Kube-bench
Checks whether Kubernetes is deployed securely by running the checks documented in the CIS Kubernetes Benchmark.
Overview
Kube-bench is a Go application that runs the CIS Kubernetes Benchmark tests on your cluster. It checks the configuration of your master nodes, worker nodes, and other Kubernetes components against the recommendations in the benchmark. The tests are defined in YAML files, making them easy to view and extend.
✨ Key Features
- Runs CIS Kubernetes Benchmark tests
- Checks master and worker node configurations
- Supports multiple Kubernetes distributions (GKE, EKS, AKS, OpenShift)
- Test definitions are easy to read and modify (YAML)
- Open source
🎯 Key Differentiators
- Strict focus on the CIS Kubernetes Benchmark
- Simple, single-purpose tool
- Maintained by a reputable security company (Aqua Security)
Unique Value: Provides a straightforward, reliable, and open-source way to audit your Kubernetes cluster against the industry-standard CIS Benchmark for security.
🎯 Use Cases (4)
✅ Best For
- Running as a Kubernetes Job to periodically scan a cluster and report on its compliance status.
- Using as part of a cluster provisioning process to ensure new clusters are secure from the start.
💡 Check With Vendor
Verify these considerations match your specific requirements:
- Runtime threat detection, vulnerability scanning of container images, or policy enforcement (it's an audit tool).
🏆 Alternatives
While other tools may include CIS checks as part of a broader scan, kube-bench is dedicated to this single task and is considered the authoritative implementation.
💻 Platforms
✅ Offline Mode Available
🔌 Integrations
💰 Pricing
Free tier: The tool is completely free.
🔄 Similar Tools in GitOps Security
Snyk
A developer-first security platform for finding and fixing vulnerabilities in code, dependencies, co...
Checkov
An open-source static analysis tool for scanning infrastructure as code (IaC) files for misconfigura...
Trivy
An open-source security scanner for vulnerabilities in container images, filesystems, and Git reposi...
KICS
An open-source static analysis tool that finds security vulnerabilities, compliance issues, and infr...
Terrascan
An open-source static code analyzer for IaC that helps detect security and compliance issues....
Open Policy Agent (OPA)
An open-source, general-purpose policy engine that enables unified, context-aware policy enforcement...