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Scenario #262
Security
Kubernetes v1.22, EKS

Privileged Containers Without Security Context

Containers were running with elevated privileges without defined security contexts, increasing the risk of host compromise.

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What Happened

Several pods were deployed with the privileged: true flag but lacked defined security contexts. This configuration allowed containers to perform operations that could compromise the host system.

Diagnosis Steps
  • 1Inspected pod specifications for security context configurations.
  • 2Identified containers running with elevated privileges.
  • 3Assessed potential risks associated with these configurations.
Root Cause

Absence of defined security contexts for privileged containers.

Fix/Workaround
• Defined appropriate security contexts for all containers.
• Removed unnecessary privileged access where possible.
• Implemented Pod Security Policies to enforce security standards.
Lessons Learned

Clearly define security contexts for all containers, especially those requiring elevated privileges.

How to Avoid
  • 1Implement and enforce Pod Security Policies.
  • 2Regularly review and update security contexts for all deployments.
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