Enhance Kubernetes Security

Implementing Security Contexts: Safeguarding Your Kubernetes Ecosystem

Explore how to secure pods and containers against unauthorized actions with Kubernetes Security Contexts, featuring practical implementation examples.

Photo by Jason Dent on Unsplash

Table of Contents

Security Contexts in Kubernetes
Example: Restricting Root Access

Security Contexts in Kubernetes

In Kubernetes, pods and the containers can be assigned specific security parameters. This setup can govern various aspects, such as the process’s user ID (UID), granted Linux capabilities, and file system group access levels.

When using kubeadm to set up clusters, pods are, by default, equipped with the potential for extensive privilege escalation. This means a pod might, for instance, alter the node’s network settings, deactivate SELinux, or assume root privileges, among other actions. However, such extensive permissions are typically restricted by cluster administrators to bolster security.

These restrictions are encapsulated within a security context. Security contexts can be defined for a pod as a whole or tailored to…