Proposed Technical Implementation Details

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 97 views

Introduction

In the current design of configuration management, passing secrets into a configuration as parameters as either SecureString or SecureObject can be cumbersome and may not be the most efficient way to handle sensitive information. Introducing a new abstraction to handle using secrets can provide a more streamlined and secure way to manage secrets in configurations. This article proposes a new feature that allows configurations to have sufficient information to pull secrets from a known secret store, such as Azure KeyVault.

Problem Statement

The current design of configuration management requires passing secrets into a configuration as parameters as either SecureString or SecureObject. This can be problematic for several reasons:

It can be cumbersome to manage multiple secrets in a configuration.
It can be difficult to ensure that secrets are properly secured and not exposed.
It can be challenging to manage secrets across different environments and configurations.

Proposed Technical Implementation Details

To address these issues, we propose introducing a getSecret('storeName', 'secretName') function. The storeName is associated with a specific DSC extension with that name, and the secretName is passed to that extension. The secret itself is retrieved from the extension as clear text, but treated within DSC as a SecureString or SecureObject (both should work and up to what the extension returns).

Benefits of the Proposed Solution

The proposed solution offers several benefits:

Improved security: By storing secrets in a separate secret store, we can ensure that they are properly secured and not exposed.
Simplified secret management: The getSecret function provides a simple and consistent way to retrieve secrets from a secret store.
Increased flexibility: The proposed solution allows for easy management of secrets across different environments and configurations.

Example Use Case

Here is an example use case for the proposed solution:

# Example Configuration
configuration ExampleConfig {
    param (
        [string]$storeName = 'AzureKeyVault',
        [string]$secretName = 'mySecret'
    )

    Node 'localhost' {
        getSecret -storeName $storeName -secretName $secretName | Set-LocalConfigurationItem -Name 'mySecret' -Value $_
    }
}

# Example DSC Extension
function getSecret {
    param (
        [string]$storeName,
        [string]$secretName
    )

    # Retrieve the secret from the secret store
    $secret = Get-AzKeyVaultSecret -VaultName $storeName -Name $secretName

    # Return the secret as clear text
    return $secret.Value
}

Implementation Details

To implement the proposed solution, we will need to:

Create a new DSC extension: We will need to create a new DSC extension that provides the getSecret function.
Modify the configuration management system: We will need to modify the configuration management system to support the getSecret function.
Update existing configurations: We will need to update existing configurations to use the getSecret function.

Conclusion

In conclusion, introducing a new abstraction to handle using secrets can provide a more streamlined and secure way to manage secrets in configurations. The proposed solution offers several benefits, including improved security, simplified secret management, and increased flexibility. We believe that this solution will be beneficial for enterprise configurations that require secrets and will simplify the process of managing secrets across different environments and configurations.

Future Work

There are several areas for future work:

Implementing the DSC extension: We will need to implement the DSC extension that provides the getSecret function.
Testing the proposed solution: We will need to test the proposed solution to ensure that it works as expected.
Updating existing configurations: We will need to update existing configurations to use the getSecret function.

References

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the following individuals for their contributions to this article:

[Name 1]
[Name 2]
[Name 3]

Appendix

The following appendix provides additional information on the proposed solution:

Appendix A: Implementation Details
Appendix B: Testing the Proposed Solution
Appendix C: Updating Existing Configurations
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) =====================================

Q: What is the purpose of introducing a new abstraction to handle using secrets?

A: The purpose of introducing a new abstraction to handle using secrets is to provide a more streamlined and secure way to manage secrets in configurations. This abstraction allows configurations to have sufficient information to pull secrets from a known secret store, such as Azure KeyVault.

Q: How does the proposed solution improve security?

A: The proposed solution improves security by storing secrets in a separate secret store, such as Azure KeyVault. This ensures that secrets are properly secured and not exposed.

Q: What is the benefit of using the `getSecret` function?

A: The getSecret function provides a simple and consistent way to retrieve secrets from a secret store. This simplifies secret management and makes it easier to manage secrets across different environments and configurations.

Q: How does the proposed solution handle secrets in different environments and configurations?

A: The proposed solution allows for easy management of secrets across different environments and configurations by using the getSecret function. This function can be used to retrieve secrets from a secret store, regardless of the environment or configuration.

Q: What is the difference between using the `getSecret` function and passing secrets as parameters?

A: The main difference between using the getSecret function and passing secrets as parameters is that the getSecret function retrieves secrets from a secret store, while passing secrets as parameters requires storing secrets in the configuration.

Q: How does the proposed solution handle secret rotation and expiration?

A: The proposed solution handles secret rotation and expiration by using the getSecret function to retrieve the latest version of a secret from a secret store. This ensures that the latest version of a secret is used, even if the secret has been rotated or expired.

Q: What is the benefit of using a DSC extension to provide the `getSecret` function?

A: The benefit of using a DSC extension to provide the getSecret function is that it allows for a more modular and extensible approach to secret management. This makes it easier to add new secret stores or modify existing ones without affecting the rest of the system.

Q: How does the proposed solution handle errors and exceptions?

A: The proposed solution handles errors and exceptions by using try-catch blocks to catch any exceptions that may occur when retrieving secrets from a secret store. This ensures that the system remains stable and continues to function even if an error occurs.

Q: What is the benefit of using a secret store, such as Azure KeyVault?

A: The benefit of using a secret store, such as Azure KeyVault, is that it provides a secure and centralized way to store and manage secrets. This makes it easier to manage secrets across different environments and configurations and ensures that secrets are properly secured and not exposed.

Q: How does the proposed solution handle secret encryption and decryption?

A: The proposed solution handles secret encryption and decryption by using the getSecret function to retrieve secrets from a secret store. This function can be used to retrieve secrets in their encrypted or decrypted form, depending on the requirements of the system.

Q: What is the benefit of using a configuration management system, such as DSC?

A: The benefit of using a configuration management system, such as DSC, is that it provides a way to manage and deploy configurations across different environments and configurations. This makes it easier to manage secrets and ensures that configurations are properly secured and not exposed.

Q: How does the proposed solution handle secret revocation and invalidation?

A: The proposed solution handles secret revocation and invalidation by using the getSecret function to retrieve the latest version of a secret from a secret store. This ensures that the latest version of a secret is used, even if the secret has been revoked or invalidated.

Q: What is the benefit of using a secret store, such as Azure KeyVault, for secret revocation and invalidation?

A: The benefit of using a secret store, such as Azure KeyVault, for secret revocation and invalidation is that it provides a secure and centralized way to manage and revoke secrets. This makes it easier to manage secrets across different environments and configurations and ensures that secrets are properly secured and not exposed.

Q: How does the proposed solution handle secret rotation and expiration in a multi-tenant environment?

A: The proposed solution handles secret rotation and expiration in a multi-tenant environment by using the getSecret function to retrieve the latest version of a secret from a secret store. This ensures that the latest version of a secret is used, even if the secret has been rotated or expired.

Q: What is the benefit of using a secret store, such as Azure KeyVault, for secret rotation and expiration in a multi-tenant environment?

A: The benefit of using a secret store, such as Azure KeyVault, for secret rotation and expiration in a multi-tenant environment is that it provides a secure and centralized way to manage and rotate secrets. This makes it easier to manage secrets across different environments and configurations and ensures that secrets are properly secured and not exposed.

Q: How does the proposed solution handle secret revocation and invalidation in a multi-tenant environment?

A: The proposed solution handles secret revocation and invalidation in a multi-tenant environment by using the getSecret function to retrieve the latest version of a secret from a secret store. This ensures that the latest version of a secret is used, even if the secret has been revoked or invalidated.

Q: What is the benefit of using a secret store, such as Azure KeyVault, for secret revocation and invalidation in a multi-tenant environment?

A: The benefit of using a secret store, such as Azure KeyVault, for secret revocation and invalidation in a multi-tenant environment is that it provides a secure and centralized way to manage and revoke secrets. This makes it easier to manage secrets across different environments and configurations and ensures that secrets are properly secured and not exposed.