The controller generates its own certificates when is deployed for the first time, it also manages the renewal for you. But you can also bring your own certificates so the controller can consume them as well.
The controller consumes certificates contained in any secret labeled with sealedsecrets.bitnami.com/sealed-secrets-key=active
,
the secret has to live in the same namespace as the controller. There can be multiple such secrets.
Below you can find all the steps needed to create and consume your own certificates.
export PRIVATEKEY="mytls.key"
export PUBLICKEY="mytls.crt"
export NAMESPACE="sealed-secrets"
export SECRETNAME="mycustomkeys"
openssl req -x509 -nodes -newkey rsa:4096 -keyout "$PRIVATEKEY" -out "$PUBLICKEY" -subj "/CN=sealed-secret/O=sealed-secret"
kubectl -n "$NAMESPACE" create secret tls "$SECRETNAME" --cert="$PUBLICKEY" --key="$PRIVATEKEY"
kubectl -n "$NAMESPACE" label secret "$SECRETNAME" sealedsecrets.bitnami.com/sealed-secrets-key=active
kubectl -n "$NAMESPACE" delete pod -l name=sealed-secrets-controller
kubectl -n "$NAMESPACE" logs -l name=sealed-secrets-controller
controller version: v0.12.1+dirty
2020/06/09 14:30:45 Starting sealed-secrets controller version: v0.12.1+dirty
2020/06/09 14:30:45 Searching for existing private keys
2020/06/09 14:30:45 ----- sealed-secrets-key5rxd9
2020/06/09 14:30:45 ----- mycustomkeys
2020/06/09 14:30:45 HTTP server serving on :8080
Now you can try to seal a secret with your own certificate, instead of using the controller provided ones.
Use your own certificate (key) by using the --cert
flag:
kubeseal --cert "./${PUBLICKEY}" --scope cluster-wide < mysecret.yaml | kubectl apply -f-
kubectl -n "$NAMESPACE" logs -l name=sealed-secrets-controller
controller version: v0.12.1+dirty
2020/06/09 14:30:45 Starting sealed-secrets controller version: v0.12.1+dirty
2020/06/09 14:30:45 Searching for existing private keys
2020/06/09 14:30:45 ----- sealed-secrets-key5rxd9
2020/06/09 14:30:45 ----- mycustomkeys
2020/06/09 14:30:45 HTTP server serving on :8080
2020/06/09 14:37:55 Updating test-namespace/mysecret
2020/06/09 14:37:55 Event(v1.ObjectReference{Kind:"SealedSecret", Namespace:"test-namespace", Name:"mysecret", UID:"f3a6c537-d254-4c06-b08f-ab9548f28f5b", APIVersion:"bitnami.com/v1alpha1", ResourceVersion:"20469957", FieldPath:""}): type: 'Normal' reason: 'Unsealed' SealedSecret unsealed successfully
NOTE:
$PRIVATEKEY
is your private key, which is used by the controller to unseal your secret.
Don't share it with anyone you don't trust, and save it in a safe place!!