Implement eBPF-based runtime security observability and enforcement in Kubernetes clusters using Cilium Tetragon for kernel-level threat detection and policy enforcement. Use when implementing ebpf-based runtime security observability and enforcement in kubernetes clusters.
Implement eBPF-based runtime security observability and enforcement in Kubernetes clusters using Cilium Tetragon for kernel-level threat detection and policy enforcement. Use when implementing ebpf-based runtime security observability and enforcement in kubernetes clusters.
Tetragon is a CNCF project under Cilium that provides flexible Kubernetes-aware security observability and runtime enforcement using eBPF. By operating at the Linux kernel level, Tetragon can monitor and enforce policies on process execution, file access, network connections, and system calls with less than 1% performance overhead -- far more efficient than traditional user-space security agents.
When to Use
Trigger phrases:
"implementing runtime security with tetragon"
"Implement eBPF-based runtime security observability and enforcement in Kubernete"
When deploying or configuring implementing runtime security with tetragon capabilities in your environment
When establishing security controls aligned to compliance requirements
When building or improving security architecture for this domain
When conducting security assessments that require this implementation
Prerequisites
Kubernetes cluster v1.24+ with Helm 3.x installed
Linux kernel 5.4+ (5.10+ recommended for full eBPF feature support)
kubectl access with cluster-admin privileges
Familiarity with eBPF concepts and Kubernetes security primitives
Core Concepts
This section covers core concepts for implementing runtime security with tetragon.
Ensure all prerequisites are met before proceeding
Follow the documented workflow steps in sequence
Record results and any anomalies encountered during this phase
eBPF-Based Security
Tetragon attaches eBPF programs directly to kernel functions, enabling:
Process lifecycle tracking: Monitor every process creation, execution, and termination across all pods
File integrity monitoring: Detect unauthorized reads/writes to sensitive files
Network observability: Track all TCP/UDP connections with full pod context
System call filtering: Enforce policies on dangerous syscalls like ptrace, mount, or unshare
TracingPolicy Custom Resources
Tetragon uses TracingPolicy CRDs to define what kernel events to observe and what actions to take:
apiVersion:cilium.io/v1alpha1kind:
TracingPolicy
metadata:
name:
detect-privilege-escalation
spec:
kprobes:
-
call:
"security_bprm_check"
syscall:
false
args:
-
index:
0
type:
"linux_binprm"
selectors:
-
matchBinaries:
-
operator:
"In"
values:
-
"/bin/su"
-
"/usr/bin/sudo"
-
"/usr/bin/passwd"
matchNamespaces:
-
namespace:
Pid
operator:
NotIn
values:
-
"host_ns"
matchActions:
-
action:
Post
Enforcement Actions
Tetragon can take three types of actions directly in the kernel:
Sigkill: Immediately terminate the offending process
Signal: Send a configurable signal to the process
Override: Override the return value of a kernel function to deny an operation
