Support non-root control-plane services

[NicolasT]

Currently (kubeadm 1.13), the services deployed using static manifests on the control-plane node(s) are running as the root user, even though this is not strictly required, as long as FS permissions on whatever is hostPath-exported in the Pods are set up correctly.

Using securityContext.runAsUser and fsGroup one can set the UID and GID under which the process in the container should run. It would be useful, from a security PoV, to drop to an unprivileged user (based on configuration, if need be) when executing etcd, kube-apiserver, kube-controller-manager and kube-scheduler.

We could even consider dropping all 'capabilities' except those required to retain (if any).

---

edit by neolit123

k/e tracking issue:
kubernetes/enhancements#2568

[vjdhama]

I would love to work on this as my first contrib to kubeadm.

[yagonobre]

Thanks @vjdhama
/lifecycle active

[ashishranjan738]

@vjdhama are you working on this issue. I was thinking of giving it a try ? cc @yagonobre

[vjdhama]

@ashishranjan738 Yes, I am.

[astrieanna]

We're picking this up, but would like some clarification. What user/group should the processes run as instead of root? Is there an existing user/group that can be assumed to exist and be unprivileged or should this be a new configuration option?

[neolit123]

We're picking this up, but would like some clarification. What user/group should the processes run as instead of root? Is there an existing user/group that can be assumed to exist and be unprivileged or should this be a new configuration option?

everybody was at kubecon, so might have been better to not send the PR before that.
i've replied on the PR and assigned more reviewers.

[astrieanna]

On our PR that made UID/GID configurable, @rosti said:

I don't see the use case for this to be configurable. In fact, I think, that if we want to run the static control plane pods unprivileged, we should make it the default and stick to it.
The only case, where we might want to keep those pods running as root is after upgrade from an old running cluster. Yet, even that might be questionable.
Certainly, I don't think, that exposing the UID & GID as config knobs is the right direction to go with this.

In this case, what UID/GID should the processes be run as by default?

[randomvariable]

This will be needed to complete the work kubernetes/kubernetes#79722

[neolit123]

the usage of hostPath for root owned paths is creating a complication with this feature request.

here is a dump of the kubeadm static pods.
it shows all the paths we currently mount by default.

• we need to examine these paths and see what is owned by kubeadm.
• existing user mounts can potentially break if the users expect root.
• upgrades from root -> non-root Pods have to be tested.

lubo-it@luboitvbox:~/go/src/k8s.io/kubernetes$ sudo cat /etc/kubernetes/manifests/etcd.yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  creationTimestamp: null
  labels:
    component: etcd
    tier: control-plane
  name: etcd
  namespace: kube-system
spec:
  containers:
  - command:
    - etcd
    - --advertise-client-urls=https://192.168.0.102:2379
    - --cert-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/etcd/server.crt
    - --client-cert-auth=true
    - --data-dir=/var/lib/etcd
    - --initial-advertise-peer-urls=https://192.168.0.102:2380
    - --initial-cluster=luboitvbox=https://192.168.0.102:2380
    - --key-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/etcd/server.key
    - --listen-client-urls=https://127.0.0.1:2379,https://192.168.0.102:2379
    - --listen-peer-urls=https://192.168.0.102:2380
    - --name=luboitvbox
    - --peer-cert-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/etcd/peer.crt
    - --peer-client-cert-auth=true
    - --peer-key-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/etcd/peer.key
    - --peer-trusted-ca-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/etcd/ca.crt
    - --snapshot-count=10000
    - --trusted-ca-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/etcd/ca.crt
    image: k8s.gcr.io/etcd:3.3.10
    imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
    livenessProbe:
      exec:
        command:
        - /bin/sh
        - -ec
        - ETCDCTL_API=3 etcdctl --endpoints=https://[127.0.0.1]:2379 --cacert=/etc/kubernetes/pki/etcd/ca.crt
          --cert=/etc/kubernetes/pki/etcd/healthcheck-client.crt --key=/etc/kubernetes/pki/etcd/healthcheck-client.key
          get foo
      failureThreshold: 8
      initialDelaySeconds: 15
      timeoutSeconds: 15
    name: etcd
    resources: {}
    volumeMounts:
    - mountPath: /var/lib/etcd
      name: etcd-data
    - mountPath: /etc/kubernetes/pki/etcd
      name: etcd-certs
  hostNetwork: true
  priorityClassName: system-cluster-critical
  volumes:
  - hostPath:
      path: /etc/kubernetes/pki/etcd
      type: DirectoryOrCreate
    name: etcd-certs
  - hostPath:
      path: /var/lib/etcd
      type: DirectoryOrCreate
    name: etcd-data
status: {}
lubo-it@luboitvbox:~/go/src/k8s.io/kubernetes$ sudo cat /etc/kubernetes/manifests/kube-apiserver.yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  creationTimestamp: null
  labels:
    component: kube-apiserver
    tier: control-plane
  name: kube-apiserver
  namespace: kube-system
spec:
  containers:
  - command:
    - kube-apiserver
    - --advertise-address=192.168.0.102
    - --allow-privileged=true
    - --authorization-mode=Node,RBAC
    - --client-ca-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/ca.crt
    - --enable-admission-plugins=NodeRestriction
    - --enable-bootstrap-token-auth=true
    - --etcd-cafile=/etc/kubernetes/pki/etcd/ca.crt
    - --etcd-certfile=/etc/kubernetes/pki/apiserver-etcd-client.crt
    - --etcd-keyfile=/etc/kubernetes/pki/apiserver-etcd-client.key
    - --etcd-servers=https://127.0.0.1:2379
    - --insecure-port=0
    - --kubelet-client-certificate=/etc/kubernetes/pki/apiserver-kubelet-client.crt
    - --kubelet-client-key=/etc/kubernetes/pki/apiserver-kubelet-client.key
    - --kubelet-preferred-address-types=InternalIP,ExternalIP,Hostname
    - --proxy-client-cert-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/front-proxy-client.crt
    - --proxy-client-key-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/front-proxy-client.key
    - --requestheader-allowed-names=front-proxy-client
    - --requestheader-client-ca-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/front-proxy-ca.crt
    - --requestheader-extra-headers-prefix=X-Remote-Extra-
    - --requestheader-group-headers=X-Remote-Group
    - --requestheader-username-headers=X-Remote-User
    - --secure-port=6443
    - --service-account-key-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/sa.pub
    - --service-cluster-ip-range=10.96.0.0/12
    - --tls-cert-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/apiserver.crt
    - --tls-private-key-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/apiserver.key
    image: k8s.gcr.io/kube-apiserver:v1.14.2
    imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
    livenessProbe:
      failureThreshold: 8
      httpGet:
        host: 192.168.0.102
        path: /healthz
        port: 6443
        scheme: HTTPS
      initialDelaySeconds: 15
      timeoutSeconds: 15
    name: kube-apiserver
    resources:
      requests:
        cpu: 250m
    volumeMounts:
    - mountPath: /etc/ssl/certs
      name: ca-certs
      readOnly: true
    - mountPath: /etc/ca-certificates
      name: etc-ca-certificates
      readOnly: true
    - mountPath: /etc/pki
      name: etc-pki
      readOnly: true
    - mountPath: /etc/kubernetes/pki
      name: k8s-certs
      readOnly: true
    - mountPath: /usr/local/share/ca-certificates
      name: usr-local-share-ca-certificates
      readOnly: true
    - mountPath: /usr/share/ca-certificates
      name: usr-share-ca-certificates
      readOnly: true
  hostNetwork: true
  priorityClassName: system-cluster-critical
  volumes:
  - hostPath:
      path: /etc/ssl/certs
      type: DirectoryOrCreate
    name: ca-certs
  - hostPath:
      path: /etc/ca-certificates
      type: DirectoryOrCreate
    name: etc-ca-certificates
  - hostPath:
      path: /etc/pki
      type: DirectoryOrCreate
    name: etc-pki
  - hostPath:
      path: /etc/kubernetes/pki
      type: DirectoryOrCreate
    name: k8s-certs
  - hostPath:
      path: /usr/local/share/ca-certificates
      type: DirectoryOrCreate
    name: usr-local-share-ca-certificates
  - hostPath:
      path: /usr/share/ca-certificates
      type: DirectoryOrCreate
    name: usr-share-ca-certificates
status: {}
lubo-it@luboitvbox:~/go/src/k8s.io/kubernetes$ sudo cat /etc/kubernetes/manifests/kube-scheduler.yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  creationTimestamp: null
  labels:
    component: kube-scheduler
    tier: control-plane
  name: kube-scheduler
  namespace: kube-system
spec:
  containers:
  - command:
    - kube-scheduler
    - --bind-address=127.0.0.1
    - --kubeconfig=/etc/kubernetes/scheduler.conf
    - --leader-elect=true
    image: k8s.gcr.io/kube-scheduler:v1.14.2
    imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
    livenessProbe:
      failureThreshold: 8
      httpGet:
        host: 127.0.0.1
        path: /healthz
        port: 10251
        scheme: HTTP
      initialDelaySeconds: 15
      timeoutSeconds: 15
    name: kube-scheduler
    resources:
      requests:
        cpu: 100m
    volumeMounts:
    - mountPath: /etc/kubernetes/scheduler.conf
      name: kubeconfig
      readOnly: true
  hostNetwork: true
  priorityClassName: system-cluster-critical
  volumes:
  - hostPath:
      path: /etc/kubernetes/scheduler.conf
      type: FileOrCreate
    name: kubeconfig
status: {}
lubo-it@luboitvbox:~/go/src/k8s.io/kubernetes$ sudo cat /etc/kubernetes/manifests/kube-controller-manager.yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  creationTimestamp: null
  labels:
    component: kube-controller-manager
    tier: control-plane
  name: kube-controller-manager
  namespace: kube-system
spec:
  containers:
  - command:
    - kube-controller-manager
    - --authentication-kubeconfig=/etc/kubernetes/controller-manager.conf
    - --authorization-kubeconfig=/etc/kubernetes/controller-manager.conf
    - --bind-address=127.0.0.1
    - --client-ca-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/ca.crt
    - --cluster-signing-cert-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/ca.crt
    - --cluster-signing-key-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/ca.key
    - --controllers=*,bootstrapsigner,tokencleaner
    - --kubeconfig=/etc/kubernetes/controller-manager.conf
    - --leader-elect=true
    - --requestheader-client-ca-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/front-proxy-ca.crt
    - --root-ca-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/ca.crt
    - --service-account-private-key-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/sa.key
    - --use-service-account-credentials=true
    image: k8s.gcr.io/kube-controller-manager:v1.14.2
    imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
    livenessProbe:
      failureThreshold: 8
      httpGet:
        host: 127.0.0.1
        path: /healthz
        port: 10252
        scheme: HTTP
      initialDelaySeconds: 15
      timeoutSeconds: 15
    name: kube-controller-manager
    resources:
      requests:
        cpu: 200m
    volumeMounts:
    - mountPath: /etc/ssl/certs
      name: ca-certs
      readOnly: true
    - mountPath: /etc/ca-certificates
      name: etc-ca-certificates
      readOnly: true
    - mountPath: /etc/pki
      name: etc-pki
      readOnly: true
    - mountPath: /usr/libexec/kubernetes/kubelet-plugins/volume/exec
      name: flexvolume-dir
    - mountPath: /etc/kubernetes/pki
      name: k8s-certs
      readOnly: true
    - mountPath: /etc/kubernetes/controller-manager.conf
      name: kubeconfig
      readOnly: true
    - mountPath: /usr/local/share/ca-certificates
      name: usr-local-share-ca-certificates
      readOnly: true
    - mountPath: /usr/share/ca-certificates
      name: usr-share-ca-certificates
      readOnly: true
  hostNetwork: true
  priorityClassName: system-cluster-critical
  volumes:
  - hostPath:
      path: /etc/ssl/certs
      type: DirectoryOrCreate
    name: ca-certs
  - hostPath:
      path: /etc/ca-certificates
      type: DirectoryOrCreate
    name: etc-ca-certificates
  - hostPath:
      path: /etc/pki
      type: DirectoryOrCreate
    name: etc-pki
  - hostPath:
      path: /usr/libexec/kubernetes/kubelet-plugins/volume/exec
      type: DirectoryOrCreate
    name: flexvolume-dir
  - hostPath:
      path: /etc/kubernetes/pki
      type: DirectoryOrCreate
    name: k8s-certs
  - hostPath:
      path: /etc/kubernetes/controller-manager.conf
      type: FileOrCreate
    name: kubeconfig
  - hostPath:
      path: /usr/local/share/ca-certificates
      type: DirectoryOrCreate
    name: usr-local-share-ca-certificates
  - hostPath:
      path: /usr/share/ca-certificates
      type: DirectoryOrCreate
    name: usr-share-ca-certificates
status: {}

[neolit123]

deadlines for KEPs is done.
i'm 50/50 whether this needs one or not - given the latest discovered complications i'd say it needs one.

if someone has the bandwidth deadline for KEP exceptions is 19 Aug.
https://github.com/kubernetes/sig-release/tree/master/releases/release-1.16

[fejta-bot]

Issues go stale after 90d of inactivity.
Mark the issue as fresh with /remove-lifecycle stale.
Stale issues rot after an additional 30d of inactivity and eventually close.

If this issue is safe to close now please do so with /close.

Send feedback to sig-testing, kubernetes/test-infra and/or fejta.
/lifecycle stale

[neolit123]

/lifecycle frozen

[neolit123]

moved to #1367
which will happen in 1.22

[kennethredler]

moved to #1367
which will happen in 1.22

Seems this is a self-referential link @neolit123 ? 🤔 Was there a different issue this should've been linked to?

[neolit123]

my mistake, it's here:
#2473

[kennethredler]

my mistake, it's here:
#2473

No worries. And thanks! 😃