Kubernetes Controller ModeΒΆ

The Kubernetes Provider also supports executing as a Dynamic Admission Controller. This allows you to execute and enforce policies on resources as they are created, updated, or deleted. The k8s-admission mode must be run as a separate HTTPS web service with the provided c7n-kates cli.

To run policies in this mode, ensure that the cluster has MutatingAdmissionWebhooks enabled. For more info, see the Kubernetes Docs.

Install the ServerΒΆ

Dynamic Admission Controllers can only operate against HTTPS webhooks. To get started, you can either create a service inside of your Kubernetes Cluster or use a cloud provider to run a web server.

Option 1: Manual installationΒΆ

To get started, create a new directory of policies:

mkdir policies

Next, in your policy directory, create a new policy.yaml file and add the following contents:

policies:
  - name: 'example-warn-policy'
    resource: 'k8s.pod'
    description: 'This is a sample policy'
    mode:
      type: k8s-admission
      on-match: warn
      operations:
        - CREATE

Next, generate the MuttatingWebhookConfiguration manifest. replace $endpoint with the https endpoint of your web server, e.g. https://example.org:

c7n-kates --policy-dir policies --generate --endpoint $endpoint > webhook.yaml

This will create a manifest containing a webhook that will inspect the operations and resource types that are applicable to your policies. Next, apply the manifest to your Kubernetes Cluster:

kubectl apply -f webhook.yaml

Next, on your server, start c7n-kates:

c7n-kates --policy-dir policies

Option 2: Helm chartΒΆ

First configure the chart. The following will configure a sample policy, use cert-manager to sign your webhook, and operate against all pods when they are created or updated. Adjust values.yaml as needed.

cat << EOF > values.yaml
certManager:
  enabled: true

policies:
  source: configMap
  configMap:
    policies:
      # insert your policies here

      - name: 'example-warn-policy'
        resource: 'k8s.pod'
        description: 'This is a sample policy'
        mode:
          type: k8s-admission
          on-match: warn
          operations:
            - CREATE

# These will need to be modified to match your policies.
rules:
  - apiGroups: [""]
    apiVersions: [v1]
    operations: [CREATE, UPDATE]
    resources: [pods]
    scope: Namespaced
EOF

helm repo add c7n https://cloud-custodian.github.io/helm-charts/`
helm install c7n-kube c7n/c7n-kube --values values.yaml

TestingΒΆ

We can apply a pod manifest to see the warning, create a new file pod.yaml and add the following:

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: nginx
spec:
  containers:
  - name: nginx
    image: nginx:1.14.2
    ports:
    - containerPort: 80

Next, we can apply the new pod manifest:

kubectl apply -f pod.yaml

Which should result in the following message:

Warning: example-warn-policy:This is a sample policy
pod/nginx created

On the server, you should see:

c7n-kates --policy-dir policies
2022-09-14 20:33:49,116: c7n_kube.server:INFO Loaded 1 policies
2022-09-14 20:33:49,314: c7n_kube.server:INFO Serving at 0.0.0.0 8800
2022-09-14 20:33:50,558: c7n_kube.server:INFO {"kind":"AdmissionReview","apiVersion":"admission.k8s.io/v1","request":{"uid":"2ec4911a-8a9d-4c8d-8aa5-2d3709877fd0","kind":{"group":"","version":"v1","kind":"Pod"},"resource":{"group":"","version":"v1","resource":"pods"},"requestKind":{"group":"","version":"v1","kind":"Pod"},"requestResource":{"group":"","version":"v1","resource":"pods"},"name":"nginx","namespace":"default","operation":"CREATE","userInfo":{"username":"kubernetes-admin","groups":["system:masters","system:authenticated"]},"object":{"kind":"Pod","apiVersion":"v1","metadata":{"name":"nginx","namespace":"default","uid":"eae00ed2-72d2-4ab4-9012-51ba11a284d0","creationTimestamp":"2022-09-14T20:33:50Z","annotations":{"kubectl.kubernetes.io/last-applied-configuration":"{\"apiVersion\":\"v1\",\"kind\":\"Pod\",\"metadata\":{\"annotations\":{},\"name\":\"nginx\",\"namespace\":\"default\"},\"spec\":{\"containers\":[{\"image\":\"nginx:1.14.2\",\"name\":\"nginx\",\"ports\":[{\"containerPort\":80}]}]}}\n"},"managedFields":[{"manager":"kubectl-client-side-apply","operation":"Update","apiVersion":"v1","time":"2022-09-14T20:33:50Z","fieldsType":"FieldsV1","fieldsV1":{"f:metadata":{"f:annotations":{".":{},"f:kubectl.kubernetes.io/last-applied-configuration":{}}},"f:spec":{"f:containers":{"k:{\"name\":\"nginx\"}":{".":{},"f:image":{},"f:imagePullPolicy":{},"f:name":{},"f:ports":{".":{},"k:{\"containerPort\":80,\"protocol\":\"TCP\"}":{".":{},"f:containerPort":{},"f:protocol":{}}},"f:resources":{},"f:terminationMessagePath":{},"f:terminationMessagePolicy":{}}},"f:dnsPolicy":{},"f:enableServiceLinks":{},"f:restartPolicy":{},"f:schedulerName":{},"f:securityContext":{},"f:terminationGracePeriodSeconds":{}}}}]},"spec":{"volumes":[{"name":"kube-api-access-mb9m2","projected":{"sources":[{"serviceAccountToken":{"expirationSeconds":3607,"path":"token"}},{"configMap":{"name":"kube-root-ca.crt","items":[{"key":"ca.crt","path":"ca.crt"}]}},{"downwardAPI":{"items":[{"path":"namespace","fieldRef":{"apiVersion":"v1","fieldPath":"metadata.namespace"}}]}}],"defaultMode":420}}],"containers":[{"name":"nginx","image":"nginx:1.14.2","ports":[{"containerPort":80,"protocol":"TCP"}],"resources":{},"volumeMounts":[{"name":"kube-api-access-mb9m2","readOnly":true,"mountPath":"/var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount"}],"terminationMessagePath":"/dev/termination-log","terminationMessagePolicy":"File","imagePullPolicy":"IfNotPresent"}],"restartPolicy":"Always","terminationGracePeriodSeconds":30,"dnsPolicy":"ClusterFirst","serviceAccountName":"default","serviceAccount":"default","securityContext":{},"schedulerName":"default-scheduler","tolerations":[{"key":"node.kubernetes.io/not-ready","operator":"Exists","effect":"NoExecute","tolerationSeconds":300},{"key":"node.kubernetes.io/unreachable","operator":"Exists","effect":"NoExecute","tolerationSeconds":300}],"priority":0,"enableServiceLinks":true,"preemptionPolicy":"PreemptLowerPriority"},"status":{"phase":"Pending","qosClass":"BestEffort"}},"oldObject":null,"dryRun":false,"options":{"kind":"CreateOptions","apiVersion":"meta.k8s.io/v1","fieldManager":"kubectl-client-side-apply"}}}

2022-09-14 20:33:50,559: custodian.k8s.policy:INFO Got event:{'kind': 'AdmissionReview', 'apiVersion': 'admission.k8s.io/v1', 'request': {'uid': '2ec4911a-8a9d-4c8d-8aa5-2d3709877fd0', 'kind': {'group': '', 'version': 'v1', 'kind': 'Pod'}, 'resource': {'group': '', 'version': 'v1', 'resource': 'pods'}, 'requestKind': {'group': '', 'version': 'v1', 'kind': 'Pod'}, 'requestResource': {'group': '', 'version': 'v1', 'resource': 'pods'}, 'name': 'nginx', 'namespace': 'default', 'operation': 'CREATE', 'userInfo': {'username': 'kubernetes-admin', 'groups': ['system:masters', 'system:authenticated']}, 'object': {'kind': 'Pod', 'apiVersion': 'v1', 'metadata': {'name': 'nginx', 'namespace': 'default', 'uid': 'eae00ed2-72d2-4ab4-9012-51ba11a284d0', 'creationTimestamp': '2022-09-14T20:33:50Z', 'annotations': {'kubectl.kubernetes.io/last-applied-configuration': '{"apiVersion":"v1","kind":"Pod","metadata":{"annotations":{},"name":"nginx","namespace":"default"},"spec":{"containers":[{"image":"nginx:1.14.2","name":"nginx","ports":[{"containerPort":80}]}]}}\n'}, 'managedFields': [{'manager': 'kubectl-client-side-apply', 'operation': 'Update', 'apiVersion': 'v1', 'time': '2022-09-14T20:33:50Z', 'fieldsType': 'FieldsV1', 'fieldsV1': {'f:metadata': {'f:annotations': {'.': {}, 'f:kubectl.kubernetes.io/last-applied-configuration': {}}}, 'f:spec': {'f:containers': {'k:{"name":"nginx"}': {'.': {}, 'f:image': {}, 'f:imagePullPolicy': {}, 'f:name': {}, 'f:ports': {'.': {}, 'k:{"containerPort":80,"protocol":"TCP"}': {'.': {}, 'f:containerPort': {}, 'f:protocol': {}}}, 'f:resources': {}, 'f:terminationMessagePath': {}, 'f:terminationMessagePolicy': {}}}, 'f:dnsPolicy': {}, 'f:enableServiceLinks': {}, 'f:restartPolicy': {}, 'f:schedulerName': {}, 'f:securityContext': {}, 'f:terminationGracePeriodSeconds': {}}}}]}, 'spec': {'volumes': [{'name': 'kube-api-access-mb9m2', 'projected': {'sources': [{'serviceAccountToken': {'expirationSeconds': 3607, 'path': 'token'}}, {'configMap': {'name': 'kube-root-ca.crt', 'items': [{'key': 'ca.crt', 'path': 'ca.crt'}]}}, {'downwardAPI': {'items': [{'path': 'namespace', 'fieldRef': {'apiVersion': 'v1', 'fieldPath': 'metadata.namespace'}}]}}], 'defaultMode': 420}}], 'containers': [{'name': 'nginx', 'image': 'nginx:1.14.2', 'ports': [{'containerPort': 80, 'protocol': 'TCP'}], 'resources': {}, 'volumeMounts': [{'name': 'kube-api-access-mb9m2', 'readOnly': True, 'mountPath': '/var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount'}], 'terminationMessagePath': '/dev/termination-log', 'terminationMessagePolicy': 'File', 'imagePullPolicy': 'IfNotPresent'}], 'restartPolicy': 'Always', 'terminationGracePeriodSeconds': 30, 'dnsPolicy': 'ClusterFirst', 'serviceAccountName': 'default', 'serviceAccount': 'default', 'securityContext': {}, 'schedulerName': 'default-scheduler', 'tolerations': [{'key': 'node.kubernetes.io/not-ready', 'operator': 'Exists', 'effect': 'NoExecute', 'tolerationSeconds': 300}, {'key': 'node.kubernetes.io/unreachable', 'operator': 'Exists', 'effect': 'NoExecute', 'tolerationSeconds': 300}], 'priority': 0, 'enableServiceLinks': True, 'preemptionPolicy': 'PreemptLowerPriority'}, 'status': {'phase': 'Pending', 'qosClass': 'BestEffort'}}, 'oldObject': None, 'dryRun': False, 'options': {'kind': 'CreateOptions', 'apiVersion': 'meta.k8s.io/v1', 'fieldManager': 'kubectl-client-side-apply'}}}
2022-09-14 20:33:50,559: custodian.k8s.policy:INFO Matching event against:{'operations': ['CREATE'], 'resources': 'pods', 'group': 'core', 'apiVersions': 'v1', 'scope': 'Namespaced'}
2022-09-14 20:33:50,560: custodian.k8s.policy:INFO Event Matched
2022-09-14 20:33:50,639: custodian.k8s.policy:INFO Filtered from 1 to 1 resource(s)
2022-09-14 20:33:50,639: custodian.k8s.policy:INFO allowing admission because on-match:warn, matched:1
10.0.201.111 - - [14/Sep/2022 20:33:50] "POST /?timeout=10s HTTP/1.1" 200 -
2022-09-14 20:33:50,640: c7n_kube.server:INFO {"apiVersion": "admission.k8s.io/v1", "kind": "AdmissionReview", "response": {"allowed": true, "warnings": ["example-warn-policy:This is a sample policy"], "uid": "2ec4911a-8a9d-4c8d-8aa5-2d3709877fd0", "status": {"code": 200, "message": "OK"}}}

Authoring PoliciesΒΆ

The k8s-admission mode supports both built-in resource types in Kubernetes as well as Custom objects defined by Custom Resource Definitions. In addition, the mode allows you to specify different behaviors on-match: allow, deny, and warn. In addition, you can specify which operations to respond to: CREATE, UPDATE, DELETE, and CONNECT.

For CREATE, UPDATE, and CONNECT operations, the resource that the policy will operate on will be the incoming resource, i.e. the new object. In the case of the DELETE operation, the old object will be used.

In addition to the value filter and any other built in filters, k8s-admission mode policies can also filter resources based on the event itself. For instance:

policies:
  - name: event-filter-example
    resource: k8s.pod
    mode:
      type: k8s-admission
      on-match: deny
      operations:
      - CREATE
      - UPDATE
   filters:
     - type: event
       key: request.userInfo.username
       value: foo

A sample event looks like:

{
   "kind":"AdmissionReview",
   "apiVersion":"admission.k8s.io/v1",
   "request":{
      "uid":"662c3df2-ade6-4165-b395-770857bc17b7",
      "kind":{
         "group":"",
         "version":"v1",
         "kind":"Pod"
      },
      "resource":{
         "group":"",
         "version":"v1",
         "resource":"pods"
      },
      "requestKind":{
         "group":"",
         "version":"v1",
         "kind":"Pod"
      },
      "requestResource":{
         "group":"",
         "version":"v1",
         "resource":"pods"
      },
      "name":"static-web",
      "namespace":"default",
      "operation":"CREATE",
      "userInfo":{
         "username":"kubernetes-admin",
         "groups":[
            "system:masters",
            "system:authenticated"
         ]
      },
      "object":{
         "kind":"Pod",
         "apiVersion":"v1",
         "metadata":{
            "name":"static-web",
            "namespace":"default",
            "uid":"e96b4e07-633e-426d-9a7f-db39676cf0b4",
            "creationTimestamp":"2022-08-25T22:08:33Z",
            "labels":{
               "role":"myrole"
            },
            "annotations":{
               "kubectl.kubernetes.io/last-applied-configuration":"{\"apiVersion\":\"v1\",\"kind\":\"Pod\",\"metadata\":{\"annotations\":{},\"labels\":{\"role\":\"myrole\"},\"name\":\"static-web\",\"namespace\":\"default\"},\"spec\":{\"containers\":[{\"image\":\"nginx\",\"name\":\"web\",\"ports\":[{\"containerPort\":80,\"name\":\"web\",\"protocol\":\"TCP\"}]}]}}\n"
            },
            "managedFields":[
               {
                  "manager":"kubectl-client-side-apply",
                  "operation":"Update",
                  "apiVersion":"v1",
                  "time":"2022-08-25T22:08:33Z",
                  "fieldsType":"FieldsV1",
                  "fieldsV1":{
                     "f:metadata":{
                        "f:annotations":{
                           ".":{

                           },
                           "f:kubectl.kubernetes.io/last-applied-configuration":{

                           }
                        },
                        "f:labels":{
                           ".":{

                           },
                           "f:role":{

                           }
                        }
                     },
                     "f:spec":{
                        "f:containers":{
                           "k:{\"name\":\"web\"}":{
                              ".":{

                              },
                              "f:image":{

                              },
                              "f:imagePullPolicy":{

                              },
                              "f:name":{

                              },
                              "f:ports":{
                                 ".":{

                                 },
                                 "k:{\"containerPort\":80,\"protocol\":\"TCP\"}":{
                                    ".":{

                                    },
                                    "f:containerPort":{

                                    },
                                    "f:name":{

                                    },
                                    "f:protocol":{

                                    }
                                 }
                              },
                              "f:resources":{

                              },
                              "f:terminationMessagePath":{

                              },
                              "f:terminationMessagePolicy":{

                              }
                           }
                        },
                        "f:dnsPolicy":{

                        },
                        "f:enableServiceLinks":{

                        },
                        "f:restartPolicy":{

                        },
                        "f:schedulerName":{

                        },
                        "f:securityContext":{

                        },
                        "f:terminationGracePeriodSeconds":{

                        }
                     }
                  }
               }
            ]
         },
         "spec":{
            "volumes":[
               {
                  "name":"kube-api-access-7pc2d",
                  "projected":{
                     "sources":[
                        {
                           "serviceAccountToken":{
                              "expirationSeconds":3607,
                              "path":"token"
                           }
                        },
                        {
                           "configMap":{
                              "name":"kube-root-ca.crt",
                              "items":[
                                 {
                                    "key":"ca.crt",
                                    "path":"ca.crt"
                                 }
                              ]
                           }
                        },
                        {
                           "downwardAPI":{
                              "items":[
                                 {
                                    "path":"namespace",
                                    "fieldRef":{
                                       "apiVersion":"v1",
                                       "fieldPath":"metadata.namespace"
                                    }
                                 }
                              ]
                           }
                        }
                     ],
                     "defaultMode":420
                  }
               }
            ],
            "containers":[
               {
                  "name":"web",
                  "image":"nginx",
                  "ports":[
                     {
                        "name":"web",
                        "containerPort":80,
                        "protocol":"TCP"
                     }
                  ],
                  "resources":{

                  },
                  "volumeMounts":[
                     {
                        "name":"kube-api-access-7pc2d",
                        "readOnly":true,
                        "mountPath":"/var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount"
                     }
                  ],
                  "terminationMessagePath":"/dev/termination-log",
                  "terminationMessagePolicy":"File",
                  "imagePullPolicy":"Always"
               }
            ],
            "restartPolicy":"Always",
            "terminationGracePeriodSeconds":30,
            "dnsPolicy":"ClusterFirst",
            "serviceAccountName":"default",
            "serviceAccount":"default",
            "securityContext":{

            },
            "schedulerName":"default-scheduler",
            "tolerations":[
               {
                  "key":"node.kubernetes.io/not-ready",
                  "operator":"Exists",
                  "effect":"NoExecute",
                  "tolerationSeconds":300
               },
               {
                  "key":"node.kubernetes.io/unreachable",
                  "operator":"Exists",
                  "effect":"NoExecute",
                  "tolerationSeconds":300
               }
            ],
            "priority":0,
            "enableServiceLinks":true,
            "preemptionPolicy":"PreemptLowerPriority"
         },
         "status":{
            "phase":"Pending",
            "qosClass":"BestEffort"
         }
      },
      "oldObject":"None",
      "dryRun":false,
      "options":{
         "kind":"CreateOptions",
         "apiVersion":"meta.k8s.io/v1",
         "fieldManager":"kubectl-client-side-apply"
      }
   }
}