Dns Cache Poisoning in Adonisjs with Cockroachdb

DNS cache poisoning (also known as DNS spoofing) occurs when an attacker injects forged DNS responses, causing a resolver to return an IP address that points to a malicious host. In an AdonisJS application that connects to CockroachDB, this risk materializes during the initial network resolution of your database hostnames. If an attacker on the network or via a compromised resolver can poison the DNS cache for your CockroachDB hostname (for example, cockroachdb.internal.example.com), the driver may establish a TLS-terminated connection to an attacker-controlled endpoint instead of your intended cluster.

Because AdonisJS typically relies on Node’s built-in dns module and TCP/TLS behavior, it does not inherently validate that the resolved IP belongs to a known, expected host beyond what the database driver enforces. CockroachDB drivers commonly use TLS with hostname verification; however, if the initial DNS resolution is poisoned and the certificate presented by the attacker matches the expected hostname (e.g., via a compromised or misissued certificate or if hostname verification is inadvertently disabled), the application may unknowingly transmit database credentials and queries over a malicious channel.

This combination is particularly sensitive in distributed and cloud setups where CockroachDB hosts are addressed via internal DNS names rather than static IPs. Kubernetes services, for example, rely heavily on DNS for service discovery; a compromised cluster-level DNS or a poisoned external resolver can redirect traffic. AdonisJS jobs or server-side code that use the CockroachDB client will then operate as if the connection is secure, potentially leaking authentication tokens, query patterns, or enabling injection through manipulated query results. The risk is not in AdonisJS itself but in the runtime environment’s DNS resolution and how the CockroachDB driver validates the identity of the remote host.

To mitigate this, you must ensure that DNS resolution is as trustworthy as the TLS handshake. Do not rely on default system resolvers in hostile network environments. Instead, enforce strict certificate pinning or use a controlled DNS configuration that minimizes exposure to cache poisoning. The security checks in middleBrick’s LLM/AI and Data Exposure modules can surface related misconfigurations by correlating unauthenticated scan findings with certificate and endpoint behavior, helping you identify unexpected hostnames or weak validation practices before deployment.

Remediation focuses on ensuring that your CockroachDB client in AdonisJS validates server identity strongly and reduces reliance on potentially poisoned DNS. Below are concrete steps and code examples tailored for AdonisJS with CockroachDB.

1. Use IPs or controlled DNS with static resolution

Prefer connecting via IPs when possible, or ensure your DNS provider supports DNSSEC and you control the resolver. In AdonisJS, configure the database connection in config/database.ts with explicit host entries that minimize dynamic lookups.

// config/database.ts
import { Env } from '@ioc:Adonis/Core/Env'

export default {
  connection: 'cockroach',
  connections: {
    cockroach: {
      client: 'postgres',
      host: Env.get('DB_HOST', '127.0.0.1'), // Use IP or a controlled hostname
      port: Env.get('DB_PORT', 26257),
      user: Env.get('DB_USER', 'root'),
      password: Env.get('DB_PASSWORD', ''),
      database: Env.get('DB_NAME', 'postgres'),
      ssl: {
        rejectUnauthorized: true,
        // Provide CA explicitly to pin trust
        ca: fs.readFileSync('path/to/cockroach-ca.crt').toString(),
      },
    },
  },
} as DatabaseConfig

2. Enforce TLS with explicit certificate validation

Always use TLS and validate the server certificate against a pinned CA. CockroachDB comes with a CA certificate; use it to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks enabled by DNS poisoning.

// Example client creation with explicit CA
const { Client } = require('pg')
const fs = require('fs')

const client = new Client({
  connectionString: 'postgresql://[email protected]:26257/defaultdb?sslmode=verify-full',
  ssl: {
    rejectUnauthorized: true,
    ca: fs.readFileSync('/path/to/cockroach-ca.crt').toString(),
    // Optionally, specify cert and key if mutual TLS is used
    // cert: fs.readFileSync('/path/to/client.crt').toString(),
    // key: fs.readFileSync('/path/to/client.key').toString(),
  },
})

await client.connect()
  .then(() => console.log('Connected with strong TLS validation'))
  .catch((err) => console.error('Connection failed:', err))

3. Avoid disabling hostname verification

Ensure that your application and driver do not set sslmode=allow or disable certificate checks. In AdonisJS, verify that rejectUnauthorized is true and that no environment variable overrides this behavior.

4. Use SRV records and service discovery cautiously

If you rely on SRV records for CockroachDB discovery, ensure your DNS provider supports DNSSEC and monitor for anomalies. Regularly audit your DNS configuration using middleBrick’s scans to detect unexpected changes or exposures that could facilitate poisoning.

5. Continuous monitoring via middleBrick

Add middleBrick to your CI/CD pipeline using the GitHub Action to fail builds if risk scores degrade. The Data Exposure and LLM/AI security checks can highlight weak certificate handling or suspicious endpoint behaviors that align with DNS poisoning risks. For ongoing protection, the Pro plan’s continuous monitoring can schedule scans and alert you to configuration drifts that increase exposure.