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eBPF in Action

·554 words·3 mins·
Fernando Guisso
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Fernando Guisso
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The Power of eBPF for Kubernetes Security: More Than Just Monitoring
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With the rise of Kubernetes as a container platform, security and observability have become essential. One technology transforming security monitoring in Kubernetes is eBPF. In this post, we’ll explore what eBPF is, why it’s ideal for Kubernetes clusters, and how it powers security and observability tools in DevOps.

What is eBPF?
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eBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a technology that allows you to run code directly in the Linux kernel with remarkable efficiency. It can capture and monitor system events such as system calls, network connections, and file operations without causing noticeable impact on performance.

For Kubernetes environments, eBPF is ideal because it enables real-time event capture and analysis, offering a level of visibility and control that was previously hard to achieve.

Why is eBPF Ideal for Security and Observability in Kubernetes?
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eBPF provides several advantages for Kubernetes environments:

  • Real-Time Security: eBPF can monitor container behavior and detect suspicious activities, such as unauthorized processes or abnormal network connections. This allows for rapid threat response, minimizing the impact of attacks.
  • Deep Observability: Beyond security, eBPF collects rich data on container behavior and system performance, including detailed latency and resource usage metrics. This enables teams to identify bottlenecks and optimize service performance.

With eBPF, you can gain insights into the deepest levels of the system without overloading cluster resources.

Tools Using eBPF for DevOps, Observability, and Security
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eBPF is already used by several tools aiming to make Kubernetes more secure and observable:

  • Falco: a security monitoring tool that uses eBPF to detect abnormal container behaviors. With Falco, you can monitor unexpected activities such as shell executions inside containers and access to sensitive files.
  • Cilium: a networking and security solution that uses eBPF to create secure, scalable networks. Cilium enables observability at the network level, monitoring connections between containers and detecting potential security and connectivity issues.
  • Kubescape: beyond its scanning capabilities, Kubescape uses eBPF for runtime threat detection in Kubernetes, identifying unexpected processes and connections in real time within containers.
  • Coroot: a monitoring and performance diagnostics tool that uses eBPF to track metrics in distributed applications, helping to quickly identify latency issues and performance bottlenecks.

These tools show how eBPF contributes not only to security but also to robust observability, helping teams monitor data flows and metrics within the cluster.

Practical Example: eBPF in DevOps
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A practical example of eBPF use is latency detection in microservices. With eBPF, you can monitor system calls and network connections in containers, quickly identifying where performance bottlenecks lie. For instance:

  • Bottleneck Detection: In a microservices scenario, eBPF can trace latency in calls between services, allowing you to instantly identify which services are experiencing issues and adjust configurations without needing to restart services.

This type of real-time monitoring is crucial for production environments, where quick identification and resolution of issues can ensure a seamless user experience.

eBPF brings a new dimension to security and observability in Kubernetes. The ability to deeply monitor the system and detect real-time threats makes eBPF an essential technology for the DevOps culture. In upcoming posts, we’ll explore how Kubescape leverages eBPF to transform security in Kubernetes, with a focus on runtime threat detection and vulnerability analysis.