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ADR-0008: Administrative Access Control System


  • Status: accepted
  • Date: 2024-11-03
  • Tags: Security, Administration, Disaster Recovery

Context

*e need a secure and auditable system for administrative access that:

  • Manages initial system provisioning
  • Controls ongoing administrative access
  • Prevents accidental system re-initialization
  • Provides emergency recovery options
  • Ensures accountability of administrative actions

Decision

We will implement a multi-layered administrative access system:

Initial Provisioning

  • Require admin password specification
  • Generate admin token in SPIKE Nexus
  • Single initialization opportunity

Ongoing Access:

  • Token-based authentication via spike login
  • Temporary access tokens
  • Password-to-token exchange mechanism

System Protection:

  • Prevention of accidental re-initialization
  • Out-of-band factory reset capability
  • Strict initialization state management

Consequences

Positive

  • Clear audit trail of administrative actions
  • Prevention of accidental system resets
  • Temporary token model reduces risk of token compromise
  • Password-based authentication with token exchange provides dual security
  • Emergency recovery option available
  • Clear separation between normal operation and emergency procedures

Negative

  • Need to manage admin password securely
  • Additional complexity in access management
  • Potential for system lockout if password is lost
  • Need to secure factory reset capability
  • Additional operational overhead for token management

Implementation Requirements

Initial Provisioning

Password Requirements

  • Strong password policies
  • Secure password transmission
  • Initial token generation rules

Initialization Protection

  • State tracking mechanism
  • Initialization lock
  • State persistence

Authentication Flow

Login Process

  • spike login command implementation
  • Password validation
  • Token generation and exchange
  • Token lifetime management

Token Management:

  • Token expiration rules
  • Token revocation capabilities
  • Token usage tracking

Factory Reset

Out-of-band Script:

  • Secure script storage
  • Access controls
  • Execution logging
  • State verification

Reset Protection:

  • Confirmation requirements
  • Audit logging
  • State validation

Security Measures

Access Control

Password Protection:

  • Secure storage
  • Hash algorithms
  • Salt management
  • Update procedures

Token Security:

  • Cryptographic strength
  • Expiration handling
  • Revocation mechanisms
  • Usage limitations

Audit Requirements

Logging:

  • Login attempts
  • Token generations
  • Administrative actions
  • Reset attempts

Audit Trail

  • Timestamp recording
  • Action attribution
  • Success/failure status
  • IP address tracking

Emergency Procedures

System Reset

Prerequisites

  • Access to reset script
  • Authentication requirements
  • Backup verification
  • Impact assessment

Execution Process:

  • Safety checks
  • Backup procedures
  • Reset execution
  • System verification

Recovery Procedures

Access Recovery:

  • Password reset process
  • Token regeneration
  • System state verification
  • Access restoration

Monitoring and Alerts

Security Events

  • Failed login attempts
  • Token misuse
  • Initialization attempts
  • Reset attempts

System State

  • Initialization status
  • Token validity
  • System integrity
  • Access patterns

Implementation Guidelines

Command Line Interface

spike login --password [password]  # Exchange password for temporary token
spike reset --force              
# Execute factory reset (requires additional safeguards)
# for example it will print a script but not execute it.

State Management

  • Use atomic operations for state changes
  • Implement state persistence
  • Include state verification
  • Maintain state history

References

Notes

  • Regular testing of reset procedures required
  • Document all emergency procedures
  • Train administrators on proper usage
  • Regular audit of access patterns
  • Review and update procedures periodically

Warning

The factory reset capability should be strictly controlled and documented. Accidental execution could result in complete system reset and data loss.