minio/kes

Pull the latest release via:

docker pull minio/kes

You can also verify the binary with minisign by downloading the corresponding .minisig signature file. Then run:

minisign -Vm kes-<OS>-<ARCH> -P RWTx5Zr1tiHQLwG9keckT0c45M3AGeHD6IvimQHpyRywVWGbP1aVSGav

Download and install the binary via your Go toolchain:

go install github.com/minio/kes/cmd/kes@latest

1. Configure CLI

We point the KES CLI to the KES server at https://play.min.io:7373 and use the following API key:

export KES_SERVER=https://play.min.io:7373
export KES_API_KEY=kes:v1:AD9E7FSYWrMD+VjhI6q545cYT9YOyFxZb7UnjEepYDRc

3. Create a Key

Next, we can create a new root encryption key - e.g. my-key.

kes key create my-key

Note that creating a new key will fail with key already exist if it already exist.

4. Generate a DEK

Now, you can use that key to derive a new data encryption keys (DEK).

kes key dek my-key

The plaintext part of the DEK would be used by an application to encrypt some data. The ciphertext part of the DEK would be stored alongside the encrypted data for future decryption.

For a quickstart setup take a look at our FS guide. For further references checkout our list of key store guides.

1. Fetch Admin Credentials

As an initial step, you will need to download the private key and certificate to authenticate to the KES server as the admin.

curl -sSL --tlsv1.2 \
   -O 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/minio/kes/master/root.key' \
   -O 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/minio/kes/master/root.cert'

2. Create a Key

Next, we can create a new root encryption key - e.g. my-key.

curl -sSL --tlsv1.3 \
    --key root.key \
    --cert root.cert \
    -X POST 'https://play.min.io:7373/v1/key/create/my-key'

Note that creating a new key will fail with key already exist if it already exist.

3. Generate a DEK

Now, you can use that key to derive a new data encryption keys (DEK).

curl -sSL --tlsv1.3 \
    --key root.key \
    --cert root.cert \
    --data '{}' \
    -X POST 'https://play.min.io:7373/v1/key/generate/my-key'

The plaintext part of the DEK would be used by an application to encrypt some data. The ciphertext part of the DEK would be stored alongside the encrypted data for future decryption.

4. Further References

For a comprehensive list of REST API endpoints refer to the KES API overview.

This means that you are using a KES identity that is not allowed to perform a specific operation, like creating or listing keys.

The KES admin identity can perform any general purpose API operation. You should never experience a not authorized: insufficient permissions error when performing general purpose API operations using the admin identity.

In addition to the admin identity, KES supports a policy-based access control model. You will receive a not authorized: insufficient permissions error in the following two cases:

1. You are using a KES identity that is not assigned to any policy. KES rejects requests issued by unknown identities.

   This can be fixed by assigning a policy to the identity. Checkout the examples.

2. You are using a KES identity that is assigned to a policy but the policy either not allows or even denies the API call.

   In this case, you have to grant the API permission in the policy assigned to the identity. Checkout the list of APIs. For example, when you want to create a key you should allow the /v1/key/create/<key-name>. The <key-name> can either be a specific key name, like my-key-1 or a pattern allowing arbitrary key names, like my-key*.

   Also note that deny rules take precedence over allow rules. Hence, you have to make sure that any deny pattern does not accidentally matches your API request.