Kubernetes Security Tools

Kubernetes security tools are specialized scanners and enforcement engines that find misconfigurations, audit cluster compliance, and detect runtime threats across Kubernetes environments.

Running containers in production without dedicated Kubernetes security tooling leaves gaps that general-purpose vulnerability scanners cannot cover. Kubernetes introduces its own attack surface: misconfigured RBAC policies, privileged pods, missing network policies, exposed API servers, and container escapes. The tools on this page address those risks across three layers — configuration scanning, benchmark auditing, and runtime protection.

What are Kubernetes security tools?

Kubernetes security tools scan cluster configurations, container workloads, and runtime behavior for vulnerabilities and policy violations. They fall into three categories:

Configuration scanners analyze Kubernetes YAML manifests, Helm charts, and Kustomize overlays before deployment. They flag issues like containers running as root, missing resource limits, or security contexts that grant unnecessary privileges. Kubescape, Checkov, and KICS work this way.

Benchmark auditors check running cluster components against hardening standards. Kube-Bench verifies that API server flags, kubelet settings, and etcd configurations meet CIS Kubernetes Benchmark requirements.

Runtime security tools monitor kernel events inside running clusters to detect active threats. Falco watches system calls via eBPF. KubeArmor enforces security policies at the Linux Security Module level, blocking violations before they happen.

Most production clusters need tools from at least two of these categories. Configuration scanning catches problems before deployment. Runtime monitoring catches everything that slips through.

Top Kubernetes security tools

Kubescape

Kubescape is a CNCF incubating project that scans Kubernetes clusters, manifests, and container images against multiple compliance frameworks: CIS Benchmarks, NSA/CISA hardening guidelines, MITRE ATT&CK for containers, and SOC 2. It has 11.1k GitHub stars and is used by over 25,000 organizations including Intel and AWS.

The tool runs as a CLI for pre-deployment scanning or as an in-cluster operator deployed via Helm for continuous monitoring. The operator adds eBPF-based runtime threat detection and automatic network policy generation based on observed traffic patterns. Kubescape also offers auto-remediation through kubescape fix for YAML misconfigurations and kubescape vap to generate Validating Admission Policies. All policies use OPA/Rego from a public library called Regolibrary.

Best for: Teams that want one tool covering configuration scanning, compliance validation, and runtime monitoring for Kubernetes-specific workloads.

Kube-Bench

Kube-Bench is an open-source Go tool by Aqua Security (7.9k GitHub stars) that automates CIS Kubernetes Benchmark checks. It audits API server configuration, etcd security, kubelet settings, RBAC policies, pod security standards, and network policies across control plane and worker nodes.

Run it as a standalone binary on nodes, as a Kubernetes Job, or via the aquasec/kube-bench container image. Cloud-specific Job manifests handle EKS, GKE, and AKS differences. Each failed check includes specific remediation guidance: what flag to set, what file permission to change. Kube-bench integrates with Trivy and the Trivy Operator for combined vulnerability and compliance scanning.

Best for: Compliance teams that need to verify clusters meet CIS Kubernetes Benchmark standards, especially during audits.

Falco

Falco is a CNCF graduated runtime threat detection tool (8.7k GitHub stars) that monitors kernel-level events in Kubernetes clusters, containers, and cloud environments. Originally created by Sysdig and donated to the CNCF in 2018, Falco reached graduated status in 2024.

It uses eBPF to intercept system calls without modifying application code. Detection rules written in YAML fire on suspicious patterns: a container spawning a shell, a process reading /etc/shadow, an unexpected outbound network connection. Falco enriches every alert with Kubernetes metadata (pod name, namespace, labels, service account) so you immediately know which workload triggered it. The plugin system extends detection to AWS CloudTrail, GitHub audit logs, and Okta events. Falcosidekick routes alerts to 50+ destinations including Slack, PagerDuty, and Elasticsearch.

Best for: Production clusters that need real-time threat detection for attacks that only surface during runtime. Adopted by Shopify, GitLab, and Skyscanner.

Trivy (Kubernetes scanning)

Trivy is the most-starred open-source security scanner on GitHub (32.2k stars) and handles Kubernetes scanning as part of its broader multi-target capability. The trivy k8s command connects to a running cluster and checks all workloads for vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and exposed secrets. The trivy config command scans Kubernetes YAML manifests, Helm charts, and Kustomize files before deployment.

Trivy absorbed tfsec, so its IaC scanner also covers Terraform and CloudFormation alongside Kubernetes resources. The Trivy Operator runs continuous scans inside the cluster. Two report modes: summary for a quick namespace-level overview and all for full per-resource detail.

Best for: Teams already using Trivy for container image or dependency scanning who want to add Kubernetes manifest and cluster scanning without introducing another tool.

Checkov (Kubernetes policies)

Checkov ships with over 1,000 built-in policies, and a significant portion cover Kubernetes manifests, Helm charts, and Kustomize overlays. Its graph-based analysis checks relationships between resources, verifying that a pod’s service account, network policy, and security context work together correctly. Single-resource scanners miss these cross-resource issues.

Custom policies can be written in Python or declarative YAML. Checkov outputs SARIF for GitHub code scanning, JUnit XML for CI dashboards, and CycloneDX for SBOM generation.

Best for: Teams running Checkov for Terraform or CloudFormation that need Kubernetes policy coverage in the same tool with deep cross-resource analysis.

KICS (Kubernetes queries)

KICS covers Kubernetes among its 22+ supported IaC platforms with 2,400+ Rego-based queries. Since queries use the same OPA policy language behind Conftest and Gatekeeper, teams already working with those tools can write custom Kubernetes rules without learning a new syntax.

Severity-mapped exit codes (60 for Critical, 50 for High, 40 for Medium) simplify CI/CD gating. KICS outputs to 10+ formats including SARIF, HTML reports, and GitLab SAST.

Best for: Teams that need Kubernetes scanning alongside other IaC platforms (Ansible, OpenAPI, Pulumi) in a single scanner with a Rego-based policy engine.

KubeArmor

KubeArmor is a CNCF Sandbox runtime security enforcement engine (2.1k GitHub stars) that goes beyond detection. It actively blocks policy violations at the kernel level using Linux Security Modules (AppArmor, SELinux, BPF-LSM) and eBPF.

Policies defined as Kubernetes CRDs control which binaries a container can execute, which files it can access, and which network connections it can make. Pre-built policy libraries cover CIS, MITRE ATT&CK, NIST 800-53, and STIGs. KubeArmor deploys as a non-privileged DaemonSet and requires no changes to application code or container images. It supports EKS, GKE, AKS, and bare metal.

Best for: Organizations requiring active runtime enforcement (not just detection) for workloads in regulated industries or zero-trust architectures.

Sysdig Secure

Sysdig Secure is a commercial CNAPP platform that builds on Falco’s runtime detection with enterprise capabilities. It achieves 5-second threat detection time and uses runtime context to reduce vulnerability noise by 98%, identifying which packages are actually loaded in memory and exploitable in production.

The platform consolidates CDR, CWPP, CSPM, CIEM, vulnerability management, and compliance automation (PCI-DSS, GDPR, NIST, SOC 2, HIPAA). Customers include IBM, Goldman Sachs, and Booking.com.

Best for: Enterprise teams that want a unified platform combining Falco-grade runtime detection with vulnerability management, posture management, and compliance reporting.

Feature comparison

Configuration scanning vs runtime security

These two approaches solve different problems at different stages. Understanding when each applies saves you from either over-tooling or leaving gaps.

Configuration scanning runs before or during deployment. It reads your Kubernetes YAML, Helm charts, or live cluster state and checks it against policy libraries. It catches: containers running as root, missing resource limits, overly permissive RBAC roles, absent network policies, and security contexts with unnecessary capabilities. The fix happens before the workload reaches production.

Runtime security monitors what containers actually do after deployment. Even a perfectly configured deployment can be compromised through application vulnerabilities. Runtime tools catch: cryptomining processes spawned inside containers, shell access in production pods, unexpected file system modifications in /etc or /usr/bin, lateral movement via network connections to internal services, and container escape attempts through kernel exploits.

Decision tree:

• Pre-production clusters or CI/CD only → configuration scanning (Kubescape, Checkov, Trivy)
• Production clusters with no external traffic → configuration scanning + CIS auditing (Kube-Bench)
• Production clusters serving external traffic → configuration scanning + runtime detection (Falco) or enforcement (KubeArmor)
• Regulated industries with audit requirements → all three layers plus compliance reporting (Sysdig Secure or Kubescape operator + Kube-Bench)

CI/CD integration

All the configuration scanning tools on this page integrate into CI/CD pipelines. The pattern is the same: add a scanning step that runs on pull requests, fail the build when severity thresholds are exceeded, and fix issues before they reach the cluster.

Kubescape — kubescape scan with --compliance-threshold to set a minimum passing score. Official integrations for GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, and CircleCI. Outputs JSON, SARIF, and JUnit XML.

Checkov — checkov -d ./k8s-manifests/ scans a directory of Kubernetes files. The bridgecrewio/checkov-action GitHub Action handles PR scanning. Use --framework kubernetes to limit scanning to Kubernetes resources only.

Trivy — trivy config ./ auto-detects Kubernetes manifests and runs applicable checks. The aquasecurity/trivy-action GitHub Action supports SARIF output for GitHub code scanning. Use --exit-code 1 --severity HIGH,CRITICAL to gate builds.

KICS — kics scan -p ./manifests --type kubernetes limits scanning to Kubernetes files. Exit codes map to severity levels: 60 for Critical, 50 for High. The checkmarx/kics-github-action handles GitHub integration.

For runtime tools, deployment happens separately from CI/CD. Falco and KubeArmor deploy as DaemonSets into the cluster using Helm charts. Kube-Bench runs as a Kubernetes Job on demand or on a schedule.

How to choose

Small team, getting started: Start with Kubescape. It covers the widest range of Kubernetes security concerns in a single open-source tool: configuration scanning, CIS compliance, MITRE ATT&CK, and optional runtime monitoring. Add it to CI/CD in an afternoon.

Already using Trivy or Checkov: If Trivy or Checkov already runs in your pipeline for container or IaC scanning, use their Kubernetes scanning capabilities instead of adding another tool. Both cover Kubernetes manifests and Helm charts.

CIS compliance requirement: Run Kube-Bench for focused CIS Kubernetes Benchmark auditing. It goes deeper on cluster component configuration (API server flags, etcd settings, file permissions) than any other tool on this list.

Production runtime monitoring: Deploy Falco for detection or KubeArmor for enforcement. Falco watches and alerts. KubeArmor watches and blocks. Many teams run both: KubeArmor to prevent known threats, Falco to detect unknown ones.

Enterprise with compliance needs: Sysdig Secure wraps Falco’s runtime detection in a platform with vulnerability management, posture management, and audit-ready compliance reporting for PCI-DSS, GDPR, NIST, SOC 2, and HIPAA.

Layered approach (recommended for production): Combine a configuration scanner in CI/CD (Kubescape or Trivy), a benchmark auditor on a schedule (Kube-Bench), and a runtime monitor (Falco). Three tools, three layers, no gaps.

For a broader view of cloud infrastructure security strategy, see our cloud infrastructure security hub. Browse all IaC security tools to compare options beyond Kubernetes-specific tooling.

Frequently Asked Questions