How to use this Kyverno Background Controller image

All examples in this guide use the public image. If you’ve mirrored the repository for your own use (for example, to your Docker Hub namespace), update your commands to reference the mirrored image instead of the public one.

For example:

• Public image: dhi.io/<repository>:<tag>
• Mirrored image: <your-namespace>/dhi-<repository>:<tag>

For the examples, you must first use docker login dhi.io to authenticate to the registry to pull the images.

This guide provides practical examples for using the Kyverno Background Controller Hardened Image to manage policy resources in Kubernetes.

What's included in this Kyverno Background Controller Hardened Image

This Docker Hardened Kyverno Background Controller image includes the Kyverno Background Controller a component of Kyverno that continuously monitors and enforces policies on existing resources in the cluster, ensuring ongoing compliance.

Start a Kyverno Background Controller image

docker run -d --name kyverno -p 8443:443 dhi.io/kyverno-background-controller:<tag>

Common use cases

Install Kyverno using Helm

You can install Kyverno using the official helm chart and replace the image. Replace <your-registry-secret> with your Kubernetes image pull secret⁠ and <tag> with the desired image tag.

helm repo add kyverno https://kyverno.github.io/kyverno
helm repo update

helm upgrade --install kyverno kyverno/kyverno \
  -n kyverno --create-namespace --wait \
  --set "images.pullSecrets[0].name=<your-registry-secret>" \
  --set .image.registry=dhi.io \
  --set backgroundController.image.repository=kyverno-background-controller \
  --set backgroundController.image.tag=<tag> \
  --set backgroundController.podSecurityContext.runAsUser=65532

Non-hardened images vs Docker Hardened Images

Key differences

Why no shell or package manager?

Docker 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 Docker 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=dhi.io/busybox,destination=/dbg,ro \
  dhi.io/kyverno-background-controller:<tag> /dbg/bin/sh

Image variants

Docker 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 Docker Hardened Image

Switching to the hardened Kyverno image does not require any special changes. You can use it as a drop-in replacement for the standard Kyverno (bitnami/kyverno-background-controller) 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.

Troubleshoot 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 Docker 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

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