> ## 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.

# Kubelet Configuration File Ownership Set To root:root

### More Info:

The kubelet configuration file should be owned by root:root. Incorrect ownership could allow non-root users to alter the kubelet configuration.

### Risk Level

Medium

### Address

Security

### Compliance Standards

* CIS OKE

### Triage and Remediation

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

    <AccordionGroup>
      <Accordion title="Manual Steps" defaultOpen="true">
        1. On every worker node, confirm whether the kubelet configuration file exists and check its current ownership:
           ```sh theme={null}
           ls -l /etc/kubernetes/kubelet-config.json || echo "File not found"
           ```

        2. If the file exists and is not owned by root:root, change the ownership to root:root:
           ```sh theme={null}
           sudo chown root:root /etc/kubernetes/kubelet-config.json
           ```

        3. (Optional, if you suspect permissions are too loose) Restrict file permissions to owner read/write only:
           ```sh theme={null}
           sudo chmod 600 /etc/kubernetes/kubelet-config.json
           ```

        4. Repeat steps 1–3 on every worker node in the cluster.

        5. On every worker node, verify the ownership is now correct:
           ```sh theme={null}
           /bin/sh -c 'if test -e /etc/kubernetes/kubelet-config.json; then stat -c %U:%G /etc/kubernetes/kubelet-config.json; else echo "File not found"; fi'
           ```
           The output must be:
           ```text theme={null}
           root:root
           ```
      </Accordion>

      <Accordion title="Using kubectl">
        kubectl cannot change file ownership on node filesystems, including `/etc/kubernetes/kubelet-config.json`. This finding must be remediated directly on every worker node’s host OS; see the Manual Steps section for the exact commands to run over SSH.
      </Accordion>

      <Accordion title="Automation">
        ```bash theme={null}
        #!/usr/bin/env bash
        #
        # Remediate CIS OKE 3.1.4:
        # Ensure kubelet configuration file ownership is set to root:root
        #
        # Run on: every worker node (as root)
        # Safe to re-run: yes

        set -euo pipefail

        KUBELET_CONFIG_PATH="/etc/kubernetes/kubelet-config.json"

        echo "==> Checking for kubelet config file at: ${KUBELET_CONFIG_PATH}"

        if [ ! -e "${KUBELET_CONFIG_PATH}" ]; then
          echo "Kubelet config file not found at ${KUBELET_CONFIG_PATH}."
          echo "Nothing to change on this node."
          exit 0
        fi

        current_owner_group="$(stat -c '%U:%G' "${KUBELET_CONFIG_PATH}")"
        echo "Current ownership: ${current_owner_group}"

        if [ "${current_owner_group}" = "root:root" ]; then
          echo "Ownership already set to root:root; no change needed."
        else
          echo "Setting ownership to root:root ..."
          chown root:root "${KUBELET_CONFIG_PATH}"
        fi

        echo "==> Verifying ownership (CIS OKE 3.1.4)..."
        stat -c '%n %U:%G' "${KUBELET_CONFIG_PATH}"
        ```
      </Accordion>
    </AccordionGroup>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>