- name
- terraform-validator
- description
- Validate, lint, audit, or plan Terraform/.tf/HCL files; runs tflint, checkov, terraform validate. Use when this capability is needed.
- metadata
- {"author":"akin-ozer"}
# Terraform Validator
Comprehensive toolkit for validating, linting, and testing Terraform configurations with automated workflows for syntax validation, security scanning, and intelligent documentation lookup.
## ⚠️ Critical Requirements Checklist
**STOP: You MUST complete these steps in order. Do NOT skip any REQUIRED step.**
| Step | Action | Required |
|------|--------|----------|
| 1 | Run `bash scripts/extract_tf_info_wrapper.sh <path>` | ✅ REQUIRED |
| 2 | Context7 lookup for **ALL** providers (explicit AND implicit); **WebSearch fallback if not found** | ✅ REQUIRED |
| 3 | **READ** `references/security_checklist.md` | ✅ REQUIRED |
| 4 | **READ** `references/best_practices.md` | ✅ REQUIRED |
| 5 | Run `terraform fmt` | ✅ REQUIRED |
| 6 | Run `tflint` (or note as skipped if unavailable) | Recommended |
| 7 | Run `terraform init` (if not initialized) | ✅ REQUIRED |
| 8 | Run `terraform validate` | ✅ REQUIRED |
| 9 | Run `bash scripts/run_checkov.sh <path>` | ✅ REQUIRED |
| 10 | Cross-reference findings with `security_checklist.md` sections | ✅ REQUIRED |
| 11 | Generate report citing reference files | ✅ REQUIRED |
| 12 | Run regression tests (`bash tests/test_regression.sh`) | ✅ REQUIRED |
| 13 | Run lightweight CI checks (`bash -n`, `py_compile`, smoke) | ✅ REQUIRED |
> **IMPORTANT:** Steps 3-4 (reading reference files) must be completed BEFORE running security scans. The reference files contain remediation patterns that MUST be cited in your report.
> **Context7 Fallback:** If Context7 does not have a provider (common for: random, null, local, time, tls), use WebSearch: `"terraform-provider-{name} hashicorp documentation"`
## When to Use This Skill
- Working with Terraform files (`.tf`, `.tfvars`, `.tfstate`)
- Validating Terraform configuration syntax and structure
- Linting and formatting HCL code
- Performing dry-run testing with `terraform plan`
- Debugging Terraform errors or misconfigurations
- Understanding custom Terraform providers or modules
- Security validation of Terraform configurations
## External Documentation
| Tool | Documentation |
|------|---------------|
| **Terraform** | [developer.hashicorp.com/terraform](https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/docs) |
| **TFLint** | [github.com/terraform-linters/tflint](https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint) |
| **Checkov** | [checkov.io](https://www.checkov.io/1.Welcome/Quick%20Start.html) |
| **Trivy** | [aquasecurity.github.io/trivy](https://aquasecurity.github.io/trivy) |
## Validation Workflow
**IMPORTANT:** Follow this workflow in order. Each step is REQUIRED unless explicitly marked optional.
```
1. Identify Terraform files in scope
├─> Single file, directory, or multi-environment
2. Extract Provider/Module Info (REQUIRED)
├─> MUST run: bash scripts/extract_tf_info_wrapper.sh <path>
├─> Parse output for providers and modules
└─> Use for Context7 documentation lookup
3. Lookup Provider Documentation (REQUIRED)
├─> For EACH provider detected:
│ ├─> mcp__context7__resolve-library-id with "terraform-provider-{name}"
│ ├─> mcp__context7__query-docs for version-specific guidance
│ └─> If NOT found in Context7: WebSearch fallback (see below)
└─> Note any custom/private providers for WebSearch
4. Read Reference Files (REQUIRED before validation)
├─> MUST READ: references/security_checklist.md (before security scan)
├─> MUST READ: references/best_practices.md (for structure validation)
└─> Reference common_errors.md if errors occur
5. Format and Lint (REQUIRED)
├─> MUST run: terraform fmt -recursive (auto-fix formatting)
├─> MUST run: terraform fmt -check -recursive (verify no drift)
├─> RUN: tflint (or note as skipped if unavailable)
└─> Report formatting issues
6. Syntax Validation (REQUIRED)
├─> MUST run: terraform init (if not initialized)
├─> MUST run: terraform validate
└─> Report syntax errors (consult common_errors.md)
7. Security Scanning (REQUIRED)
├─> MUST run: bash scripts/run_checkov.sh <path>
├─> Analyze policy violations against security_checklist.md
└─> Suggest remediations from reference
8. Dry-Run Testing (if credentials available)
├─> terraform plan
├─> Analyze planned changes
└─> Report potential issues
9. Regression and Wrapper Determinism Checks (REQUIRED)
├─> MUST run: bash tests/test_regression.sh
├─> Confirms parser error handling returns non-zero
├─> Confirms implicit provider detection for docs lookup
├─> Confirms wrapper argument handling is deterministic
└─> Confirms checkov wrapper preserves scanner exit code
10. Lightweight CI Checks (REQUIRED)
├─> MUST run: bash -n scripts/*.sh
├─> MUST run: python3 -m py_compile scripts/*.py
├─> MUST run: smoke check for extract wrapper on sample fixture
└─> Record command outputs and exit codes
11. Generate Comprehensive Report
├─> Include all findings with severity
├─> Reference best_practices.md for recommendations
└─> Offer to fix issues if appropriate
```
## Required Reference File Reading
**You MUST read these reference files during validation:**
| When | Reference File | Action |
|------|----------------|--------|
| **Before security scan** | `references/security_checklist.md` | Read to understand security checks and remediation patterns |
| **During validation** | `references/best_practices.md` | Read to validate project structure, naming, and patterns |
| **If errors occur** | `references/common_errors.md` | Read to find solutions for specific error messages |
| **If using Terraform 1.10+** | `references/advanced_features.md` | Read to understand ephemeral values, actions, list resources |
## Required Script Usage
**You MUST use these wrapper scripts instead of calling tools directly:**
| Task | Script | Command |
|------|--------|---------|
| **Extract provider/module info** | `extract_tf_info_wrapper.sh` | `bash scripts/extract_tf_info_wrapper.sh <path>` |
| **Run security scan** | `run_checkov.sh` | `bash scripts/run_checkov.sh <path>` |
| **Install checkov (if missing)** | `install_checkov.sh` | `bash scripts/install_checkov.sh install` |
> **Note:** `extract_tf_info_wrapper.sh` automatically handles the python-hcl2 dependency. If system Python lacks `python-hcl2`, it creates/reuses a cached virtual environment under `~/.cache/terraform-validator/` by default.
### Script Run Context (REQUIRED)
- Default working directory: `devops-skills-plugin/skills/terraform-validator`
- If running from elsewhere, use absolute script paths:
- `bash /absolute/path/to/terraform-validator/scripts/extract_tf_info_wrapper.sh <path>`
- `bash /absolute/path/to/terraform-validator/scripts/run_checkov.sh <path>`
- `bash /absolute/path/to/terraform-validator/scripts/install_checkov.sh install`
## Context7 Provider Documentation Lookup (REQUIRED)
**For EVERY provider detected, you MUST lookup documentation via Context7:**
```
1. Run extract_tf_info_wrapper.sh to get provider list
2. For each provider (e.g., "aws", "google", "azurerm"):
a. Call: mcp__context7__resolve-library-id with "terraform-provider-{name}"
b. Call: mcp__context7__query-docs with the resolved ID
c. Note version-specific features and constraints
3. Include relevant provider guidance in validation report
```
**Example for AWS provider:**
```
mcp__context7__resolve-library-id("terraform-provider-aws")
mcp__context7__query-docs(context7CompatibleLibraryID, "best practices")
```
### Context7 Fallback to WebSearch (REQUIRED)
**If Context7 does not find a provider, you MUST fall back to WebSearch:**
```
1. If mcp__context7__resolve-library-id returns no results or provider not found:
a. Use WebSearch with query: "terraform-provider-{name} hashicorp documentation"
b. For specific version: "terraform-provider-{name} {version} documentation site:registry.terraform.io"
2. Common providers NOT in Context7 (use WebSearch directly):
- random (hashicorp/random)
- null (hashicorp/null)
- local (hashicorp/local)
- time (hashicorp/time)
- tls (hashicorp/tls)
3. Document in report: "Provider docs via WebSearch (not in Context7)"
```
**WebSearch Fallback Example:**
```
# If Context7 fails for random provider:
WebSearch("terraform-provider-random hashicorp documentation site:registry.terraform.io")
```
> **Note:** HashiCorp utility providers (random, null, local, time, tls, archive, external, http) may not be indexed in Context7. Always fall back to WebSearch for these.
## Detecting Implicit Providers (REQUIRED)
**IMPORTANT:** Providers can be used without being declared in `required_providers`. You MUST detect ALL providers:
### Detection Methods
1. **Explicit Providers:** Listed in `required_providers` block (from extract_tf_info_wrapper.sh output)
2. **Implicit Providers:** Inferred from resource type prefixes
### Common Implicit Provider Patterns
| Resource Type Prefix | Provider Name | Context7 Lookup |
|---------------------|---------------|-----------------|
| `random_*` | `random` | `terraform-provider-random` |
| `null_*` | `null` | `terraform-provider-null` |
| `local_*` | `local` | `terraform-provider-local` |
| `tls_*` | `tls` | `terraform-provider-tls` |
| `time_*` | `time` | `terraform-provider-time` |
| `archive_*` | `archive` | `terraform-provider-archive` |
| `http` (data source) | `http` | `terraform-provider-http` |
| `external` (data source) | `external` | `terraform-provider-external` |
### Workflow for Complete Provider Detection
```
1. Parse extract_tf_info_wrapper.sh output
2. Get providers from "providers" array (explicit)
3. Get resources from "resources" array
4. For EACH resource type:
a. Extract prefix (e.g., "random" from "random_id")
b. Check if already in providers list
c. If NOT in providers: add as implicit provider
5. Perform Context7 lookup for ALL providers (explicit + implicit)
```
### Example
If `extract_tf_info_wrapper.sh` returns:
```json
{
"providers": [{"name": "aws", ...}],
"resources": [
{"type": "aws_instance", ...},
{"type": "random_id", ...}
]
}
```
You MUST lookup BOTH:
- `terraform-provider-aws` (explicit)
- `terraform-provider-random` (implicit - detected from `random_id` resource)
## Quick Reference Commands
### Format and Lint
```bash
# Check formatting (dry-run)
terraform fmt -check -recursive .
# Apply formatting
terraform fmt -recursive .
# Run tflint (requires .tflint.hcl config)
tflint --init # Install plugins
tflint --recursive # Lint all modules
tflint --format compact # Compact output
```
> **TFLint Configuration:** See [TFLint Ruleset documentation](https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint/blob/master/docs/user-guide/plugins.md) for plugin setup.
### Validate Configuration
```bash
# Initialize (downloads providers and modules)
terraform init
# Validate syntax
terraform validate
# Validate with JSON output
terraform validate -json
```
### Security Scanning
**MUST use wrapper script:**
```bash
# Use the wrapper script (REQUIRED)
bash scripts/run_checkov.sh ./terraform
# With specific options
bash scripts/run_checkov.sh -f json ./terraform
bash scripts/run_checkov.sh --compact ./terraform
```
> **Detailed Security Scanning:** You MUST read `references/security_checklist.md` before running security scans to understand the checks and remediation patterns.
## Security Finding Cross-Reference (REQUIRED)
**When reporting security findings, you MUST cite specific sections from `security_checklist.md`:**
### Cross-Reference Mapping
| Checkov Check Pattern | security_checklist.md Section |
|-----------------------|------------------------------|
| `CKV_AWS_24` (SSH open) | "Overly Permissive Security Groups" |
| `CKV_AWS_260` (HTTP open) | "Overly Permissive Security Groups" |
| `CKV_AWS_16` (RDS encryption) | "Encryption at Rest" |
| `CKV_AWS_17` (RDS public) | "RDS Databases" |
| `CKV_AWS_130` (public subnet) | "Network Security" |
| `CKV_AWS_53-56` (S3 public access) | "Public S3 Buckets" |
| `CKV_AWS_*` (IAM) | "IAM Security" |
| `CKV_AWS_79` (IMDSv1) | "ECS/EKS" |
| Hardcoded passwords | "Hardcoded Credentials" |
| Sensitive outputs | "Sensitive Output Exposure" |
### Report Template for Security Findings
```markdown
### Security Issue: [Check ID]
View on GitHub