Azure Containers built-in role

Azure Arc Kubernetes Writer

Azure Arc Kubernetes Writer grants read and write access to most Kubernetes objects, excluding role and role-binding management on the Arc-enabled Kubernetes cluster. The effective workload authority is expressed as Kubernetes API DataActions under the Microsoft.Kubernetes connected-cluster resource provider. It also writes ARM deployments, manages classic alert rules, and creates or updates Azure support tickets at the assigned scope; those control-plane capabilities are separate from its Kubernetes DataActions.

Role-definition permissions are imported from Microsoft Learn. Practical scope, use cases, prerequisites, best practices, security considerations, assignment guidance, and relationships have been reviewed against the official sources below.

Role definition ID: 5b999177-9696-4545-85c7-50de3797e5a1

Control-plane actions (7)

Data-plane actions (30)

Excluded actions (0)

None

Assignable scopes (1)

Practical scope

Assign at the Kubernetes namespace sub-scope whenever the workflow is namespace-bound. Assigning at the the Arc-enabled Kubernetes cluster resource or an inherited parent Azure scope applies the Kubernetes API DataActions across all namespaces available through each inherited cluster.

Common use cases (1)

Prerequisites (1)

Best practices (2)

Security considerations (3)

Assignment guidance

Assign Azure Arc Kubernetes Writer at the narrowest documented namespace scope to the principal that needs read and write access to most Kubernetes objects, excluding role and role-binding management. Test access with the intended identity and avoid using this role as a substitute for Azure control-plane cluster administration.

Common questions

When should I assign the Azure Arc Kubernetes Writer Azure role?

Assign Azure Arc Kubernetes Writer when you need to: Let an application team deploy and operate workloads in an Arc-connected namespace without directly managing Kubernetes roles or role bindings.. Practical scope: Assign at the Kubernetes namespace sub-scope whenever the workflow is namespace-bound. Assigning at the the Arc-enabled Kubernetes cluster resource or an inherited parent Azure scope applies the Kubernetes API DataActions across all namespaces available through each inherited cluster.

What permissions does the Azure Arc Kubernetes Writer Azure role grant?

The role definition grants 37 combined control-plane and data-plane actions. Representative operations include: Microsoft.Authorization/*/read; Microsoft.Insights/alertRules/*; Microsoft.Resources/deployments/write; Microsoft.Resources/subscriptions/operationresults/read; Microsoft.Resources/subscriptions/read; and Microsoft.Resources/subscriptions/resourceGroups/read. Review the permission sections above for the complete definition and exclusions.

What are the security risks of the Azure Arc Kubernetes Writer Azure role?

Key considerations when assigning Azure Arc Kubernetes Writer: The role can read Secrets and run pods as any ServiceAccount in scope, so it can inherit the Kubernetes API permissions of those ServiceAccounts even though it cannot edit role bindings directly.; An Azure role assignment at a parent scope is inherited by child cluster resources; Kubernetes namespace semantics do not prevent a broad Azure assignment from reaching multiple clusters.; and The accompanying deployment write, classic-alert management, and support-ticket Actions can change Azure resources outside the Kubernetes data plane at the inherited assignment scope.. Follow the assignment guidance above and use the narrowest practical scope.

Editorial sources (6)

Official Microsoft Learn documentation →