> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://cloudanix.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Ensure Kubelet Kubeconfig File Ownership Is Set Root

### More Info:

Ensure that the kubelet.conf file ownership is set to root:root.

### Risk Level

Low

### Address

Security

### Compliance Standards

* APRA CPS 234 (Australia)
* BSI C5 (Germany)
* Brazil LGPD
* CCPA / CPRA (California)
* CIS Critical Security Controls v8
* CIS EKS
* CMMC 2.0
* CSA Cloud Controls Matrix v4
* DPDPA
* Digital Operational Resilience Act (EU)
* Essential 8
* ISO/IEC 27017
* ISO/IEC 27018
* ISO/IEC 27701
* KSA PDPL
* MAS Technology Risk Management (Singapore)
* MITRE ATT\&CK (Cloud)
* NIS2 Directive
* NIST SP 800-171
* NYDFS 23 NYCRR 500
* SWIFT Customer Security Controls Framework
* Sarbanes-Oxley IT General Controls
* UK NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework

### Triage and Remediation

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Remediation">
    ### Remediation

    <AccordionGroup>
      <Accordion title="Manual Steps" defaultOpen="true">
        1. On every worker node, confirm the kubelet kubeconfig file exists and check its current ownership:
           ```bash theme={null}
           ls -l /etc/kubernetes/kubelet.conf
           ```

        2. On every worker node, change ownership of the kubelet kubeconfig file to root:root:
           ```bash theme={null}
           sudo chown root:root /etc/kubernetes/kubelet.conf
           ```

        3. (Optional, if permissions also need tightening) On every worker node, restrict permissions to read/write for root only:
           ```bash theme={null}
           sudo chmod 600 /etc/kubernetes/kubelet.conf
           ```

        4. On every worker node, verify the ownership is now correct:
           ```bash theme={null}
           stat -c %U:%G /etc/kubernetes/kubelet.conf
           ```
           The output must be:
           ```text theme={null}
           root:root
           ```
      </Accordion>

      <Accordion title="Using kubectl">
        kubectl cannot modify file ownership on worker node filesystems, including `/etc/kubernetes/kubelet.conf`. This finding must be fixed directly on each worker node via host-level commands; see the Manual Steps section for the exact steps and verification commands.
      </Accordion>

      <Accordion title="Automation">
        ```bash theme={null}
        #!/usr/bin/env bash
        #
        # Fix CISEKS 3.1.2: Ensure Kubelet Kubeconfig File Ownership Is Set To root:root
        # Target: run on every worker node (as root). Safe to re-run.

        set -euo pipefail

        KUBELET_KUBECONFIG="/etc/kubernetes/kubelet.conf"

        echo "=== CISEKS 3.1.2 remediation on host: $(hostname) ==="

        if [ ! -e "$KUBELET_KUBECONFIG" ]; then
          echo "File not found: $KUBELET_KUBECONFIG"
          echo "Nothing to change on this node."
          exit 0
        fi

        current_owner_group="$(stat -c '%U:%G' "$KUBELET_KUBECONFIG")"

        if [ "$current_owner_group" = "root:root" ]; then
          echo "Ownership already correct: $KUBELET_KUBECONFIG -> $current_owner_group"
        else
          echo "Current ownership: $KUBELET_KUBECONFIG -> $current_owner_group"
          echo "Setting ownership to root:root ..."
          chown root:root "$KUBELET_KUBECONFIG"
        fi

        echo "Verifying ownership..."
        verified_owner_group="$(stat -c '%U:%G' "$KUBELET_KUBECONFIG")"
        echo "Result: $KUBELET_KUBECONFIG -> $verified_owner_group"

        if [ "$verified_owner_group" != "root:root" ]; then
          echo "ERROR: Failed to set ownership to root:root on $KUBELET_KUBECONFIG" >&2
          exit 1
        fi

        echo "Remediation successful on this node."
        ```
      </Accordion>
    </AccordionGroup>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Additional Reading:

* [https://kubernetes.io/docs/admin/kubelet/](https://kubernetes.io/docs/admin/kubelet/)