> ## 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.

# Controller Manager Should Set Root CA File

### More Info:

Verifies that --root-ca-file is set so the controller manager injects a trusted CA bundle into pods, letting them verify the API server certificate.

### Risk Level

High

### Address

Security

### Compliance Standards

* CIS Kubernetes

### Triage and Remediation

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

    <AccordionGroup>
      <Accordion title="Manual Steps" defaultOpen="true">
        1. On every control plane node, check the current ownership of the file:
           ```sh theme={null}
           stat -c %U:%G /etc/kubernetes/controller-manager.conf
           ```

        2. On every control plane node, set the correct ownership to root:root:
           ```sh theme={null}
           sudo chown root:root /etc/kubernetes/controller-manager.conf
           ```

        3. (Optional) If the file might be a symlink, ensure the ownership is correct on the target as well:
           ```sh theme={null}
           sudo chown -h root:root /etc/kubernetes/controller-manager.conf
           ```

        4. Verify the fix on every control plane node:
           ```sh theme={null}
           /bin/sh -c 'if test -e /etc/kubernetes/controller-manager.conf; then stat -c %U:%G /etc/kubernetes/controller-manager.conf; fi'
           ```
           The output must be:
           ```text theme={null}
           root:root
           ```
      </Accordion>

      <Accordion title="Using kubectl">
        kubectl cannot change ownership or permissions of host-level files such as `/etc/kubernetes/controller-manager.conf` on control plane nodes. This fix must be done directly on each control plane node’s filesystem; see the Manual Steps section for the exact commands and procedure.
      </Accordion>

      <Accordion title="Automation">
        ```bash theme={null}
        #!/usr/bin/env bash
        #
        # Remediation: Ensure /etc/kubernetes/controller-manager.conf ownership is root:root
        # Scope: Run on every control plane node
        # Safe to re-run; no service restarts required.

        set -euo pipefail

        CONFIG_PATH="/etc/kubernetes/controller-manager.conf"

        echo "=== [INFO] Starting remediation for controller-manager.conf ownership ==="

        if [ ! -e "$CONFIG_PATH" ]; then
          echo "=== [WARN] $CONFIG_PATH does not exist on this node; nothing to do. ==="
          exit 0
        fi

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

        if [ "$current_owner_group" = "root:root" ]; then
          echo "=== [OK] Ownership already correct: $CONFIG_PATH is root:root ==="
        else
          echo "=== [INFO] Current ownership is $current_owner_group, changing to root:root ==="
          chown root:root "$CONFIG_PATH"
        fi

        echo "=== [INFO] Verifying remediation ==="
        /bin/sh -c 'if test -e /etc/kubernetes/controller-manager.conf; then stat -c %U:%G /etc/kubernetes/controller-manager.conf; fi'

        verified_owner_group="$(stat -c '%U:%G' "$CONFIG_PATH")"
        if [ "$verified_owner_group" != "root:root" ]; then
          echo "=== [ERROR] Verification failed: expected root:root, got $verified_owner_group ==="
          exit 1
        fi

        echo "=== [SUCCESS] $CONFIG_PATH ownership is correctly set to root:root ==="
        ```
      </Accordion>
    </AccordionGroup>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>