cilium hubble relay

For production deployments, configure TLS certificates by mounting certificate files and using the TLS flags:

docker run --name hubble-relay -p 4245:4245 -p 4222:4222 \
  -v /path/to/certs:/etc/certs:ro \
  registry.ghost-prod.alphabravo.io/ghost-base/hubble-relay:<tag> serve \
  --tls-relay-server-cert-file /etc/certs/server.crt \
  --tls-relay-server-key-file /etc/certs/server.key \
  --peer-service hubble.cilium.svc.cluster.local:4244

Note: Replace /path/to/certs with the path to your certificate directory. Certificates can be generated manually, provided by cert-manager in Kubernetes, or obtained from your certificate authority.

Common use cases

Install Cilium with Hubble Relay using Helm

You can install Cilium with Hubble Relay using the official Helm chart and replace the relay image. Replace <your-registry-secret> with your Kubernetes image pull secret and <tag> with the desired image tag.

helm repo add cilium https://helm.cilium.io/
helm repo update

helm upgrade --install cilium cilium/cilium \
  --namespace kube-system \
  --set hubble.relay.enabled=true \
  --set "imagePullSecrets[0].name=<your-registry-secret>" \
  --set hubble.relay.image.override="<IMAGE_REPOSITORY>:<IMAGE_TAG>" \
  --set hubble.relay.securityContext.enabled=true \
  --set hubble.relay.securityContext.runAsNonRoot=true \
  --set hubble.relay.securityContext.runAsUser=65532 \
  --set hubble.relay.securityContext.runAsGroup=65532

Non-hardened images vs Ghost hardened images

Key differences

Why no shell or package manager?

Ghost hardened images prioritize security through minimalism:

• Reduced attack surface: Fewer binaries mean fewer potential vulnerabilities
• Immutable infrastructure: Runtime containers shouldn't be modified after deployment
• Compliance ready: Meets strict security requirements for regulated environments

The hardened images intended for runtime don't contain a shell nor any tools for debugging. Common debugging methods for applications built with Ghost hardened images include:

• Docker Debug to attach to containers
• Docker's Image Mount feature to mount debugging tools
• Ecosystem-specific debugging approaches

Docker Debug provides a shell, common debugging tools, and lets you install other tools in an ephemeral, writable layer that only exists during the debugging session.

For example, you can use Docker Debug:

docker debug <image-name>

or mount debugging tools with the Image Mount feature:

docker run --rm -it --pid container:my-container \
  --mount=type=image,source=registry.ghost-prod.alphabravo.io/ghost-base/busybox:1,destination=/dbg,ro \
  --entrypoint /dbg/bin/sh \
  registry.ghost-prod.alphabravo.io/ghost-base/hubble-relay:<tag>

Image variants

Ghost hardened images come in different variants depending on their intended use.

Runtime variants are designed to run your application in production. These images are intended to be used either directly or as the FROM image in the final stage of a multi-stage build. These images typically:

• Run as the nonroot user
• Do not include a shell or a package manager
• Contain only the minimal set of libraries needed to run the app

Build-time variants typically include dev in the variant name and are intended for use in the first stage of a multi-stage Dockerfile. These images typically:

• Run as the root user
• Include a shell and package manager
• Are used to build or compile applications

FIPS variants include fips in the variant name and tag. They come in both runtime and build-time variants. These variants use cryptographic modules that have been validated under FIPS 140, a U.S. government standard for secure cryptographic operations. For example, usage of MD5 fails in FIPS variants.

Migrate to a Ghost hardened image

Switching to the hardened Hubble Relay image does not require any special changes. You can use it as a drop-in replacement for the standard Hubble Relay (cilium/hubble-relay) image in your existing workflows and configurations. Note that the entry point for the hardened image may differ from the standard image, so ensure that your commands and arguments are compatible.

Migration steps

1. Replace the image reference in your Docker run command or Compose file.

2. All your existing command-line arguments, environment variables, port mappings, and network settings remain the same.

3. Test your migration and use the troubleshooting tips below if you encounter any issues.

Troubleshooting migration

General debugging

The hardened images intended for runtime don't contain a shell nor any tools for debugging. The recommended method for debugging applications built with Ghost hardened images is to use Docker Debug to attach to these containers. Docker Debug provides a shell, common debugging tools, and lets you install other tools in an ephemeral, writable layer that only exists during the debugging session.

Permissions

By default image variants intended for runtime, run as the nonroot user. Ensure that necessary files and directories are accessible to the nonroot user. You may need to copy files to different directories or change permissions so your application running as the nonroot user can access them.

Privileged ports

Non-dev hardened images run as a nonroot user by default. As a result, applications in these images can't bind to privileged ports (below 1024) when running in Kubernetes or in Docker Engine versions older than 20.10.

No shell

By default, image variants intended for runtime don't contain a shell. Use dev images in build stages to run shell commands and then copy any necessary artifacts into the runtime stage. In addition, use Docker Debug to debug containers with no shell.

Entry point

Ghost hardened images may have different entry points than images such as Docker Official Images. Use docker inspect to inspect entry points for Ghost hardened images and update your Dockerfile if necessary.