--- layout: api page_title: Kubernetes - Auth Methods - HTTP API sidebar_title: Kubernetes description: This is the API documentation for the Vault Kubernetes auth method plugin. --- # Kubernetes Auth Method (API) This is the API documentation for the Vault Kubernetes auth method plugin. To learn more about the usage and operation, see the [Vault Kubernetes auth method](/docs/auth/kubernetes). This documentation assumes the Kubernetes method is mounted at the `/auth/kubernetes` path in Vault. Since it is possible to enable auth methods at any location, please update your API calls accordingly. ## Configure Method The Kubernetes auth method validates service account JWTs and verifies their existence with the Kubernetes TokenReview API. This endpoint configures the public key used to validate the JWT signature and the necessary information to access the Kubernetes API. | Method | Path | | :----- | :------------------------ | | `POST` | `/auth/kubernetes/config` | ### Parameters - `kubernetes_host` `(string: )` - Host must be a host string, a host:port pair, or a URL to the base of the Kubernetes API server. - `kubernetes_ca_cert` `(string: "")` - PEM encoded CA cert for use by the TLS client used to talk with the Kubernetes API. NOTE: Every line must end with a newline: `\n` - `token_reviewer_jwt` `(string: "")` - A service account JWT used to access the TokenReview API to validate other JWTs during login. If not set, the JWT submitted in the login payload will be used to access the Kubernetes TokenReview API. - `pem_keys` `(array: [])` - Optional list of PEM-formatted public keys or certificates used to verify the signatures of Kubernetes service account JWTs. If a certificate is given, its public key will be extracted. Not every installation of Kubernetes exposes these keys. - `issuer` `(string: "")` - Optional JWT issuer. If no issuer is specified, then this plugin will use `kubernetes/serviceaccount` as the default issuer. - `disable_iss_validation` `(bool: false)` - Disable JWT issuer validation. Allows to skip ISS validation. - `disable_local_ca_jwt` `(bool: false)` - Disable defaulting to the local CA cert and service account JWT when running in a Kubernetes pod. ### Caveats If Vault is running in a Kubernetes Pod, the `kubernetes_ca_cert` and `token_reviewer_jwt` parameters will automatically default to the local CA cert (`/var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount/ca.crt`) and local service account JWT (`/var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount/token`). This behavior may be disabled by setting `disable_local_ca_jwt` to `true`. When Vault is running in a non-Kubernetes environment, either `kubernetes_ca_cert` or `pem_keys` must be set by the user. ### Sample Payload ```json { "kubernetes_host": "https://192.168.99.100:8443", "kubernetes_ca_cert": "-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----\n.....\n-----END CERTIFICATE-----", "pem_keys": "-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----\n.....\n-----END CERTIFICATE-----" } ``` ### Sample Request ```shell-session $ curl \ --header "X-Vault-Token: ..." \ --request POST \ --data @payload.json \ http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/auth/kubernetes/config ``` ## Read Config Returns the previously configured config, including credentials. | Method | Path | | :----- | :------------------------ | | `GET` | `/auth/kubernetes/config` | ### Sample Request ```shell-session $ curl \ --header "X-Vault-Token: ..." \ http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/auth/kubernetes/config ``` ### Sample Response ```json { "data":{ "kubernetes_host": "https://192.168.99.100:8443", "kubernetes_ca_cert": "-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----.....-----END CERTIFICATE-----", "pem_keys": ["-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----.....", .....], "disable_iss_validation": false, "disable_local_ca_jwt": false } } ``` ## Create Role Registers a role in the auth method. Role types have specific entities that can perform login operations against this endpoint. Constraints specific to the role type must be set on the role. These are applied to the authenticated entities attempting to login. | Method | Path | | :----- | :---------------------------- | | `POST` | `/auth/kubernetes/role/:name` | ### Parameters - `name` `(string: )` - Name of the role. - `bound_service_account_names` `(array: )` - List of service account names able to access this role. If set to "\*" all names are allowed. - `bound_service_account_namespaces` `(array: )` - List of namespaces allowed to access this role. If set to "\*" all namespaces are allowed. - `audience` `(string: "")` - Optional Audience claim to verify in the JWT. @include 'tokenfields.mdx' ### Sample Payload ```json { "bound_service_account_names": "vault-auth", "bound_service_account_namespaces": "default", "policies": ["dev", "prod"], "max_ttl": 1800000 } ``` ### Sample Request ```shell-session $ curl \ --header "X-Vault-Token: ..." \ --request POST \ --data @payload.json \ http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/auth/kubernetes/role/dev-role ``` ## Read Role Returns the previously registered role configuration. | Method | Path | | :----- | :---------------------------- | | `GET` | `/auth/kubernetes/role/:name` | ### Parameters - `name` `(string: )` - Name of the role. ### Sample Request ```shell-session $ curl \ --header "X-Vault-Token: ..." \ http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/auth/kubernetes/role/dev-role ``` ### Sample Response ```json { "data": { "bound_service_account_names": "vault-auth", "bound_service_account_namespaces": "default", "max_ttl": 1800000, "ttl": 0, "period": 0, "policies": ["dev", "prod"] } } ``` ## List Roles Lists all the roles that are registered with the auth method. | Method | Path | | :----- | :-------------------------------- | | `LIST` | `/auth/kubernetes/role` | | `GET` | `/auth/kubernetes/role?list=true` | ### Sample Request ```shell-session $ curl \ --header "X-Vault-Token: ..." \ --request LIST \ http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/auth/kubernetes/role ``` ### Sample Response ```json { "data": { "keys": ["dev-role", "prod-role"] } } ``` ## Delete Role Deletes the previously registered role. | Method | Path | | :------- | :---------------------------- | | `DELETE` | `/auth/kubernetes/role/:role` | ### Parameters - `role` `(string: )` - Name of the role. ### Sample Request ```shell-session $ curl \ --header "X-Vault-Token: ..." \ --request DELETE \ http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/auth/kubernetes/role/dev-role ``` ## Login Fetch a token. This endpoint takes a signed JSON Web Token (JWT) and a role name for some entity. It verifies the JWT signature to authenticate that entity and then authorizes the entity for the given role. | Method | Path | | :----- | :----------------------- | | `POST` | `/auth/kubernetes/login` | ### Sample Payload - `role` `(string: )` - Name of the role against which the login is being attempted. - `jwt` `(string: )` - Signed [JSON Web Token](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7519) (JWT) for authenticating a service account. ### Sample Payload ```json { "role": "dev-role", "jwt": "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9..." } ``` ### Sample Request ```shell-session $ curl \ --request POST \ --data @payload.json \ http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/auth/kubernetes/login ``` ### Sample Response ```json { "auth": { "client_token": "62b858f9-529c-6b26-e0b8-0457b6aacdb4", "accessor": "afa306d0-be3d-c8d2-b0d7-2676e1c0d9b4", "policies": ["default"], "metadata": { "role": "test", "service_account_name": "vault-auth", "service_account_namespace": "default", "service_account_secret_name": "vault-auth-token-pd21c", "service_account_uid": "aa9aa8ff-98d0-11e7-9bb7-0800276d99bf" }, "lease_duration": 2764800, "renewable": true } } ```