Kubernetes Security: Pod Security Standards, Network Policies & Strict RBAC
Preventing container escape, restricting service account tokens, and implementing micro-segmentation across EKS, AKS, and bare-metal clusters.
The Anatomy of a Kubernetes Container Escape
Containers share the host operating system kernel. If a container runs with root privileges (`privileged: true`) or mounts sensitive host paths (`/var/run/docker.sock`), a compromised web application can break out of the container and seize full control of the underlying Kubernetes node.
Enforcing Pod Security Standards (PSS)
Enable the built-in Kubernetes Pod Security Admission controller and mandate the `baseline` or `restricted` security profile across all application namespaces: forbidding privileged containers, requiring read-only root filesystems, and dropping dangerous Linux capabilities (`CAP_SYS_ADMIN`).
Default-Deny Network Policies
By default, every pod in a Kubernetes cluster can communicate with every other pod across all namespaces. Implement network policies enforcing a default-deny ingress and egress posture, permitting traffic only between verified microservices.
Related Articles & Advisories
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