aws-secrets-manager

name	aws-secrets-manager
description	Store and rotate secrets in AWS Secrets Manager. Configure automatic rotation, access policies, and application integration. Use when managing secrets in AWS environments or requiring automatic credential rotation.
license	MIT
metadata	{"author":"devops-skills","version":"1.0"}

AWS Secrets Manager

Securely store, manage, and rotate secrets in AWS.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Storing database credentials, API keys, or tokens in AWS
• Implementing automatic credential rotation for RDS or other services
• Replacing hardcoded secrets in application code or config files
• Integrating secrets into ECS, EKS, or Lambda workloads
• Meeting compliance requirements for secret management and rotation

Prerequisites

• AWS account with appropriate IAM permissions
• AWS CLI v2 installed and configured
• IAM policy allowing secretsmanager:* actions (or scoped permissions)
• For rotation: Lambda execution role and VPC access to target services
• Python 3.9+ with boto3 for SDK examples

Secret Creation and Management

# Create a secret with JSON structure
aws secretsmanager create-secret \
  --name myapp/production/database \
  --description "Production database credentials" \
  --secret-string '{"username":"dbadmin","password":"S3cur3P@ssw0rd!","engine":"postgres","host":"db.internal.example.com","port":5432,"dbname":"myapp"}' \
  --tags '[{"Key":"Environment","Value":"production"},{"Key":"Team","Value":"platform"}]'

# Create a secret with KMS encryption (custom key)
aws secretsmanager create-secret \
  --name myapp/production/api-key \
  --description "Third-party API key" \
  --secret-string "ak_live_xxxxxxxxxxxx" \
  --kms-key-id alias/secrets-key

# Create a binary secret (certificates, keys)
aws secretsmanager create-secret \
  --name myapp/production/tls-cert \
  --secret-binary fileb://server.pfx

# Get secret value
aws secretsmanager get-secret-value \
  --secret-id myapp/production/database \
  --query 'SecretString' --output text | jq .

# Get a specific version
aws secretsmanager get-secret-value \
  --secret-id myapp/production/database \
  --version-stage AWSPREVIOUS

# Update secret value
aws secretsmanager put-secret-value \
  --secret-id myapp/production/database \
  --secret-string '{"username":"dbadmin","password":"N3wS3cur3P@ss!","engine":"postgres","host":"db.internal.example.com","port":5432,"dbname":"myapp"}'

# List all secrets
aws secretsmanager list-secrets \
  --filters Key=name,Values=myapp/production

# Delete secret (with recovery window)
aws secretsmanager delete-secret \
  --secret-id myapp/production/old-key \
  --recovery-window-in-days 7

# Restore a deleted secret
aws secretsmanager restore-secret \
  --secret-id myapp/production/old-key

# Tag a secret
aws secretsmanager tag-resource \
  --secret-id myapp/production/database \
  --tags '[{"Key":"RotationEnabled","Value":"true"}]'

Automatic Rotation

Enable Rotation

# Enable rotation with an existing Lambda function
aws secretsmanager rotate-secret \
  --secret-id myapp/production/database \
  --rotation-lambda-arn arn:aws:lambda:us-east-1:123456789012:function:SecretsManagerRDSPostgreSQLRotation \
  --rotation-rules '{"AutomaticallyAfterDays":30,"ScheduleExpression":"rate(30 days)"}'

# Trigger immediate rotation
aws secretsmanager rotate-secret \
  --secret-id myapp/production/database

# Check rotation status
aws secretsmanager describe-secret \
  --secret-id myapp/production/database \
  --query '{RotationEnabled:RotationEnabled,RotationLambdaARN:RotationLambdaARN,RotationRules:RotationRules,LastRotatedDate:LastRotatedDate}'

Lambda Rotation Function

"""rotation_function.py - Custom rotation Lambda for database credentials."""

import boto3
import json
import logging
import psycopg2

logger = logging.getLogger()
logger.setLevel(logging.INFO)

def lambda_handler(event, context):
    """Secrets Manager rotation handler.

    The rotation process has four steps:
    1. createSecret - Generate new secret value
    2. setSecret - Apply the new secret to the target service
    3. testSecret - Verify the new secret works
    4. finishSecret - Mark rotation complete
    """
    secret_arn = event['SecretId']
    token = event['ClientRequestToken']
    step = event['Step']

    client = boto3.client('secretsmanager')

    metadata = client.describe_secret(SecretId=secret_arn)
    if not metadata.get('RotationEnabled'):
        raise ValueError(f"Secret {secret_arn} does not have rotation enabled")

    versions = metadata.get('VersionIdsToStages', {})
    if token not in versions:
        raise ValueError(f"Secret version {token} has no stage for rotation")

    if step == "createSecret":
        create_secret(client, secret_arn, token)
    elif step == "setSecret":
        set_secret(client, secret_arn, token)
    elif step == "testSecret":
        test_secret(client, secret_arn, token)
    elif step == "finishSecret":
        finish_secret(client, secret_arn, token)
    else:
        raise ValueError(f"Invalid step: {step}")


 ():
    
    current = client.get_secret_value(
        SecretId=secret_arn, VersionStage=
    )
    current_dict = json.loads(current[])

    new_password = client.get_random_password(
        PasswordLength=,
        ExcludeCharacters=,
        RequireEachIncludedType=,
    )[]

    current_dict[] = new_password
    client.put_secret_value(
        SecretId=secret_arn,
        ClientRequestToken=token,
        SecretString=json.dumps(current_dict),
        VersionStages=[],
    )
    logger.info()


 ():
    
    pending = client.get_secret_value(
        SecretId=secret_arn, VersionId=token, VersionStage=
    )
    pending_dict = json.loads(pending[])

    current = client.get_secret_value(
        SecretId=secret_arn, VersionStage=
    )
    current_dict = json.loads(current[])

    conn = psycopg2.connect(
        host=current_dict[],
        port=current_dict.get(, ),
        user=current_dict[],
        password=current_dict[],
        dbname=current_dict.get(, ),
    )
    conn.autocommit = 
     conn.cursor()  cur:
        cur.execute(
            ,
            (pending_dict[], pending_dict[]),
        )
    conn.close()
    logger.info()


 ():
    
    pending = client.get_secret_value(
        SecretId=secret_arn, VersionId=token, VersionStage=
    )
    pending_dict = json.loads(pending[])

    conn = psycopg2.connect(
        host=pending_dict[],
        port=pending_dict.get(, ),
        user=pending_dict[],
        password=pending_dict[],
        dbname=pending_dict.get(, ),
    )
    conn.close()
    logger.info()


 ():
    
    metadata = client.describe_secret(SecretId=secret_arn)
    versions = metadata.get(, {})

    current_version = 
     version_id, stages  versions.items():
           stages:
             version_id == token:
                logger.info()
                
            current_version = version_id
            

    client.update_secret_version_stage(
        SecretId=secret_arn,
        VersionStage=,
        MoveToVersionId=token,
        RemoveFromVersionId=current_version,
    )
    logger.info()

Rotation Lambda Terraform

resource "aws_lambda_function" "rotation" {
  filename         = "rotation_function.zip"
  function_name    = "secrets-rotation-postgresql"
  role             = aws_iam_role.rotation.arn
  handler          = "rotation_function.lambda_handler"
  runtime          = "python3.11"
  timeout          = 60

  vpc_config {
    subnet_ids         = var.private_subnet_ids
    security_group_ids = [aws_security_group.rotation.id]
  }

  environment {
    variables = {
      SECRETS_MANAGER_ENDPOINT = "https://secretsmanager.${var.region}.amazonaws.com"
    }
  }
}

resource "aws_lambda_permission" "secrets_manager" {
  action        = "lambda:InvokeFunction"
  function_name = aws_lambda_function.rotation.function_name
  principal     = "secretsmanager.amazonaws.com"
  statement_id  = "AllowSecretsManager"
}

resource "aws_secretsmanager_secret_rotation" "db" {
  secret_id           = aws_secretsmanager_secret.db.id
  rotation_lambda_arn = aws_lambda_function.rotation.arn
  rotation_rules {
    automatically_after_days = 30
  }
}

Application Integration

Python SDK

import boto3
import json
from functools import lru_cache

def get_secret(secret_name: str, region: str = "us-east-1") -> dict:
    """Retrieve and parse a secret from AWS Secrets Manager."""
    client = boto3.client("secretsmanager", region_name=region)
    response = client.get_secret_value(SecretId=secret_name)
    if "SecretString" in response:
        return json.loads(response["SecretString"])
    else:
        import base64
        return base64.b64decode(response["SecretBinary"])

@lru_cache(maxsize=32)
def get_cached_secret(secret_name: str) -> dict:
    """Cached secret retrieval. Clear cache on rotation events."""
    return get_secret(secret_name)

# Usage
creds = get_secret("myapp/production/database")
connection_string = (
    f"postgresql://{creds['username']}:{creds['password']}"
    f"@{creds['host']}:{creds['port']}/{creds['dbname']}"
)

ECS Task Definition

{
  "containerDefinitions": [
    {
      "name": "myapp",
      "image": "ghcr.io/acme/myapp:v1.0.0",
      "secrets": [
        {
          "name": "DB_USERNAME",
          "valueFrom": "arn:aws:secretsmanager:us-east-1:123456789:secret:myapp/production/database:username::"
        },
        {
          "name": "DB_PASSWORD",
          "valueFrom": "arn:aws:secretsmanager:us-east-1:123456789:secret:myapp/production/database:password::"
        },
        {
          "name": "API_KEY",
          "valueFrom": "arn:aws:secretsmanager:us-east-1:123456789:secret:myapp/production/api-key"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "executionRoleArn": "arn:aws:iam::123456789:role/ecsTaskExecutionRole"

EKS with External Secrets Operator

apiVersion: external-secrets.io/v1beta1
kind: SecretStore
metadata:
  name: aws-secrets-manager
  namespace: production
spec:
  provider:
    aws:
      service: SecretsManager
      region: us-east-1
      auth:
        jwt:
          serviceAccountRef:
            name: external-secrets-sa
---
apiVersion: external-secrets.io/v1beta1
kind: ExternalSecret
metadata:
  name: db-credentials
  namespace: production
spec:
  refreshInterval: 1h
  secretStoreRef:
    name: aws-secrets-manager
    kind: SecretStore
  target:
    name: db-credentials
    creationPolicy: Owner
  data:
    - secretKey: username
      remoteRef:
        key: myapp/production/database
        property: username
    -  
      
         
         

Resource-Based Policy

# Restrict secret access to specific roles
aws secretsmanager put-resource-policy \
  --secret-id myapp/production/database \
  --resource-policy '{
    "Version": "2012-10-17",
    "Statement": [
      {
        "Effect": "Allow",
        "Principal": {
          "AWS": [
            "arn:aws:iam::123456789:role/myapp-ecs-task-role",
            "arn:aws:iam::123456789:role/myapp-lambda-role"
          ]
        },
        "Action": [
          "secretsmanager:GetSecretValue"
        ],
        "Resource": "*",
        "Condition": {
          "StringEquals": {
            "aws:RequestedRegion": "us-east-1"
          }
        }
      },
      {
        "Effect": "Deny",
        "Principal": "*",
        "Action": "secretsmanager:GetSecretValue",
        "Resource": "*",
        "Condition": {
          "StringNotEquals": {
            "aws:PrincipalAccount": "123456789012"
          }
        }
      }
    ]
  }'

Troubleshooting

Problem	Cause	Solution
AccessDeniedException on GetSecretValue	IAM policy missing permission	Add secretsmanager:GetSecretValue to the role; check resource-based policy
Rotation fails with Lambda timeout	Lambda cannot reach database	Ensure Lambda is in same VPC with route to DB; check security groups
Secret value is empty after rotation	createSecret step failed	Check Lambda CloudWatch logs; verify random password generation works
ECS container fails to start	Secret ARN format incorrect	Use full ARN with :: for JSON key extraction; verify secret exists
Application uses old credentials after rotation	Client caching stale values	Implement cache invalidation on rotation; reduce cache TTL
Rotation Lambda permission error	Missing lambda:InvokeFunction permission	Add aws_lambda_permission for secretsmanager.amazonaws.com principal
KMS decrypt fails	Secret KMS key policy missing role	Add the accessing role to the KMS key policy's kms:Decrypt principals

Best Practices

• Enable automatic rotation with 30-day intervals minimum
• Use resource-based policies in addition to IAM policies (defense in depth)
• Encrypt secrets with customer-managed KMS keys (not default)
• Implement least-privilege access (only the roles that need each secret)
• Use secret versioning for safe rollback during rotation issues
• Monitor secret access with CloudTrail and alert on unusual patterns
• Structure secret names hierarchically: {app}/{env}/{secret-type}
• Never log secret values; log only secret ARNs and access metadata
• Test rotation in staging before enabling in production
• Set up CloudWatch alarms for rotation failures

Related Skills

• hashicorp-vault - Multi-cloud secrets
• aws-iam - IAM policies
• azure-keyvault - Azure secret management
• gcp-secret-manager - GCP secret management