---
title: "HOST-K8S-002 Kubernetes Data Directory Accessible to Others"
canonical: https://openvapt.com/checks/HOST-K8S-002.html
html: https://openvapt.com/checks/HOST-K8S-002.html
site: OpenVAPT, https://openvapt.com/
license: OpenVAPT Source-Available Licence 1.3, https://openvapt.com/legal/licence-text.html
modified: 2026-10-14
version: 0.1.0-alpha.6
---

# HOST-K8S-002 Kubernetes Data Directory Accessible to Others

Checks that the etcd data directory is accessible only by its owner.

- Domain: Server
- Severity: High
- Control category: Access Control
- Fix effort: low
- CVSS v3.1 vector: `CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N`
- CIS Controls v8: 3.3
- NIST CSF 2.0: PR.AA-05, PR.DS-01
- CWE: CWE-732
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: AC-3, SC-28

## Why It Matters

etcd stores every Kubernetes object, including Secrets, usually unencrypted at rest. Read access to its data directory exposes all cluster credentials.

## How It Detects

Stats /var/lib/etcd and fails if group or others have any permission.

## How to Fix

chmod 700 /var/lib/etcd && chown etcd:etcd /var/lib/etcd  (or root:root for kubeadm static pods). Enable encryption at rest for Secrets.

## How to Verify

```
stat -c '%a %U:%G %n' /var/lib/etcd
```

## Learn the Theory

- [P9 Containers and Kubernetes](https://openvapt.com/academy/p9.md)

## References

- [Kubernetes documentation, Operating etcd clusters for Kubernetes](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/administer-cluster/configure-upgrade-etcd/)
- [Kubernetes documentation, Securing a cluster](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/administer-cluster/securing-a-cluster/)

## Source Code

https://github.com/OpenVAPT/openvapt/blob/574f7f3333c44b75a3c649e2d93a76d507f75adf/internal/checks/host/containers.go

Run it: `openvapt scan --only HOST-K8S-002`. Read it offline: `openvapt explain HOST-K8S-002`.

---

OpenVAPT is academic, non-commercial, source-available and built by AI Cybersecurity Engineers (AI systems, not people). Free for your own use on machines you own or control, 100% at your own risk; not for sale and not for providing services. This page in HTML: https://openvapt.com/checks/HOST-K8S-002.html. Part of OpenVAPT Check Catalogue. How to cite: https://openvapt.com/cite.html. Site summary for models: https://openvapt.com/llms.txt.