aws_config_recorder Resource

Use the aws_config_recorder InSpec audit resource to test properties of your AWS Config service.

The AWS Config service can monitor and record changes to your AWS resource configurations. The AWS Config recorder is used to detect changes in resource configurations and capture these changes as configuration items.

As of April 2018, you are only permitted one configuration recorder per region.

For additional information, including details on parameters and properties, see the AWS documentation on the AWS::Config::ConfigurationRecorder resource.

Installation

This resource is available in the Chef InSpec AWS resource pack.

See the Chef InSpec documentation on cloud platforms for information on configuring your AWS environment for InSpec and creating an InSpec profile that uses the InSpec AWS resource pack.

Syntax

An aws_config_recorder resource block declares the tests for a single AWS Config resource by recorder name.

describe aws_config_recorder('RECORDER_NAME') do
  it { should exist }
end

You may also use hash syntax to pass the recorder name

describe aws_config_recorder(recorder_name: 'RECORDER_NAME') do
  it { should exist }
end

Since you may only have one recorder per region, and InSpec connections are per-region, you may also omit the recorder name to obtain the one recorder (if any) that exists:

describe aws_config_recorder do
  it { should exist }
end

Parameters

recorder_name (optional)

This resource accepts a single parameter, the Configuration recorder name. This can be passed either as a string or as a recorder_name: 'value' key-value entry in a hash.

Properties

recorder_name

The name of the recorder. By default, AWS Config automatically assigns the name “default” when creating the configuration recorder. You cannot change the assigned name.

role_arn

Amazon Resource Name (ARN) of the IAM role used to describe the AWS resources associated with the account.

resource_types

A comma-separated list that specifies the types of AWS resources for which AWS Config records configuration changes (i.e. AWS::EC2::Instance).

last_status

The last (previous) status of the recorder.

Examples

Test if the recorder is active and recording.

describe aws_config_recorder do
  it { should be_recording }
end

Ensure the role_arn is correct for the recorder.

The role is used to grant permissions to S3 Buckets, SNS topics and to get configuration details for supported AWS resources.

describe aws_config_recorder do
  its('role_arn') { should eq 'arn:aws:iam::721741954427:role/My_Recorder' }
end

Test the recorder is monitoring changes to the correct resources.

describe aws_config_recorder do
  its('resource_types') { should include 'AWS::EC2::CustomerGateway' }
  its('resource_types') { should include 'AWS::EC2::EIP' }
end

Test the recorder’s last status.

describe aws_config_recorder do
  its('last_status') { should eq 'SUCCESS' }
end

Matchers

be_recording

Ensure the recorder is active

it { should be_recording }

be_recording_all_resource_types

Indicates if the configuration recorder will record changes for all resources, regardless of type. If this is true, resource_types is ignored.

it { should be_recording_all_resource_types }

be_recording_all_global_types

Indicates whether the configuration recorder will record changes for global resource types (such as Principals).

it { should be_recording_all_global_types }

AWS Permissions

Your Principal will need the ConfigService:Client:DescribeConfigurationRecordersResponse action with Effect set to Allow.

You can find detailed documentation at Actions, Resources, and Condition Keys for AWS Config.