IAM Extra

Posted on by wpadmin

IAM Role for Service Accounts (IRSA)

Feature of Amazon EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service) that allows Kubernetes service accounts to assume IAM roles. This integration enables Kubernetes workloads (like pods) running on EKS to securely interact with AWS services without requiring static AWS credentials (such as access keys or secrets) within the application or pod.

With IRSA, the application running within your Kubernetes cluster can obtain temporary AWS credentials via the IAM roles assigned to the Kubernetes service accounts. This helps secure access to AWS resources and is a much safer and easier approach than embedding long-term AWS credentials inside your Kubernetes pods.

Key Concepts of IRSA:

  1. IAM Role: An IAM role defines a set of permissions for AWS services. The role is assumed by the service account to allow the service account’s associated pod to access AWS resources.
  2. Service Account: A Kubernetes service account is a way to represent the identity of a pod within the Kubernetes cluster. When an IAM role is assigned to this service account, pods that use this service account can assume that IAM role.
  3. OIDC (OpenID Connect): EKS uses OIDC to authenticate service accounts. The OIDC identity provider enables the Kubernetes service account to assume an IAM role by federating the identity of the Kubernetes pod through a token issued by the Kubernetes API server.
  4. IRSA Workflow:
    • A Kubernetes pod uses a service account that has been associated with an IAM role.
    • The pod makes a request for AWS credentials from the STS (Security Token Service) using its service account’s identity.
    • The IAM role trusts the OIDC provider in EKS and grants the pod temporary credentials, enabling it to interact with AWS services.

IAM Roles Anywhere

is a feature provided by AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) that allows on-premises servers or virtual machines (VMs) to assume IAM roles without requiring an internet connection or AWS infrastructure to communicate with AWS services. This feature is especially useful for hybrid environments where workloads run both on AWS cloud infrastructure and on on-premises systems or in other cloud environments.

Overview of IAM Roles Anywhere:

  • IAM Roles Anywhere enables on-premises servers, workstations, or applications to securely authenticate and obtain temporary credentials for AWS services without needing to manage static access keys or VPNs.
  • It simplifies the process of securely granting permissions to on-premises resources, making it easier for organizations to manage access control across hybrid environments.
  • The temporary IAM credentials granted to the on-premises servers are based on IAM roles that define the permissions to AWS resources.

How IAM Roles Anywhere Works:

  1. On-Premises Authentication:
    • On-premises servers or systems are configured with trusted certificates that allow them to authenticate using X.509 certificates or other supported authentication mechanisms. These certificates are tied to specific IAM roles.
    • AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) is used to manage and validate these certificates.
  2. Assume IAM Role:
    • Once the server authenticates using the certificate, it is granted temporary AWS credentials via the IAM role associated with the certificate.
    • The server can use these credentials to call AWS APIs and services, just like an EC2 instance or other AWS resource assuming an IAM role.
  3. Accessing AWS Resources:
    • After assuming the IAM role, the on-premises server can access AWS services like Amazon S3, AWS DynamoDB, Amazon RDS, or any other AWS service, as per the permissions defined in the IAM role.
  4. Integration with ACM Private CA:
    • AWS Certificate Manager Private Certificate Authority (ACM PCA) is used for issuing and managing the X.509 certificates on-premises servers use to authenticate.
    • The integration between IAM Roles Anywhere and ACM PCA ensures that only trusted and validated on-premises systems can assume roles and access AWS resources.

Use Cases for IAM Roles Anywhere:

  1. Hybrid Cloud Environments:
    • IAM Roles Anywhere is ideal for organizations that have workloads running both on-premises and in the AWS cloud. It enables seamless access to AWS services without the need for complex credential management or network configuration.
  2. Secure On-Premises Resource Access:
    • Servers and applications that need access to AWS resources (e.g., S3, DynamoDB, etc.) but are not hosted in AWS can use IAM Roles Anywhere to assume IAM roles and securely interact with AWS services.
  3. IoT Devices or Edge Computing:
    • IoT devices or edge computing devices that are not directly connected to AWS but still need to interact with AWS services can use IAM Roles Anywhere to authenticate and retrieve temporary credentials.
  4. Internal Applications:
    • Internal applications or systems that require access to AWS services can leverage IAM Roles Anywhere for secure access control without embedding static AWS credentials in the system.