SECRET-SEN Sample Questions Answers

• AWS -> authn-iam
• Azure -> authn-azure
• GCP -> authn-gcp
• JWT Provider -> authn-jwt

Explanation: Conjur supports different authenticators for different cloud platforms. Each authenticator allows a resource or service running on the cloud platform to authenticate to Conjur using a unique identity token signed by the cloud provider. The following are the descriptions of each authenticator:

• authn-iam: Enables an AWS resource to use its AWS IAM role to authenticate with Conjur. The resource sends a request to the AWS Security Token Service (STS) to get a signed AWS access token, and then sends the token to Conjur for verification.
• authn-azure: Enables an Azure resource to authenticate with Conjur. The resource sends a request to the Azure Instance Metadata Service (IMDS) to get a signed Azure access token, and then sends the token to Conjur for verification.
• authn-gcp: Enables a Google Cloud Platform resource to authenticate with Conjur. The resource sends a request to the Google Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM) service to get a signed Google identity token, and then sends the token to Conjur for verification.
• authn-jwt: Enables an application to authenticate to Conjur using a JWT from a JWT Provider. The application obtains a JWT from the JWT Provider, and then sends the JWT to Conjur for verification.

References: You can find more information about the Conjur authenticators in the following resources:

• Supported Conjur Cloud authenticators
• Configure Conjur Cloud authenticators
• GCP Authenticator

The correct answer is A. The certificate does not contain the Follower hostname as a Subject Alternative Name (SAN). Generate a new certificate for the Follower.

A possible explanation is:

A Follower is a read-only node that replicates data from the Leader node in a Secrets Manager cluster. A Follower can serve requests from clients and applications that need to retrieve secrets or perform other read-only operations. To connect to a Follower with a REST call, the client or application needs to use the server certificate that was generated for the Follower during the installation process. The server certificate is used to establish a secure and trusted connection between the client or application and the Follower.

However, if the server certificate does not contain the Follower hostname as a Subject Alternative Name (SAN), the connection will fail with an SSL connection refused error. This is because the SAN is an extension of the X.509 certificate standard that allows the certificate to specify multiple hostnames or IP addresses that the certificate is valid for. If the Follower hostname is not included in the SAN, the client or application will not be able to verify the identity of the Follower, and will reject the connection.

To fix this problem, a new server certificate needs to be generated for the Follower, with the Follower hostname added to the SAN. The new certificate can be generated using the openssl command or another tool that supports the SAN extension. The new certificate also needs to be signed by the same certificate authority (CA) that signed the original certificate, and the CA certificate needs to be trusted by the client or application. The new certificate then needs to be copied to the Follower node and configured in the nginx.conf file. The Follower node also needs to be restarted for the changes to take effect.

References = Secrets Manager Cluster Installation; Secrets Manager Cluster Configuration; Subject Alternative Name - Wikipedia

The cause of the issue is A. The certificate based on the Follower DNS name is not present on the Leader. This means that the Leader does not have a certificate file that matches the Follower DNS name used in the seed request, and therefore cannot generate a valid seed file for the Follower. This results in a 500 error in the Seed Fetcher container log. To resolve the issue, you need to import a certificate with the Follower DNS name as the subject alt name on the Leader, and create a copy of the certificate file with a name that matches the Follower DNS name used in the seed request1.

Summon is a utility that allows applications to access secrets from a variety of trusted stores and export them as environment variables to a sub-process environment. Summon does not require any changes to the application code to retrieve secrets from the CyberArk Central Credential Provider (CCP), as it uses a provider plugin that handles the communication with the CCP. However, the application code must be able to access secrets from a configuration file or environment variable, as these are the methods that Summon uses to inject secrets into the application. Summon reads a secrets.yml file that defines the secrets that the application needs and maps them to environment variables. Then, Summon fetches the secrets from the CCP using the provider plugin and exports them as environment variables to the application sub-process. The application can then read the secrets from the environment variables as if they were hard-coded in the configuration file. References: Summon-inject secrets, .NET Application Password SDK

The correct answer is A. On the new Leader, generate a Standby seed for the old Leader node and add it to the cluster member list. Rebuild the old Leader as a new Standby and then re-enroll the node to the cluster.

This is the recommended way to repair the cluster health after an auto-failover event, according to the CyberArk Sentry Secrets Manager documentation1. This method reuses the original Leader as a new Standby, without affecting the new Leader or the other Standby. The steps are as follows:

• On the new Leader, generate a Standby seed for the old Leader node using the command evoke seed standby . This will create a file named .tar in the current directory.
• On the new Leader, add the old Leader node to the cluster member list using the command evoke cluster add .
• On the old Leader server, stop and remove the container using the commands docker stop  and docker rm .
• On the old Leader server, copy the Standby seed file from the new Leader using the command scp :.tar .
• On the old Leader server, create a new container using the same name as the one you just destroyed, and load the Standby seed file using the command docker run --name -d --restart=always -v /var/log/conjur:/var/log/conjur -v /opt/conjur/backup:/opt/conjur/backup -p "443:443" -p "5432:5432" -p "1999:1999" cyberark/conjur:latest seed fetch .tar
• On the old Leader server, re-enroll the node to the cluster using the command evoke cluster enroll

The other options are not correct, as they either involve unnecessary or harmful steps, such as rebuilding the new Leader or the other Standby, or re-uploading the auto-failover policy in replace mode, which may cause data loss or inconsistency.

ServiceAccount and StatefulSet are two of the Kubernetes resources/objects that can be used as Conjur identities, in addition to Namespace and Deployment. Conjur identities are the entities that can authenticate with Conjur and retrieve secrets from it. Conjur supports authenticating Kubernetes resources/objects using the Conjur Kubernetes Authenticator, which is a sidecar or init container that runs alongside the application container and injects the Conjur access token into a shared volume. The application container can then use the access token to fetch secrets from Conjur.

A ServiceAccount is a Kubernetes resource that represents an identity for processes that run in a pod. ServiceAccounts can be used to grant specific privileges and permissions to the pod, and to enable communication with the Kubernetes API server. A ServiceAccount can be used as a Conjur identity by annotating it with the Conjur authentication policy branch ID, and by creating a Conjur host entity that matches the ServiceAccount name and namespace. The Conjur Kubernetes Authenticator will then use the ServiceAccount token to authenticate the pod with Conjur and obtain the Conjur access token.

A StatefulSet is a Kubernetes resource that manages the deployment and scaling of a set of pods, and provides guarantees about the ordering and uniqueness of these pods. StatefulSets are useful for applications that require stable and persistent identities, such as databases, message brokers, or distributed systems. A StatefulSet can be used as a Conjur identity by annotating it with the Conjur authentication policy branch ID, and by creating a Conjur host entity that matches the StatefulSet name and namespace. The Conjur Kubernetes Authenticator will then use the pod name and namespace to authenticate the pod with Conjur and obtain the Conjur access token.

The other options are not valid Kubernetes resources/objects that can be used as Conjur identities. Replica sets are a lower-level resource that are usually managed by higher-level resources such as Deployments or StatefulSets, and do not have their own identity or annotations. Secrets are a Kubernetes resource that store sensitive information such as passwords, tokens, or keys, and are not meant to be used as identities. Tokenreviews are a Kubernetes resource that are used to verify the validity of a ServiceAccount token, and are not meant to be used as identities either. References:

• Securing Secrets in Kubernetes - CyberArk Developer, Section “Conjur Kubernetes Authentication: A Hands-On Demonstration”
• GitHub - cyberark/secrets-provider-for-k8s: Cyberark secrets provider …, Section “Consuming Secrets from CyberArk Secrets Provider”
• Secure your Kubernetes-deployed applications with CyberArk Conjur, Section “How it works”
• Simplify and Improve Container Security Using New CyberArk Conjur …, Section “CyberArk Conjur Enterprise”
• Keeping Secrets Secure on Kubernetes - CyberArk Developer, Section “The Solution”

Credential Providers are tools that enable applications to securely retrieve credentials from CyberArk Secrets Manager without hard-coding or storing them in files. Credential Providers can be installed on application servers or on a central server that acts as a proxy for multiple applications. Credential Providers can integrate with Privileged Cloud, which is a cloud-based solution that provides privileged access management as a service. Privileged Cloud integrates with Secrets Manager Credential Providers to manage application credentials as privileged accounts within Privileged Cloud.

When working with Credential Providers in a Privileged Cloud setting, a special consideration is that if there are installation issues, troubleshooting may need to involve the Privileged Cloud support team. This is because the installation of Credential Providers in a Privileged Cloud setting requires some additional steps and configurations that are performed by the Privileged Cloud support team. For example, the Privileged Cloud support team needs to configure the connection between Privileged Cloud and Credential Providers, and provide the necessary certificates and keys for secure communication. Therefore, if there are any problems or errors during the installation process, the Privileged Cloud support team may need to assist with the troubleshooting and resolution.

The other options are not correct. Credential Providers are supported in a Privileged Cloud setting, as described in the Secrets Manager Credential Providers integration documentation1. The AWS Cloud account number does not need to be defined in the file main appprovider.conf.. found in the AppProviderConf Safe. This file is used to configure the Credential Provider settings, such as the Privileged Cloud URL, the application ID, and the SSL options. The AWS Cloud account number is not relevant for this file. Debug logging for Credential Providers deployed in a Privileged Cloud setting can be enabled or disabled by the Privileged Cloud support team, as described in the Credential Provider installation documentation2. Debug logging can help with troubleshooting and diagnostics, but it does not necessarily exhaust available disk space, as the log files can be rotated and archived.

References = Secrets Manager Credential Providers integration; Credential Provider installation

= The cause of the issue is that the token is not correctly encoded. A token is a string of characters that represents a credential or an authorization grant for accessing a resource. A token must be encoded according to a specific format and standard, such as Base64, JSON Web Token (JWT), or OAuth 2.0. If the token is malformed, meaning that it does not follow the expected format or standard, the server will reject the token and return an error 401 - Malformed Authorization Token. This error indicates that the token is invalid or expired, and the request is unauthorized. To resolve the issue, the token must be regenerated or refreshed using the correct encoding method and parameters12. References: =

• CyberArk Identity: Getting 401 unauthorized Error when using API calls with OAuth2 Client 2, Resolution 1
• Troubleshoot CyberArk Vault Synchronizer 1, Error: Forbidden Logon Token is Empty - Cannot logon Unauthorized

This is the correct answer because the log file shows the error message “CEADBR009E Failed to load policy through SDK” and the exception message “The number of LOBs exceeds the limit”. This indicates that the Vault Conjur Synchronizer service (Synchronizer) encountered a problem when trying to sync the secrets from the CyberArk Vault to the Conjur database using the Conjur SDK. The Conjur SDK is a library that allows the Synchronizer to interact with the Conjur REST API and perform operations on the Conjur resources, such as roles, policies, secrets, and audit records. The number of LOBs refers to the number of lines of business (LOBs) that are configured in the Synchronizer. A LOB is a logical grouping of secrets that belong to a specific business unit or function. Each LOB has its own configuration file that specifies the source safe, the target policy, and the mapping rules for the secrets. The Synchronizer can sync multiple LOBs concurrently using multiple threads. However, there is a limit on the number of threads that the Synchronizer can use, which depends on the hardware and software specifications of the Synchronizer machine. If the number of LOBs exceeds the number of threads, the Synchronizer will not be able to sync all the LOBs and will generate an error. This answer is based on the CyberArk Secrets Manager documentation and the CyberArk Secrets Manager training course.

The most likely cause for this issue is A. malformed Policy file. A 422 Response from Conjur indicates that the request was well-formed but was unable to be followed due to semantic errors. A common semantic error when loading policy is having a malformed Policy file, which means that the Policy file does not follow the correct syntax, structure, or logic of the Conjur Policy language. A malformed Policy file can result from typos, missing or extra characters, incorrect indentation, invalid references, or other mistakes that prevent Conjur from parsing and applying the Policy file. The message that accompanies the 422 Response will usually provide more details about the error and the location of the problem in the Policy file.

To resolve this issue, you should review the Policy file and check for any errors or inconsistencies. You can use a YAML validator or a text editor with syntax highlighting to help you identify and correct any syntax errors. You can also use the Conjur Policy Simulator to test and debug your Policy file before loading it to Conjur. The Conjur Policy Simulator is a web-based tool that allows you to upload your Policy file and see how it will affect the Conjur data model, without actually loading it to Conjur. You can also use the Conjur Policy Simulator to compare different versions of your Policy file and see the changes and conflicts between them. For more information, refer to the following resources:

• Policy - CyberArk, Section “Policy”
• Policy Language - CyberArk, Section “Policy Language”
• Conjur Policy Simulator - CyberArk, Section “Conjur Policy Simulator”

The correct process to upgrade the CCP Web Service is D. Uninstall and reinstall the CCP Web Service. The CCP Web Service is a component of the CyberArk Central Credential Provider (CCP) that enables applications to retrieve secrets from the CyberArk Vault using REST API calls. To upgrade the CCP Web Service, you need to first uninstall the existing CCP Web Service from the Windows Server Manager or the Control Panel, and then reinstall the CCP Web Service using the latest installation package from the CyberArk website. The installation package contains both the Credential Provider and the CCP Web Service components, and you need to run the AimWebService.msi file to install the CCP Web Service. You also need to make sure that the CCP Web Service has the correct configuration and permissions, and that the CyberArk CRL (Certificate Revocation List) is open from the CCP server.

The other options are not correct processes to upgrade the CCP Web Service. Running “sudo yum update aimprv” from the CLI is a command to update the Credential Provider on Linux, not the CCP Web Service on Windows. Double-clicking the Credential Provider installer executable and selecting upgrade is a process to upgrade the Credential Provider on Windows, not the CCP Web Service. Double-clicking the AimWebService.msi and selecting upgrade is not a valid option, as the CCP Web Service does not support an upgrade option, and you need to uninstall it first before reinstalling it. References =

• Upgrade the Central Credential Provider (CCP) - CyberArk, Section “Upgrade the Central Credential Provider (CCP)”
• Central Credential Provider web service configuration - CyberArk, Section “Central Credential Provider web service configuration”

 Conjur uses TLS certificates for authentication between nodes and clients. These certificates are either self-signed by Conjur or imported from a third-party CA. All the certificates are stored in the /opt/conjur/etc/ssl directory from the Conjur containers. This directory contains the following files:

• ca.crt: The CA certificate used to verify all Conjur node certificates. This is either the self-signed Conjur CA certificate or the imported third-party CA certificate.
• server.crt: The server certificate used by the Conjur node for HTTPS and mTLS connections. This certificate contains the DNS names of the node and the load balancer in the CN and SAN fields.
• server.key: The private key corresponding to the server certificate.
• cert.pem: A symbolic link to the server certificate file.
• key.pem: A symbolic link to the server key file.

References: Certificate architecture, Certificate requirements, Rotate certificates

Learn more:

 = This error occurs when the Vault Conjur Synchronizer installation script tries to log in to the Vault using the admin user credentials, but the admin user is already logged in to other sessions. The Vault has a limit on the number of concurrent sessions per user, and the default value is one. Therefore, the installation script fails to authenticate the admin user and returns the error message: Forbidden Logon Token is Empty - Cannot logon Unauthorized. To remediate the issue, the admin user must log out of any other sessions before running the installation script, or increase the limit on the number of concurrent sessions per user in the Vault configuration file12. References: =

• Troubleshoot CyberArk Vault Synchronizer 1, Error: Forbidden Logon Token is Empty - Cannot logon Unauthorized
• Vault.ini File Parameters 2, ConcurrentSessionsPerUser

The most likely cause for this issue is A. The application ID or Application Provider does not have the correct permissions on the safe. The CyberArk Central Credential Provider (CCP) is a web service that enables applications to retrieve secrets from the CyberArk Vault using REST API calls. The CCP requires an application ID or an Application Provider to authenticate and authorize the application before returning the requested secret. The application ID or Application Provider must have the Retrieve and List permissions on the safe where the secret is stored, otherwise the CCP will not be able to find the matching secret and will return an error.

To resolve this issue, you should verify that the application ID or Application Provider has the correct permissions on the safe, and that the safe name and object name are correctly specified in the REST API call. You can use the CyberArk Privileged Access Security Web Access (PVWA) or the PrivateArk Client to check and modify the permissions on the safe. You can also use the CyberArk REST API Tester or a tool like Postman to test the REST API call and see the response from the CCP. For more information, refer to the following resources:

• Credential Providers - Centralized Credential Management | CyberArk, Section “Central Credential Provider”
• Credential Provider - CyberArk, Section “Using the Credential Provider”
• How to Build Your Secrets Management REST API’s into Postman, Section “How to Build Your Secrets Management REST API’s into Postman”

According to the CyberArk Sentry Secrets Manager documentation1, the steps to failback to the primary site after a manual failover to the disaster recovery site are as follows:

• On the DR site, stop the Conjur Leader node using the command docker stop .
• On the primary site, generate a seed for the new Leader node using the command evoke seed leader . This will create a file named .tar in the current directory.
• On the primary site, copy the Leader seed file to the new Leader server using the command scp .tar :.tar
• On the new Leader server, create a new container using the same name as the one you just stopped, and load the Leader seed file using the command docker run --name -d --restart=always -v /var/log/conjur:/var/log/conjur -v /opt/conjur/backup:/opt/conjur/backup -p "443:443" -p "5432:5432" -p "1999:1999" cyberark/conjur:latest seed fetch .tar
• On the new Leader server, configure the Conjur Leader node using the command evoke configure leader -h -p
• On the new Leader server, reconfigure the Vault Conjur Synchronizer to point to the new Conjur Leader using the command evoke vault sync set
• On the DR site, generate a seed for the new Standby node using the command evoke seed standby . This will create a file named .tar in the current directory.
• On the DR site, copy the Standby seed file to the new Standby server using the command scp .tar :.tar
• On the new Standby server, create a new container using the same name as the one you just stopped, and load the Standby seed file using the command docker run --name -d --restart=always -v /var/log/conjur:/var/log/conjur -v /opt/conjur/backup:/opt/conjur/backup -p "443:443" -p "5432:5432" -p "1999:1999" cyberark/conjur:latest seed fetch .tar
• On the new Standby server, re-enroll the node to the cluster using the command evoke cluster enroll

The other options are not correct, as they are either unnecessary or incorrect. Contacting CyberArk for a new license file is not required, as the license is valid for both sites. Reconfiguring the Vault Conjur Synchronizer to point to the new Conjur Leader is a step that should be done on the new Leader server, not on the DR site. Triggering autofailover to promote the Standby in Site A to Leader is not possible, as the Standby node is not aware of the manual failover and will not accept the promotion request.