Linux User
Rotating Linux User Accounts on Local Network
Overview
In this guide, you'll learn how to rotate Linux user accounts within your local network using Keeper Rotation. For a high-level overview on the rotation process in the local network, visit this page.
Prerequisites
This guide assumes the following tasks have already taken place:
Keeper Secrets Manager is enabled for your enterprise and your role.
Keeper Rotation is enabled for your role.
A Keeper Secrets Manager application has been created.
1. Set up a PAM Machine Record
Keeper Rotation will use an admin credential to rotate credentials of other accounts in your local environment. These admin credentials need to have the sufficient permissions in order to successfully change the credentials of other accounts.
In this guide, we will store the admin credentials in a PAM Machine Record.
The following table lists all the required fields that needs to be filled on the PAM Machine Record with your information:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
Title | Name of the Record ex: "Local Linux Admin" |
Hostname or IP Address | Machine hostname or IP as accessed by the Gateway (internal) or "localhost" |
Port | 22 for SSH |
Login | Username of the Admin account |
Password | Depends on your SSH setup. Your SSH setup may require a password, otherwise optional.
Note: The following char are restricted: |
Private PEM Key | Required for SSH if not using a password |
This PAM Machine Record with the admin credential needs to be in a shared folder that is shared to the KSM application created in the pre-requisites. Only the KSM application needs access to this privileged account, it does not need to be shared with any users.
2. Set up a PAM Configuration
If you already have a PAM Configuration for your Local environment, you can simply add the additional Resource Credentials required for rotating Linux users to the existing PAM Configuration.
If you are creating a new PAM Configuration, login to the Keeper Vault and select "Secrets Manager", then select the "PAM Configurations" tab, and click on "New Configuration". The following table lists all the required fields on the PAM Configuration Record:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
Title | Configuration name, example: |
Environment | Select: |
Gateway | Select the Gateway that is configured on the Keeper Secrets Manager application and has SSH access to your Linux devices |
Application Folder | Select the Shared folder that contains the PAM Machine record in Step 1. |
Admin Credentials Record | Select the PAM Machine record created in Step 1. This is the record with the admin credentials and sufficient permissions to rotate credentials |
3. Set up one or more PAM user records
Keeper Rotation will use the credentials in the PAM Machine record to rotate the PAM User records on your Local environment. The PAM User credential needs to be in a shared folder that is shared to the KSM application created in the prerequisites.
The following table lists all the required fields on the PAM User record:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
Record Type | PAM User |
Title | Keeper record title |
Login | Case sensitive username of the account being rotated. Example: |
Password | Account password is optional, rotation will set one if blank |
4. Configure Rotation on the Record - Linux User
Select the PAM User record(s) from Step 3, edit the record and open the "Password Rotation Settings".
Select the desired schedule and password complexity.
The "Rotation Settings" should use the PAM Configuration setup previously.
The "Resource Credential" field should select the PAM Machine credential setup from Step 1.
Upon saving, the rotation button will be enabled and available to rotate on demand, or via the selected schedule.
Any user with edit rights to a PAM User record has the ability to setup rotation for that record.
If the desired Admin Credential is not showing in the rotation settings screen, go to Secrets Manager > PAM Configuration > and add the necessary resource credentials.
5. Configure Rotation on the Record - Linux Admin
Select the PAM Machine record from Step 1, edit the record and open the "Password Rotation Settings".
Select the desired schedule and password complexity.
The "Rotation Settings" should use the PAM Configuration setup previously.
The "Resource Credential" field should select the PAM Machine credential setup from Step 1.
Upon saving, the rotation button will be enabled and available to rotate on demand, or via the selected schedule.
If the desired Admin Credential is not showing in the rotation settings screen, go to Secrets Manager > PAM Configuration > and add the necessary resource credentials.
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