ``` net: tls: mode: requireTLS certificateKeyFile: /etc/certs/mongo.crt CAFile: /etc/certs/mongo.cas ``` When configuring a replica set, make sure to do it for each member and use secrets generated for the particular server. Once mutual TLS has been enabled, you will no longer be able to connect to the cluster without providing a valid client certificate. You can use the `net.tls.allowConnectionsWithoutCertificates` setting to allow connections from clients that do not present a certificate. See [Configure TLS/SSL](https://docs.mongodb.com/manual/tutorial/configure-ssl/) in the MongoDB documentation for more details. ## Step 3/3. Connect Log in to your Teleport cluster and see available databases: **Self-Hosted** ``` $ tsh login --proxy=teleport.example.com --user=alice $ tsh db ls Name Description Labels ------------- --------------- -------- example-mongo Example MongoDB env=dev ``` **Teleport Enterprise Cloud** ``` $ tsh login --proxy=mytenant.teleport.sh --user=alice $ tsh db ls Name Description Labels ------------- --------------- -------- example-mongo Example MongoDB env=dev ``` To retrieve credentials for a database and connect to it: ``` $ tsh db connect --db-user=alice --db-name dev example-mongo ``` --- SUPPORTED MONGODB CLIENTS Either the `mongosh` or `mongo` command-line clients should be available in `PATH` in order to be able to connect. The Database Service attempts to run `mongosh` first and, if `mongosh` is not in `PATH`, runs `mongo`. --- To log out of the database and remove credentials: ``` Remove credentials for a particular database instance. $ tsh db logout example-mongo Remove credentials for all database instances. $ tsh db logout ``` ## Next steps - Learn how to [restrict access](https://goteleport.com/docs/enroll-resources/database-access/rbac.md) to certain users and databases. * View the [High Availability (HA)](https://goteleport.com/docs/enroll-resources/agents/high-availability.md) guide. - Take a look at the YAML configuration [reference](https://goteleport.com/docs/enroll-resources/database-access/reference/configuration.md). * See the full CLI [reference](https://goteleport.com/docs/enroll-resources/database-access/reference/cli.md).