I Fought the Pod and the Pod Won: Breaking and Defending Kubernetes from Within
Details
🗓 Agenda:
- 6:00pm: Doors open
- 6:00pm - 6:30pm: Food, Drinks & Networking
- 6:30pm - 7:15pm: Rafael Natali, Lead DevSecOps, Marionete
- 7:15pm - 8:00pm - Additional Q&A & Networking
💡 Speaker:
Rafael Natali, Lead DevSecOps, Marionete
Abstract:
Kubernetes gives us abstraction and power—but with great YAML comes great responsibility. In this talk, we’ll walk through live demos of real-world misconfigurations that allow attackers to escape containers and tamper with the host. You’ll see exactly what happens when Pods run in privileged mode, use hostPath volumes carelessly, or retain excess Linux capabilities. We’ll also show how to detect these attacks in real time using Falco, and enforce safety nets with Pod Security Admission. If you’ve ever wondered "what’s the worst that could happen?"—this session answers that with receipts.
Bio:
Rafael Natali has 20 years of experience in the IT industry, specifically as a System Administrator and DevSecOps professional. Throughout his career, he has developed extensive knowledge in designing, operating, and troubleshooting solutions that prioritize scalability and reliability. Rafael is also an expert in Automation as well as Continuous Integration and Delivery.
He has been working with Kubernetes since 2018 and is recognised as a Kubestronaut since 2024. Currently, Rafael leads a team that is implementing a hybrid streaming data and analytics platform for a major insurance company in the UK.
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DISCLAIMER
NOTE: We are unable to cater for any attendees under the age of 18.