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Chapter 12. Encrypting etcd data

12.1. About etcd encryption

By default, etcd data is not encrypted in OpenShift Container Platform. You can enable etcd encryption for your cluster to provide an additional layer of data security. For example, it can help protect the loss of sensitive data if an etcd backup is exposed to the incorrect parties.

When you enable etcd encryption, the following OpenShift API server and Kubernetes API server resources are encrypted:

  • Secrets
  • Config maps
  • Routes
  • OAuth access tokens
  • OAuth authorize tokens

When you enable etcd encryption, encryption keys are created. These keys are rotated on a weekly basis. You must have these keys to restore from an etcd backup.

Note

Keep in mind that etcd encryption only encrypts values, not keys. This means that resource types, namespaces, and object names are unencrypted.

12.2. Enabling etcd encryption

You can enable etcd encryption to encrypt sensitive resources in your cluster.

Warning

It is not recommended to take a backup of etcd until the initial encryption process is complete. If the encryption process has not completed, the backup might be only partially encrypted.

Prerequisites

  • Access to the cluster as a user with the cluster-admin role.

Procedure

  1. Modify the APIServer object: 

    $ oc edit apiserver
    Copy to clipboard

  2. Set the encryption field type to aescbc: 

    spec:
  encryption:
    type: aescbc 1
    Copy to clipboard
    1
    The aescbc type means that AES-CBC with PKCS#7 padding and a 32 byte key is used to perform the encryption.

  3. Save the file to apply the changes.

    The encryption process starts. It can take 20 minutes or longer for this process to complete, depending on the size of your cluster.

  4. Verify that etcd encryption was successful.

    1. Review the Encrypted status condition for the OpenShift API server to verify that its resources were successfully encrypted: 

      $ oc get openshiftapiserver -o=jsonpath='{range .items[0].status.conditions[?(@.type=="Encrypted")]}{.reason}{"\n"}{.message}{"\n"}'
      Copy to clipboard

      The output shows EncryptionCompleted upon successful encryption: 

      EncryptionCompleted
All resources encrypted: routes.route.openshift.io
      Copy to clipboard

      If the output shows EncryptionInProgress, encryption is still in progress. Wait a few minutes and try again.

    2. Review the Encrypted status condition for the Kubernetes API server to verify that its resources were successfully encrypted: 

      $ oc get kubeapiserver -o=jsonpath='{range .items[0].status.conditions[?(@.type=="Encrypted")]}{.reason}{"\n"}{.message}{"\n"}'
      Copy to clipboard

      The output shows EncryptionCompleted upon successful encryption: 

      EncryptionCompleted
All resources encrypted: secrets, configmaps
      Copy to clipboard

      If the output shows EncryptionInProgress, encryption is still in progress. Wait a few minutes and try again.

    3. Review the Encrypted status condition for the OpenShift OAuth API server to verify that its resources were successfully encrypted: 

      $ oc get authentication.operator.openshift.io -o=jsonpath='{range .items[0].status.conditions[?(@.type=="Encrypted")]}{.reason}{"\n"}{.message}{"\n"}'
      Copy to clipboard

      The output shows EncryptionCompleted upon successful encryption: 

      EncryptionCompleted
All resources encrypted: oauthaccesstokens.oauth.openshift.io, oauthauthorizetokens.oauth.openshift.io
      Copy to clipboard

      If the output shows EncryptionInProgress, encryption is still in progress. Wait a few minutes and try again.

12.3. Disabling etcd encryption

You can disable encryption of etcd data in your cluster.

Prerequisites

  • Access to the cluster as a user with the cluster-admin role.

Procedure

  1. Modify the APIServer object: 

    $ oc edit apiserver
    Copy to clipboard

  2. Set the encryption field type to identity: 

    spec:
  encryption:
    type: identity 1
    Copy to clipboard
    1
    The identity type is the default value and means that no encryption is performed.

  3. Save the file to apply the changes.

    The decryption process starts. It can take 20 minutes or longer for this process to complete, depending on the size of your cluster.

  4. Verify that etcd decryption was successful.

    1. Review the Encrypted status condition for the OpenShift API server to verify that its resources were successfully decrypted: 

      $ oc get openshiftapiserver -o=jsonpath='{range .items[0].status.conditions[?(@.type=="Encrypted")]}{.reason}{"\n"}{.message}{"\n"}'
      Copy to clipboard

      The output shows DecryptionCompleted upon successful decryption: 

      DecryptionCompleted
Encryption mode set to identity and everything is decrypted
      Copy to clipboard

      If the output shows DecryptionInProgress, decryption is still in progress. Wait a few minutes and try again.

    2. Review the Encrypted status condition for the Kubernetes API server to verify that its resources were successfully decrypted: 

      $ oc get kubeapiserver -o=jsonpath='{range .items[0].status.conditions[?(@.type=="Encrypted")]}{.reason}{"\n"}{.message}{"\n"}'
      Copy to clipboard

      The output shows DecryptionCompleted upon successful decryption: 

      DecryptionCompleted
Encryption mode set to identity and everything is decrypted
      Copy to clipboard

      If the output shows DecryptionInProgress, decryption is still in progress. Wait a few minutes and try again.

    3. Review the Encrypted status condition for the OpenShift OAuth API server to verify that its resources were successfully decrypted: 

      $ oc get authentication.operator.openshift.io -o=jsonpath='{range .items[0].status.conditions[?(@.type=="Encrypted")]}{.reason}{"\n"}{.message}{"\n"}'
      Copy to clipboard

      The output shows DecryptionCompleted upon successful decryption: 

      DecryptionCompleted
Encryption mode set to identity and everything is decrypted
      Copy to clipboard

      If the output shows DecryptionInProgress, decryption is still in progress. Wait a few minutes and try again.

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