open-vault/website/pages/docs/agent/autoauth/methods/kerberos.mdx

---
layout: "docs"
page_title: "Vault Agent Auto-Auth Kerberos Method"
sidebar_title: "Kerberos"
sidebar_current: "docs-agent-autoauth-methods-kerberos"
description: |-
  Kerberos Method for Vault Agent Auto-Auth
---

# Vault Agent Auto-Auth Kerberos Method

The `kerberos` agent provides an automated mechanism to retrieve
a Vault token for Kerberos entities. It reads in configuration and
identification information from the surrounding environment, and uses
it to authenticate to Vault.

For more on this auth method, see the [Kerberos auth method](/docs/auth/kerberos).

## Configuration

- `krb5conf_path` `(string: required)` is the path to a valid `krb5.conf` file describing how to
communicate with the Kerberos environment.
- `keytab_path` `(string: required)` is the path to the `keytab` in which the entry lives for the
entity authenticating to Vault. Keytab files should be protected from other
users on a shared server using appropriate file permissions.
- `username` `(string: required)` is the username for the entry _within_ the `keytab` to use for
logging into Kerberos. This username must match a service account in LDAP.
- `service` `(string: required)` is the service principal name to use in obtaining a service ticket for
gaining a SPNEGO token. This service must exist in LDAP.
- `realm` `(string: required)` is the name of the Kerberos realm. This realm must match the UPNDomain
configured on the LDAP connection. This check is case-sensitive.
- `disable_fast_negotiation` `(bool: optional)` is for disabling the Kerberos auth method's default
of using FAST negotiation. FAST is a pre-authentication framework for Kerberos.
It includes a mechanism for tunneling pre-authentication exchanges using armoured
KDC messages. FAST provides increased resistance to passive password guessing attacks.
Some common Kerberos implementations do not support FAST negotiation. The default is false.