Overview

In the gitlab-org/… project, secrets management is a critical aspect of ensuring secure operations in production environments. This document outlines the methods employed to store and manage these secrets effectively.

Storing Secrets

Secrets in gitlab-org/… are primarily stored in environment variables and managed using a combination of encrypted secrets, configuration management, and secret management tools.

Environment Variables

Environment variables are utilized extensively for managing sensitive information. To set up environment variables, update the deployment configurations in your CI/CD pipelines. For example:

variables:
  DATABASE_PASSWORD: $DATABASE_PASSWORD
  API_KEY: $API_KEY

This approach allows sensitive information to be injected into runtime environments without hardcoding them into the source code.

Encrypted Secrets Storage

In addition to environment variables, secrets can be encrypted and stored in a secure vault. The project integrates tools such as HashiCorp Vault to manage these secrets. Here’s an example of how to retrieve a secret using the Vault API:

import (
    "github.com/hashicorp/vault/api"
    "log"
)

func getSecret() {
    client, err := api.NewClient(api.DefaultConfig())
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatal(err)
    }
    secret, err := client.Logical().Read("secret/myapp")
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatal(err)
    }
    apiKey := secret.Data["api_key"].(string)
    log.Println("API Key:", apiKey)
}

Using Configuration Management Tools

Configuration management tools like Ansible or Chef are used to manage secrets deployment in different environments. It is essential to ensure that none of the secrets are stored in source control systems. For example, a typical Ansible playbook would look like this:

- name: Deploy application
  hosts: production
  tasks:
    - name: Set environment variables
      lineinfile:
        path: /etc/environment
        line: "DATABASE_PASSWORD={{ db_password }}"
      no_log: true

Using no_log: true ensures that sensitive information is hidden in logs.

Managing Secrets

Rotation of Secrets

Regular rotation of secrets is an important practice. The project follows a defined schedule to rotate passwords, tokens, and other sensitive data. The CI/CD pipelines are configured to notify team members of upcoming rotations.

Auditing and Monitoring

To prevent unauthorized access and detect anomalies in secret usage, audit logs are maintained. Utilize logging tools that track access to secrets:

- name: Log secret access
  log_event:
    event: "Secret Access"
    secret_name: "DATABASE_PASSWORD"

Implementing comprehensive monitoring ensures that any suspicious activity regarding secrets is detected and addressed promptly.

Advanced Secret Management

For more advanced secret management, consider integrating with services such as AWS Secrets Manager or Azure Key Vault. These services offer fine-grained access control and automatic rotation features that simplify secret management.

Example for AWS Secrets Manager:

import boto3
import json

def get_secret():
    secret_name = "my_db_password" 
    client = boto3.client('secretsmanager')
    
    response = client.get_secret_value(SecretId=secret_name)
    secret = json.loads(response['SecretString'])
    return secret['password']

Conclusion

Managing production secrets effectively in gitlab-org/… involves a combination of environment variables, encrypted storage solutions, and rigorous auditing practices. These measures ensure that sensitive information remains secure throughout the application’s lifecycle.

Source

This information is based on best practices for secrets management within the context of the gitlab-org/… project.