Kubernetes · Authentication Profile

Kubernetes Authentication

Authentication

Kubernetes secures its APIs with http and mutualTLS across 2 declared security schemes, as derived from its OpenAPI definitions.

AutomationCloud-NativeCNCFContainersDeploymentOpen-SourceOrchestrationScaling
Methods: http, mutualTLS Schemes: 2 OAuth flows: API key in:

Security Schemes

bearerAuth http
scheme: bearer
clientCertificate mutualTLS

Source

Authentication Profile

Raw ↑ 
generated: '2026-06-20'
method: searched
source: openapi/kubernetes-api-openapi.yml
docs: https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/access-authn-authz/authentication/
summary:
  types:
  - http
  - mutualTLS
  strategies_documented:
  - client-certificates
  - bearer-tokens (service-account JWTs, static tokens)
  - openid-connect (OIDC)
  - webhook-token-authentication
  - authenticating-proxy
  authorization: RBAC (in addition to authentication)
schemes:
- name: bearerAuth
  type: http
  scheme: bearer
  bearerFormat: JWT
  description: Kubernetes service account token or user token issued by the cluster's authentication
    provider. Include in the Authorization header as 'Bearer <token>'.
  sources:
  - openapi/kubernetes-api-openapi.yml
- name: clientCertificate
  type: mutualTLS
  description: Client certificate authentication using a TLS certificate issued by the cluster's
    certificate authority.
  sources:
  - openapi/kubernetes-api-openapi.yml