:_mod-docs-content-type: CONCEPT

// Module included in the following assemblies:
//
// assembly-security-providers.adoc

[id='con-config-security-providers-{context}']
= How to configure security context

[role="_abstract"]
Use security provider plugins or template configuration to apply security context to Strimzi pods and containers.

Apply security context at the pod or container level:

Pod-level security context:: Pod-level security context is applied to all containers in a specific pod.
Container-level security context:: Container-level security context is applied to a specific container.

With Strimzi, security context is applied through one or both of the following methods:

Template configuration:: Use `template` configuration of Strimzi custom resources to specify security context at the pod or container level.
Pod security provider plugins:: Use pod security provider plugins to automatically set security context across all pods and containers using preconfigured settings.  
  
Pod security providers offer a simpler alternative to specifying security context through `template` configuration.
You can use both approaches.
The `template` approach has a higher priority.
Security context configured through `template` properties overrides the configuration set by pod security providers.  
So you might use pod security providers to automatically configure the security context for most containers.
And also use `template` configuration to set container-specific security context where needed.

The `template` approach provides flexibility, but it also means you have to configure security context in numerous places to capture the security you want for all pods and containers. 
For example, you'll need to apply the configuration to each pod in a Kafka cluster, as well as the pods for deployments of other Kafka components.

To avoid repeating the same configuration, you can use the following pod security provider plugins so that the security configuration is in one place.

Baseline Provider:: The Baseline Provider is based on the Kubernetes _baseline_ security profile. The baseline profile prevents privilege escalations and defines other standard access controls and limitations.
Restricted Provider:: The Restricted Provider is based on the Kubernetes _restricted_ security profile. The restricted profile is more restrictive than the baseline profile, and is used where security needs to be tighter. 

For more information on the Kubernetes security profiles, see {K8sSecurityStandards}.


== Template configuration for security context

In the following example, security context is configured for Kafka brokers in the `template` configuration of the `Kafka` resource.  
Security context is specified at the pod and container level.

[source,yaml,subs="+attributes"]
.Example `template` configuration for security context
----
apiVersion: {KafkaApiVersion}
kind: Kafka
metadata:
  name: my-cluster
spec:
  # ...
  kafka:
    template:
      pod: # <1>
        securityContext:
          runAsUser: 1000001
          fsGroup: 0
      kafkaContainer: # <2>
        securityContext:
          runAsUser: 2000
  # ...      
----
<1> Pod security context
<2> Container security context of the Kafka broker container

== Baseline Provider for pod security

The Baseline Provider is the default pod security provider.
It configures the pods managed by Strimzi with a baseline security profile.
The baseline profile is compatible with previous versions of Strimzi.

The Baseline Provider is enabled by default if you don't specify a provider.
Though you can enable it explicitly by setting the `STRIMZI_POD_SECURITY_PROVIDER_CLASS` environment variable to `baseline` when configuring the Cluster Operator. 

.Configuration for the Baseline Provider
[source,yaml,options="nowrap"]
----
# ...
env:
  # ...
  - name: STRIMZI_POD_SECURITY_PROVIDER_CLASS
    value: baseline
  # ...
----

Instead of specifying `baseline` as the value, you can specify the `io.strimzi.plugin.security.profiles.impl.BaselinePodSecurityProvider` fully-qualified domain name.

== Restricted Provider for pod security

The Restricted Provider provides a higher level of security than the Baseline Provider.
It configures the pods managed by Strimzi with a restricted security profile.

You enable the Restricted Provider by setting the `STRIMZI_POD_SECURITY_PROVIDER_CLASS` environment variable to `restricted` when configuring the Cluster Operator.

.Configuration for the Restricted Provider
[source,yaml,options="nowrap"]
----
# ...
env:
  # ...
  - name: STRIMZI_POD_SECURITY_PROVIDER_CLASS
    value: restricted
  # ...
----

Instead of specifying `restricted` as the value, you can specify the `io.strimzi.plugin.security.profiles.impl.RestrictedPodSecurityProvider` fully-qualified domain name.

If you change to the Restricted Provider from the default Baseline Provider, the following restrictions are implemented in addition to the constraints defined in the baseline security profile:

* Limits allowed volume types
* Disallows privilege escalation
* Requires applications to run under a non-root user 
* Requires `seccomp` (secure computing mode) profiles to be set as `RuntimeDefault` or `Localhost`
* Limits container capabilities to use only the `NET_BIND_SERVICE` capability

With the Restricted Provider enabled, containers created by the Cluster Operator are set with the following security context.

.Cluster Operator with restricted security context configuration
[source,yaml,options="nowrap"]
----
# ...
securityContext:
  allowPrivilegeEscalation: false
  capabilities:
    drop:
      - ALL
  runAsNonRoot: true
  seccompProfile:
    type: RuntimeDefault
# ...
----

Container capabilities and `seccomp` are Linux kernel features that support container security. 

* Capabilities add fine-grained privileges for processes running on a container. The `NET_BIND_SERVICE` capability allows non-root user applications to bind to ports below 1024. 
* `seccomp` profiles limit the processes running in a container to only a subset of system calls.  
The `RuntimeDefault` profile provides a default set of system calls.
A `LocalHost` profile uses a profile defined in a file on the node.   


[role="_additional-resources"]
.Additional resources

* {K8sSecurityContext} on Kubernetes
* {K8sSecurityStandards} on Kubernetes (including profile descriptions)

