> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/appsec-rules/iac-security/iam/appsec2-k8s-3.md).

# No ServiceAccount/Node should have impersonate permissions for groups/users/service-accounts misconf

## Rule Details

|                        |                             |
| ---------------------- | --------------------------- |
| Cortex AppSec Rule ID  | APPSEC2\_K8S\_3             |
| Category - Subcategory | Kubernetes - Access Control |
| Provider               | OTHER                       |
| Severity               | HIGH                        |
| Framework              | Helm, Kubernetes, Kustomize |

## Impact

In Kubernetes, the impersonate permission allows a user or service account to perform actions as if they were another user or service account. This can be useful in certain situations, such as when one service needs to access another service on behalf of a user. However, allowing a ServiceAccount or Node to have impersonate permissions for other users or service accounts can potentially allow privilege escalation. This is because ServiceAccounts and Nodes are not typically associated with individual users, so granting them the ability to impersonate other users could potentially allow any user who is able to access the ServiceAccount or Node to gain the privileges of the impersonated user. For example, if a ServiceAccount has the impersonate permission for a user who has admin privileges, any user who is able to access the ServiceAccount would be able to perform actions as if they were an admin user. This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information or the ability to perform unauthorized actions, so it is generally best to avoid granting impersonate permissions to ServiceAccounts and Nodes.

## How to Fix

## \[source,go]

## { "apiVersion: v1 kind: ServiceAccount metadata: name: my-service-account annotations: authorization.k8s.io/impersonate: "false"", }


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/appsec-rules/iac-security/iam/appsec2-k8s-3.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.