KubeArmor
Runtime Security Enforcement System for Kubernetes environments, leveraging Linux Security Modules for workload hardening and policy enforcement.
| Category | Container & Kubernetes Security |
|---|---|
| Community Stars | 1630 |
| Last Commit | last week |
| Last page update | 19 days ago |
| Pricing Details | Free and open source. |
| Target Audience | DevOps teams, security engineers, and Kubernetes administrators. |
KubeArmor manages ensuring runtime security in Kubernetes environments by enforcing user-specified policies at the system level. This is achieved through a robust technical architecture that leverages Linux Security Modules (LSMs) such as AppArmor, SELinux, or BPF-LSM.
At its core, KubeArmor utilizes eBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) to monitor and control system calls, process executions, file accesses, and networking operations within pods, containers, and nodes. The system is composed of several key components: the enforcer module, which applies security policies in real-time; the monitor module, which uses eBPF to map process IDs to container IDs; and the feeder module, a gRPC-based service that sends audit and system logs to a log server.
Operationally, KubeArmor integrates with Kubernetes, allowing for the deployment of security policies via Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs) such as KubeArmorPolicy and KubeArmorHostPolicy. The karmor CLI tool simplifies the management of KubeArmor, enabling tasks like installation, log observation, and policy recommendation.
Key operational considerations include the need for careful policy definition to avoid overly restrictive or permissive configurations, which can impact application performance or security posture. Additionally, the use of eBPF and LSMs requires a deep understanding of the underlying system calls and behaviors to effectively enforce policies without introducing performance bottlenecks.
From a technical standpoint, KubeArmor generates rich alerts and telemetry events, which can be integrated with monitoring systems like Prometheus for detailed metrics and visualization through Grafana. Metrics include alerts per host, namespace, pod, container, policy, severity, and operation type, providing comprehensive visibility into security events.
Overall, KubeArmor offers a powerful and flexible runtime security solution for cloud-native environments, but its effectiveness depends on meticulous configuration and ongoing monitoring to ensure optimal performance and security.