App Configuration should disable local authentication

Applies to

• Microsoft.AppConfiguration/configurationStores

What CGPulse checks

A resource passes this rule when disableLocalAuth must equal true. Anything else is reported as a finding with the evaluated property value attached as evidence.

How to fix it

Disable local authentication and require Azure AD for scoped, auditable access. In Azure Portal: App Configuration > Settings > disable local authentication. See: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-app-configuration/howto-disable-access-key-authentication

Careful: Disabling local auth breaks all apps using connection strings or access keys. Ensure all clients use Azure AD (Entra ID) authentication first

CLI

az appconfig update --ids "{id}" --enable-public-network --disable-local-auth true

Terraform

resource "azurerm_app_configuration" "{name}" {
  name                       = "{name}"
  resource_group_name        = "{rg}"
  location                   = var.location
  sku                        = "standard"
  local_auth_enabled         = false
}

Compliance frameworks

• Cloud Security: Azure Foundations

Related Azure rules

• Action Group should be enabled
• Activity Log Alert should be enabled
• AKS cluster logs should be sent to Log Analytics
• AKS cluster must enable RBAC
• AKS cluster must enable RBAC
• AKS cluster should be a private cluster
• AKS cluster should disable local accounts
• AKS cluster should enable Azure RBAC for Kubernetes