Sealed Secrets Introduction and Installation Guide

Sealed Secrets is a Kubernetes-native solution for securely storing and managing sensitive information within Kubernetes Secrets. It ensures secure secret management by encrypting Kubernetes Secrets and storing them as SealedSecret resources, which can only be decrypted by the cluster itself.

Sealed Secrets utilizes public-key cryptography to encrypt secrets, enabling safe storage in your version control system.

Installation

cd kustomize/sealed-secrets/base

Modify the values.yaml file with your desired configurations. Refer to the sample configuration in this directory, already updated for installation.

vi values.yaml

Perform the installation:

kubectl  kustomize . --enable-helm | kubectl apply -f -

Note

Ensure to take a backup of the sealed-secrets-keyxxxx Kubernetes Secret from the sealed-secrets namespace, as it will be required for the restoration process if needed.

kubectl get secret -n sealed-secrets -l sealedsecrets.bitnami.com/sealed-secrets-key=active -o yaml  > sealed-secrets-key.yaml

Usage Example:

In this example, we will use Sealed Secrets to encrypt a Grafana certificate from Kubernetes Secret yaml file.

Encrypting Kubernetes Secret:

Kubernetes Secret yaml file containing Grafana certificate:

# cat grafana-cert.yaml
apiVersion: v1
data:
  ca.crt:
    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
  tls.crt:
    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
  tls.key:
    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
kind: Secret
metadata:
  annotations:
    cert-manager.io/alt-names: grafana-lab.demo.mk8s.net
  name: grafana
  namespace: rackspace-system
type: kubernetes.io/tls

Download kubeseal binary.

Use kubeseal for the Kuberntes Secret entryption:

kubeseal --scope cluster-wide --allow-empty-data -o yaml --controller-namespace rackspace-system  < ~/grafana-cert.yaml  > encrypted_grafana-cert.yaml
cat encrypted_grafana-cert.yaml

For more options around kubeseal please check help page.

Upload the encrypted Sealed Secret resource(encrypted_grafana-cert.yaml) to your version control system. It can only be decrypted using the secret created during the Sealed Secrets installation.

Deploying Kubernetes Secret from Sealed Secret Resource:

Apply sealed-secret resource(encrypted_grafana-cert.yaml):
```
kubectl apply -f encrypted_grafana-cert.yaml
```

Verify that the Sealed Secret has been created and the Kubernetes Secret has been decrypted:

kubectl get sealedsecret/grafana -n rackspace-system
kubectl get secret grafana -n rackspace-system