Securely Managing Secrets in Azure with Key Vault via Azure CLI
Azure Key Vault is a fundamental cloud service offered by Microsoft Azure, designed to safeguard sensitive digital information such as cryptographic keys, passwords, connection strings, API keys, and SSL/TLS certificates. Instead of embedding these critical secrets directly within application code or configuration files, Key Vault provides a centralized, secure repository. This allows applications to retrieve necessary credentials securely at runtime, significantly enhancing security posture and compliance.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of setting up and managing Azure Key Vault using the Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI), illustrating how to perform essential operations from logging in to storing and retrieving secrets. Leveraging the CLI offers significant advantages, including automation, scripting capabilities, and consistent management across environments, bypassing the need for manual navigation through the Azure Portal.
Step-by-Step Guide to Azure Key Vault Management with CLI
Step 1: Authenticating to Azure CLI
The first step is to establish a secure connection to your Azure account from your command-line interface.
Command:
az login
After executing az login, your web browser will open, prompting you to authenticate with your Azure credentials. Once authenticated, select the appropriate subscription if you have multiple. Typically, for single-subscription users, you might just confirm the default or select “1” if prompted numerically, indicating your primary subscription.
Step 2: Creating an Azure Resource Group
Azure Resource Groups act as logical containers for your Azure resources. Before creating a Key Vault, it’s good practice to organize it within a dedicated resource group.
Command:
az group create --name mykeyvaultresourcegroup --location eastus
This command creates a new resource group named mykeyvaultresourcegroup in the East US region. You can customize the name and location as per your requirements.
Step 3: Provisioning an Azure Key Vault
With your resource group in place, you can now create the Key Vault instance itself. Remember that Key Vault names must be globally unique.
Command:
az keyvault create --name myuniquekeyvaultname --resource-group mykeyvaultresourcegroup --location eastus
Replace myuniquekeyvaultname with a globally unique name for your Key Vault. This command provisions the Key Vault within the previously created resource group and specified location. The benefit of using CLI here is the ability to script the creation of complex cloud infrastructures efficiently.
Step 4: Assigning Permissions with Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
To enable secure operations like storing and retrieving secrets, you must assign appropriate permissions to your identity (user, service principal, or managed identity). This example demonstrates assigning the “Key Vault Secrets Officer” role, which grants permissions to manage secrets.
Command:
az role assignment create --assignee <Your_Object_ID> --role "Key Vault Secrets Officer" --scope "/subscriptions/<Your_Subscription_ID>/resourceGroups/mykeyvaultresourcegroup/providers/Microsoft.KeyVault/vaults/myuniquekeyvaultname"
Important:
* Replace <Your_Object_ID> with the Azure Active Directory Object ID of the user or service principal that needs access.
* Replace <Your_Subscription_ID> with your actual Azure subscription ID.
* Ensure myuniquekeyvaultname and mykeyvaultresourcegroup match the names used in previous steps.
This command utilizes Azure’s Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) model, which is a modern and highly granular way to manage permissions, offering superior security compared to legacy access policies.
Step 5: Storing a Secret in Key Vault
Once permissions are set, you can securely store sensitive information as a secret within your Key Vault.
Command:
az keyvault secret set --name myapplicationsecret --value "SuperSecurePassword123!" --vault-name myuniquekeyvaultname
This command stores a secret named myapplicationsecret with the value SuperSecurePassword123! in myuniquekeyvaultname. Storing secrets this way ensures that sensitive data remains encrypted and centralized, preventing its exposure in code or configuration files and simplifying secure data management.
Step 6: Retrieving a Secret’s Value
Applications often need to retrieve secrets for their operations. Azure Key Vault allows secure retrieval of secret values.
Command:
az keyvault secret show --vault-name myuniquekeyvaultname --name myapplicationsecret --query value -o tsv
This command fetches the value of myapplicationsecret from myuniquekeyvaultname. The --query value -o tsv parameters are used to extract just the secret value and output it in Tab Separated Values format, making it easy to use in scripts. This secure retrieval mechanism is crucial for dynamic access to credentials without hardcoding them.
Step 7: Listing Secrets within Your Key Vault
To get an overview of all secrets stored in your Key Vault, you can list them.
Command:
az keyvault secret list --vault-name myuniquekeyvaultname -o table
This command displays a table of all secrets currently stored in myuniquekeyvaultname, providing details like their names and versions. This is helpful for administrative purposes and auditing.
Reflection in Azure Portal
All actions performed via the Azure CLI, such as creating resource groups, Key Vaults, and storing secrets, are immediately reflected in the Azure Portal. You can navigate to your resource group, then to your Key Vault instance, and verify the presence of your secrets and assigned roles through the graphical interface. This seamless integration ensures consistency across your management methods.
By mastering the Azure CLI for Key Vault management, you gain powerful capabilities for automating your cloud infrastructure, enhancing security, and ensuring compliance for your sensitive data.