---
title: Kubelet client periodic certificate switch disabled
description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring.
breadcrumbs: >-
  Docs > Datadog Security > Code Security > Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
  Security > IaC Security Rules > Kubelet client periodic certificate switch
  disabled
---

# Kubelet client periodic certificate switch disabled

{% callout %}
# Important note for users on the following Datadog sites: app.ddog-gov.com

{% alert level="danger" %}
This product is not supported for your selected [Datadog site](https://docs.datadoghq.com/getting_started/site). ().
{% /alert %}

{% /callout %}

## Metadata{% #metadata %}

**Id:** `52d70f2e-3257-474c-b3dc-8ad9ba6a061a`

**Cloud Provider:** Kubernetes

**Platform:** Kubernetes

**Severity:** Medium

**Category:** Secret Management

#### Learn More{% #learn-more %}

- [Provider Reference](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/inject-data-application/define-command-argument-container/)

### Description{% #description %}

The kubelet argument `--rotate-certificates` should be set to `true`. This rule flags kubelet containers (`containers` or `initContainers`) whose command is `kubelet` and include `--rotate-certificates=false`, and KubeletConfiguration resources where `rotateCertificates` is `false` or not set (default is false). Enabling certificate rotation allows automatic renewal of kubelet client certificates and prevents certificate expiration-related failures.

## Compliant Code Examples{% #compliant-code-examples %}

```yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: command-demo
  labels:
    purpose: demonstrate-command
spec:
  containers:
    - name: command-demo-container
      image: foo/bar
      command: ["kubelet"]
      args: ["--rotate-certificates"]
  restartPolicy: OnFailure
```

```yaml
apiVersion: kubelet.config.k8s.io/v1beta1
kind: KubeletConfiguration
address: "192.168.0.8"
port: 20250
serializeImagePulls: false
evictionHard:
    memory.available:  "200Mi"
rotateCertificates: true
```

```json
{
    "port": 20250,
    "evictionHard": {
        "memory.available": "200Mi"
    },
    "kind": "KubeletConfiguration",
    "rotateCertificates": true,
    "serializeImagePulls": false,
    "address": "192.168.0.8",
    "apiVersion": "kubelet.config.k8s.io/v1beta1"
}
```

## Non-Compliant Code Examples{% #non-compliant-code-examples %}

```yaml
apiVersion: kubelet.config.k8s.io/v1beta1
kind: KubeletConfiguration
address: "192.168.0.8"
port: 20250
serializeImagePulls: false
evictionHard:
    memory.available:  "200Mi"
rotateCertificates: false
```

```json
{
    "port": 20250,
    "evictionHard": {
        "memory.available": "200Mi"
    },
    "kind": "KubeletConfiguration",
    "makeIPTablesUtilChains": true,
    "address": "192.168.0.8",
    "apiVersion": "kubelet.config.k8s.io/v1beta1"
}
```

```yaml
apiVersion: kubelet.config.k8s.io/v1beta1
kind: KubeletConfiguration
address: "192.168.0.8"
port: 20250
serializeImagePulls: false
evictionHard:
    memory.available:  "200Mi"
```