gitlab-org / gitlab-discussions

Overview

Managing secrets securely in production is crucial for protecting sensitive information and ensuring the integrity of applications. In the context of gitlab-org/gitlab-discussions, secrets are managed using a systematic approach that emphasizes security and accessibility.

Code Management for Secrets

Secrets Storage

Secrets in the GitLab Discussions project are stored in a secure, encrypted manner. The availability of robust methods to handle secrets ensures that only authorized components can access sensitive information.

Code Example: Storing Secrets

# Example of storing secrets using Rails credentials

# Use rails credentials to encrypt sensitive data in a YAML file
Rails.application.credentials[:my_secret_key] = 'super_secret_value'

This example demonstrates how sensitive information can be stored in Rails credentials, which provides an encrypted way to manage secrets. Make sure to add the credentials to .gitignore to prevent them from being committed to version control.

Accessing Secrets

Accessing secrets should be done via secure methods that prevent inadvertent exposure of sensitive data.

Code Example: Accessing Secrets

# Access the stored secret in the application
my_secret_value = Rails.application.credentials[:my_secret_key]

# Use the secret safely in your application
puts "The secret value is: #{my_secret_value}" # Avoid logging sensitive information in production

In the example above, the secret is accessed as needed, but care should be taken not to log sensitive information, which could be exposed in logs.

Environment Variables

Environment variables are another method for managing secrets. They are often used for configuration settings, API keys, or other sensitive information.

Setting Environment Variables

Environment variables can be set in a secure way on the server hosting the application. For example: 

export MY_SECRET_KEY=super_secret_value

Accessing Environment Variables

Once set, secrets can be accessed within the application as follows:

# Access an environment variable in Ruby
my_secret_key = ENV['MY_SECRET_KEY']

# Use the secret as needed
puts "The secret key is: #{my_secret_key}"

Utilizing environment variables allows for flexibility across different environments (development, test, production) while keeping secrets out of the codebase.

Secret Management Tools

For larger applications or more complex secret management needs, it may be beneficial to utilize secret management tools such as HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, or similar services.

Using HashiCorp Vault Example

When using a secret management tool, ensure to integrate it properly into your application’s lifecycle.

# Fetching a secret from HashiCorp Vault
require 'vault'

# Initialize the Vault client
Vault.address = "https://vault.example.com"
Vault.token = ENV["VAULT_TOKEN"]

# Retrieve the secret
secret = Vault.logical.read("secret/my_secret_path")

# Access the value
my_secret_value = secret.data[:value] unless secret.nil?
puts "The secret value is: #{my_secret_value}" # Avoid logging sensitive information in production

In this example, a secret is fetched from HashiCorp Vault, demonstrating how to utilize external secret management systems.

Best Practices

  1. Limit Access: Ensure that only authorized processes can access secrets. Use role-based access control (RBAC) where applicable.

  2. Use Temporary Credentials: Where applicable, use temporary credentials or tokens that have limited lifespans and scopes.

  3. Audit Secrets Usage: Regularly audit how secrets are accessed and ensure logging is in place to detect anomalies.

  4. Regularly Rotate Secrets: Implement a policy for rotating secrets regularly to minimize the risk of secrets being compromised.

  5. Avoid Hardcoding: Never hardcode secrets directly in your codebase. Utilize secure storage methods such as environment variables or secret management tools.

This documentation covers the essential methods and best practices for managing production secrets in the gitlab-org/gitlab-discussions project, aimed at ensuring the security and integrity of sensitive information.