auditing-kubernetes-cluster-rbac

# List all ClusterRoleBindings with the subjects
kubectl get clusterrolebindings -o json | python3 -c "
import json, sys
data = json.load(sys.stdin)
for binding in data['items']:
    name = binding['metadata']['name']
    role = binding['roleRef']['name']
    subjects = binding.get('subjects', [])
    for subject in subjects:
        kind = subject.get('kind', '')
        subj_name = subject.get('name', '')
        ns = subject.get('namespace', 'cluster-wide')
        print(f'{name} -> Role: {role} | {kind}: {subj_name} ({ns})')
" | sort
 
# Find bindings to cluster-admin
kubectl get clusterrolebindings -o json | python3 -c "
import json, sys
data = json.load(sys.stdin)
for binding in data['items']:
    if binding['roleRef']['name'] == 'cluster-admin':
        print(f\"Binding: {binding['metadata']['name']}\")
        for subject in binding.get('subjects', []):
            print(f\"  {subject.get('kind')}: {subject.get('name')} (ns: {subject.get('namespace', 'N/A')})\")
"
 
# Find bindings granting access to all authenticated users
kubectl get clusterrolebindings -o json | python3 -c "
import json, sys
data = json.load(sys.stdin)
for binding in data['items']:
    for subject in binding.get('subjects', []):
        if subject.get('name') in ['system:authenticated', 'system:unauthenticated']:
            print(f\"WARNING: {binding['metadata']['name']} grants {binding['roleRef']['name']} to {subject['name']}\")
"

# Who can get secrets across all namespaces
kubectl rbac-tool who-can get secrets
 
# Who can create pods (potential for container escape)
kubectl rbac-tool who-can create pods
 
# Who can exec into pods
kubectl rbac-tool who-can create pods/exec
 
# Who can escalate privileges (bind/escalate verbs)
kubectl rbac-tool who-can bind clusterroles
kubectl rbac-tool who-can escalate clusterroles
 
# Generate RBAC policy report
kubectl rbac-tool analysis
 
# Visualize RBAC relationships
kubectl rbac-tool viz --outformat dot > rbac-graph.dot
dot -Tpng rbac-graph.dot -o rbac-graph.png

# Run KubiScan to find risky roles
python3 -m kubiscan -rroles   # List risky Roles
python3 -m kubiscan -rcr      # List risky ClusterRoles
python3 -m kubiscan -rrb      # List risky RoleBindings
python3 -m kubiscan -rcrb     # List risky ClusterRoleBindings
 
# Find risky service accounts
python3 -m kubiscan -rs       # Risky service accounts
 
# Find pods running with risky service accounts
python3 -m kubiscan -rp       # Risky pods
 
# Check for privilege escalation paths
python3 -m kubiscan -pe       # Privilege escalation vectors
 
# Generate full report
python3 -m kubiscan -a        # All checks

# Find pods with automounted service account tokens
kubectl get pods --all-namespaces -o json | python3 -c "
import json, sys
data = json.load(sys.stdin)
for pod in data['items']:
    name = pod['metadata']['name']
    ns = pod['metadata']['namespace']
    sa = pod['spec'].get('serviceAccountName', 'default')
    automount = pod['spec'].get('automountServiceAccountToken', True)
    if automount and sa != 'default':
        print(f'{ns}/{name} -> SA: {sa} (token auto-mounted)')
"
 
# Find service accounts with non-default token secrets
kubectl get serviceaccounts --all-namespaces -o json | python3 -c "
import json, sys
data = json.load(sys.stdin)
for sa in data['items']:
    name = sa['metadata']['name']
    ns = sa['metadata']['namespace']
    secrets = sa.get('secrets', [])
    if name != 'default' and len(secrets) > 0:
        print(f'{ns}/{name}: {len(secrets)} secret(s) bound')
"
 
# Check for pods running as privileged or with host access
kubectl get pods --all-namespaces -o json | python3 -c "
import json, sys
data = json.load(sys.stdin)
for pod in data['items']:
    name = pod['metadata']['name']
    ns = pod['metadata']['namespace']
    for container in pod['spec'].get('containers', []):
        sc = container.get('securityContext', {})
        if sc.get('privileged', False) or sc.get('runAsUser', 1) == 0:
            print(f'RISK: {ns}/{name}/{container[\"name\"]} - privileged={sc.get(\"privileged\",False)} runAsRoot={sc.get(\"runAsUser\",\"not set\")==0}')
"

# Run all kubeaudit checks
kubeaudit all --kubeconfig ~/.kube/config
 
# Run specific RBAC-related checks
kubeaudit privesc    # Check for allowPrivilegeEscalation
kubeaudit rootfs     # Check for readOnlyRootFilesystem
kubeaudit nonroot    # Check for runAsNonRoot
kubeaudit capabilities  # Check for dangerous capabilities
 
# Output as JSON for processing
kubeaudit all --kubeconfig ~/.kube/config -f json > kubeaudit-results.json

Kubernetes RBAC Audit Report
===============================
Cluster: production-eks (EKS 1.28)
Audit Date: 2026-02-23
Namespaces: 12

RBAC INVENTORY:
  ClusterRoles: 48 (18 custom, 30 system)
  ClusterRoleBindings: 32 (12 custom, 20 system)
  Roles (namespaced): 24
  RoleBindings (namespaced): 36
  Service Accounts: 67

CRITICAL FINDINGS:
[RBAC-001] ClusterRoleBinding Grants edit to system:authenticated
  Binding: authenticated-edit
  Effect: ALL authenticated users have edit access across ALL namespaces
  Risk: Any user can modify resources in any namespace
  Remediation: Replace with namespace-scoped RoleBindings per team

[RBAC-002] Custom ClusterRole with Wildcard Permissions
  ClusterRole: developer-admin
  Rules: verbs=["*"], resources=["*"], apiGroups=["*"]
  Bindings: 4 users via developer-admin-binding
  Risk: Equivalent to cluster-admin without the name
  Remediation: Scope to specific resources and verbs needed

SUMMARY:
  Principals with cluster-admin: 6 (recommended: <= 3)
  Roles with wildcard permissions: 4
  Service accounts with secret access: 12
  Pods with auto-mounted tokens: 45 / 67
  Privileged containers: 8