diff --git a/website/source/docs/internals/plugins.html.md b/website/source/docs/internals/plugins.html.md index 504fb9897633..1ab0a6ffb970 100644 --- a/website/source/docs/internals/plugins.html.md +++ b/website/source/docs/internals/plugins.html.md @@ -8,13 +8,13 @@ description: |- # Plugin System Certain Vault backends utilize plugins to extend their functionality outside of -what is available in the core vault code. Often times these backends will +what is available in the core Vault code. Often times these backends will provide both builtin plugins and a mechanism for executing external plugins. -Builtin plugins are shipped with vault, often for commonly used implementations, +Builtin plugins are shipped with Vault, often for commonly used implementations, and require no additional operator intervention to run. Builtin plugins are -just like any other backend code inside vault. External plugins, on the other -hand, are not shipped with the vault binary and must be registered to vault by -a privileged vault user. This section of the documentation will describe the +just like any other backend code inside Vault. External plugins, on the other +hand, are not shipped with the Vault binary and must be registered to Vault by +a privileged Vault user. This section of the documentation will describe the architecture and security of external plugins. # Plugin Architecture @@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ plugin's RPC server. While invoking the plugin process, Vault passes a [wrapping token](https://www.vaultproject.io/docs/concepts/response-wrapping.html) to the plugin process' environment. This token is single use and has a short TTL. Once unwrapped, it provides the plugin with a uniquely generated TLS certificate and -private key for it to use to talk to the original vault process. +private key for it to use to talk to the original Vault process. The [`api_addr`][api_addr] must be set in order for the plugin process establish communication with the Vault server during mount time. If the storage backend @@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ in plugins. ## Plugin Registration An important consideration of Vault's plugin system is to ensure the plugin -invoked by vault is authentic and maintains integrity. There are two components +invoked by Vault is authentic and maintains integrity. There are two components that a Vault operator needs to configure before external plugins can be run, the plugin directory and the plugin catalog entry. @@ -50,17 +50,17 @@ plugin directory and the plugin catalog entry. The plugin directory is a configuration option of Vault, and can be specified in the [configuration file](https://www.vaultproject.io/docs/configuration/index.html). This setting specifies a directory that all plugin binaries must live. A plugin -can not be added to vault unless it exists in the plugin directory. There is no +can not be added to Vault unless it exists in the plugin directory. There is no default for this configuration option, and if it is not set plugins can not be -added to vault. +added to Vault. -~> Warning: A vault operator should take care to lock down the permissions on +~> Warning: A Vault operator should take care to lock down the permissions on this directory to ensure a plugin can not be modified by an unauthorized user between the time of the SHA check and the time of plugin execution. ### Plugin Catalog The plugin catalog is Vault's list of approved plugins. The catalog is stored in -Vault's barrier and can only be updated by a vault user with sudo permissions. +Vault's barrier and can only be updated by a Vault user with sudo permissions. Upon adding a new plugin, the plugin name, SHA256 sum of the executable, and the command that should be used to run the plugin must be provided. The catalog will make sure the executable referenced in the command exists in the plugin @@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ Success! Data written to: sys/plugins/catalog/myplugin-database-plugin ### Plugin Execution When a backend wants to run a plugin, it first looks up the plugin, by name, in the catalog. It then checks the executable's SHA256 sum against the one -configured in the plugin catalog. Finally vault runs the command configured in +configured in the plugin catalog. Finally Vault runs the command configured in the catalog, sending along the JWT formatted response wrapping token and mlock settings (like Vault, plugins support [the use of mlock when available](https://www.vaultproject.io/docs/configuration/index.html#disable_mlock)).