Fetch Vault Cubbyhole Secrets Python | Generated by AI
Question: How can I use Python to fetch secrets from the HashiCorp Vault cubbyhole using HTTPS with a certificate and a specific namespace?
Answer: To interact with HashiCorp Vault in Python, the standard library of choice is hvac. The cubbyhole backend is unique because it is scoped to a specific token; secrets stored there are only visible to the token that created them and are deleted when that token expires.
Prerequisites
You will need to install the hvac library if you haven’t already:
pip install hvac
Python Implementation
The following example demonstrates how to initialize the client with SSL verification, set a custom namespace, and read a secret from the cubbyhole.
import hvac
# Configuration Details
vault_url = 'https://your-vault-cluster:8200'
vault_token = 'your-vault-token'
vault_namespace = 'admin/my-project' # Specify your namespace
cert_path = '/path/to/ca_bundle.crt' # Path to your CA certificate
def fetch_cubbyhole_secret(path):
# 1. Initialize the client
# verify=cert_path ensures HTTPS uses your specific certificate
# namespace allows you to target isolated Vault environments
client = hvac.Client(
url=vault_url,
token=vault_token,
namespace=vault_namespace,
verify=cert_path
)
# 2. Check if the client is authenticated
if not client.is_authenticated():
raise Exception("Vault authentication failed.")
# 3. Read from the cubbyhole
# The cubbyhole is always located at the 'cubbyhole/' mount point
read_response = client.secrets.cubbyhole.read_secret(path=path)
# 4. Extract data
secret_data = read_response['data']
return secret_data
# Example Usage
try:
# This fetches 'https://.../v1/cubbyhole/my-app-secrets'
secrets = fetch_cubbyhole_secret(path='my-app-secrets')
print("Fetched Secrets:", secrets)
except Exception as e:
print(f"Error: {e}")
Key Considerations
- Namespace: In Vault Enterprise, namespaces are hierarchical. Ensure you provide the full path (e.g.,
parent/child). - SSL Verification: Setting
verify=cert_pathis the secure way to handle self-signed or internal CA certificates. Settingverify=Falseis possible for testing but highly discouraged for production as it disables SSL encryption checks. - Cubbyhole Lifetime: Remember that cubbyhole secrets are tied to the token. If you use a different token to run this script than the one used to write the secret, the secret will not be found.
Would you like me to show you how to write a secret to the cubbyhole first using this same configuration?
References: