Check ID:
Provider: Azure
Service:
Severity: HIGH
Categories:
Resource type:
network_http_internet_access_restrictedProvider: Azure
Service:
networkSeverity: HIGH
Categories:
internet-exposedResource type:
microsoft.network/networksecuritygroupsWhat this check verifies
Azure NSG are evaluated for inbound rules that allow public HTTP access onTCP 80, including cases where 80 is covered by a port range, from 0.0.0.0/0, Internet, or *.
Risk
ExposingTCP 80 to the Internet increases attack surface:
- Web recon and exploits compromise integrity and availability
- Cleartext HTTP can leak credentials, cookies, and data, harming confidentiality
- Public endpoints enable bot abuse and footholds for lateral movement
Recommendation
Apply least privilege at NSGs:- Remove broad allows to
TCP 80, or restrict to trusted sources - Enforce HTTPS (443) and redirect or block HTTP
- Use private access patterns and segmentation for defense in depth
- If exposure is necessary, place services behind a WAF, enable DDoS protections, and monitor
Remediation
- CLI
- Terraform
- Native IaC
- Dashboard steps
az network nsg rule update —resource-group <RESOURCE_GROUP> —nsg-name <NSG_NAME> —name <RULE_NAME> —access Deny
References
- https://www.trendmicro.com/cloudoneconformity-staging/knowledge-base/azure/Network/unrestricted-http-access.html
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/security/benchmark/azure/security-controls-v3-network-security#ns-1-establish-network-segmentation-boundaries
Where this check fires
This check runs on every scheduled scan against your Azure account. Findings appear at Cloud Security → Findings filterable byCheck ID = network_http_internet_access_restricted. To re-evaluate after a fix, hit Run now on the account’s schedule under Cloud Security → Schedules — the next scan re-checks this control and marks the finding fixed or keeps it persistent.
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