Risks

In a production environment, allowing unrestricted execution of certain commands and access to critical files can introduce several security risks. Properly managing these permissions is crucial for maintaining the security and stability of the Kubernetes cluster. The following are key risks associated with unrestricted command execution and file access:

Unauthorized Access

Commands like curl or wget can be misused to download malicious scripts or binaries, leading to unauthorized control over cluster resources. Attackers may use these commands to bypass security controls or escalate privileges within the cluster.

Service Disruption

Commands such as systemctl edit kubelet or systemctl cat kubelet can be used to alter critical service configurations, potentially disrupting cluster operations or even causing Denial of Service (DoS) attacks.

Security Breaches

Unrestricted access to sensitive files or commands can expose critical configuration details, increasing the likelihood of security breaches. Attackers can use this information to navigate and exploit vulnerabilities in the cluster.

To mitigate these risks, it is essential to restrict command execution and file access to authorized users only.