Secrets Store CSI Driver
Integrate secrets stores with Kubernetes via a Container Storage Interface (CSI) volume.
Overview
The Secrets Store CSI driver for Kubernetes allows you to get secrets stored in external secrets stores and mount them into pods as a volume. Once the Volume is attached, the data in it is mounted into the container’s file system. This provides a native Kubernetes way to access secrets without storing them in etcd.
✨ Key Features
- Mounts external secrets as volumes
- Avoids storing secrets in etcd
- Extensible with provider plugins
- Kubernetes-native
🎯 Key Differentiators
- Mounts secrets as files, which is often more secure than environment variables
- Kubernetes-native CSI interface
- Does not create native Kubernetes Secret objects by default
Unique Value: Provides a secure and Kubernetes-native way to mount secrets from external stores directly into pods as files, avoiding storage in etcd.
🎯 Use Cases (3)
✅ Best For
- Mounting secrets from Azure Key Vault into a pod running on AKS
💡 Check With Vendor
Verify these considerations match your specific requirements:
- Applications that expect secrets as environment variables (though there is a way to sync them to native Secrets)
🏆 Alternatives
The volume-mounting approach is considered more secure than creating native Kubernetes Secrets like the External Secrets Operator does.
💻 Platforms
🔌 Integrations
💰 Pricing
Free tier: Completely free and open-source.
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