Managing secrets and container exec --env

[wpiekutowski]

I'm using 1Password to store my keys. I'm inserting these keys into my containers like this:

op run --no-masking --env-file env.template -- \
container exec --env API_KEY $container_name $command

I've noticed that all env var values, including API keys etc, assed via --env during container exec are visible in vminitd.log, so this makes them easier to leak. Is there a way to redact some env vars in this log?

I'm also open to suggestions on how to manage these better.

[jglogan]

@wpiekutowski Thanks for bringing that up! That is definitely an oversight.

Just so we're on the same page, this sort of thing in the logs is this, right? Pretty much any process start is displaying the full environment.

% container run -d --name web --rm --env MY_SUPER_SECRET_PASSWORD=guest python:slim python3 -m http.server --bind 0.0.0.0 8000
Warning! Running debug build. Performance may be degraded.
web

% container exec --env MY_OTHER_SECRET_PASSWORD=abc123 web echo hello         
Warning! Running debug build. Performance may be degraded.
hello

% container logs --boot web | grep PASSWORD                          
Warning! Running debug build. Performance may be degraded.
2026-02-06T04:46:20+0000 debug vminitd : [vminitd] created bundle with spec Spec(version: "", hooks: nil, process: Optional(ContainerizationOCI.Process(cwd: "/", env: ["PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin", "PYTHON_VERSION=3.14.3", "PYTHON_SHA256=a97d5549e9ad81fe17159ed02c68774ad5d266c72f8d9a0b5a9c371fe85d902b", "MY_SUPER_SECRET_PASSWORD=guest", "HOME=/root"], consoleSize: nil, selinuxLabel: "", noNewPrivileges: false, commandLine: "", oomScoreAdj: nil, capabilities: Optional(ContainerizationOCI.LinuxCapabilities(bounding: Optional(["CAP_CHOWN", "CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE", "CAP_DAC_READ_SEARCH", "CAP_FOWNER", "CAP_FSETID", "CAP_KILL", "CAP_SETGID", "CAP_SETUID", "CAP_SETPCAP", "CAP_LINUX_IMMUTABLE", "CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE", "CAP_NET_BROADCAST", "CAP_NET_ADMIN", "CAP_NET_RAW", "CAP_IPC_LOCK", "CAP_IPC_OWNER", "CAP_SYS_MODULE", "CAP_SYS_RAWIO", "CAP_SYS_CHROOT", "CAP_SYS_PTRACE", "CAP_SYS_PACCT", "CAP_SYS_ADMIN", "CAP_SYS_BOOT", "CAP_SYS_NICE", "CAP_SYS_RESOURCE", "CAP_SYS_TIME", "CAP_SYS_TTY_CONFIG", "CAP_MKNOD", "CAP_LEASE", "CAP_AUDIT_WRITE", "CAP_AUDIT_CONTROL", "CAP_SETFCAP", "CAP_MAC_OVERRIDE", "CAP_MAC_ADMIN", "CAP_SYSLOG", "CAP_WAKE_ALARM", "CAP_BLOCK_SUSPEND", "CAP_AUDIT_READ", "CAP_PERFMON", "CAP_BPF", "CAP_CHECKPOINT_RESTORE"]), effective: Optional(["CAP_CHOWN", "CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE", "CAP_DAC_READ_SEARCH", "CAP_FOWNER", "CAP_FSETID", "CAP_KILL", "CAP_SETGID", "CAP_SETUID", "CAP_SETPCAP", "CAP_LINUX_IMMUTABLE", "CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE", "CAP_NET_BROADCAST", "CAP_NET_ADMIN", "CAP_NET_RAW", "CAP_IPC_LOCK", "CAP_IPC_OWNER", "CAP_SYS_MODULE", "CAP_SYS_RAWIO", "CAP_SYS_CHROOT", "CAP_SYS_PTRACE", "CAP_SYS_PACCT", "CAP_SYS_ADMIN", "CAP_SYS_BOOT", "CAP_SYS_NICE", "CAP_SYS_RESOURCE", "CAP_SYS_TIME", "CAP_SYS_TTY_CONFIG", "CAP_MKNOD", "CAP_LEASE", "CAP_AUDIT_WRITE", "CAP_AUDIT_CONTROL", "CAP_SETFCAP", "CAP_MAC_OVERRIDE", "CAP_MAC_ADMIN", "CAP_SYSLOG", "CAP_WAKE_ALARM", "CAP_BLOCK_SUSPEND", "CAP_AUDIT_READ", "CAP_PERFMON", "CAP_BPF", "CAP_CHECKPOINT_RESTORE"]), inheritable: Optional(["CAP_CHOWN", "CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE", "CAP_DAC_READ_SEARCH", "CAP_FOWNER", "CAP_FSETID", "CAP_KILL", "CAP_SETGID", "CAP_SETUID", "CAP_SETPCAP", "CAP_LINUX_IMMUTABLE", "CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE", "CAP_NET_BROADCAST", "CAP_NET_ADMIN", "CAP_NET_RAW", "CAP_IPC_LOCK", "CAP_IPC_OWNER", "CAP_SYS_MODULE", "CAP_SYS_RAWIO", "CAP_SYS_CHROOT", "CAP_SYS_PTRACE", "CAP_SYS_PACCT", "CAP_SYS_ADMIN", "CAP_SYS_BOOT", "CAP_SYS_NICE", "CAP_SYS_RESOURCE", "CAP_SYS_TIME", "CAP_SYS_TTY_CONFIG", "CAP_MKNOD", "CAP_LEASE", "CAP_AUDIT_WRITE", "CAP_AUDIT_CONTROL", "CAP_SETFCAP", "CAP_MAC_OVERRIDE", "CAP_MAC_ADMIN", "CAP_SYSLOG", "CAP_WAKE_ALARM", "CAP_BLOCK_SUSPEND", "CAP_AUDIT_READ", "CAP_PERFMON", "CAP_BPF", "CAP_CHECKPOINT_RESTORE"]), permitted: Optional(["CAP_CHOWN", "CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE", "CAP_DAC_READ_SEARCH", "CAP_FOWNER", "CAP_FSETID", "CAP_KILL", "CAP_SETGID", "CAP_SETUID", "CAP_SETPCAP", "CAP_LINUX_IMMUTABLE", "CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE", "CAP_NET_BROADCAST", "CAP_NET_ADMIN", "CAP_NET_RAW", "CAP_IPC_LOCK", "CAP_IPC_OWNER", "CAP_SYS_MODULE", "CAP_SYS_RAWIO", "CAP_SYS_CHROOT", "CAP_SYS_PTRACE", "CAP_SYS_PACCT", "CAP_SYS_ADMIN", "CAP_SYS_BOOT", "CAP_SYS_NICE", "CAP_SYS_RESOURCE", "CAP_SYS_TIME", "CAP_SYS_TTY_CONFIG", "CAP_MKNOD", "CAP_LEASE", "CAP_AUDIT_WRITE", "CAP_AUDIT_CONTROL", "CAP_SETFCAP", "CAP_MAC_OVERRIDE", "CAP_MAC_ADMIN", "CAP_SYSLOG", "CAP_WAKE_ALARM", "CAP_BLOCK_SUSPEND", "CAP_AUDIT_READ", "CAP_PERFMON", "CAP_BPF", "CAP_CHECKPOINT_RESTORE"]), ambient: Optional(["CAP_CHOWN", "CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE", "CAP_DAC_READ_SEARCH", "CAP_FOWNER", "CAP_FSETID", "CAP_KILL", "CAP_SETGID", "CAP_SETUID", "CAP_SETPCAP", "CAP_LINUX_IMMUTABLE", "CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE", "CAP_NET_BROADCAST", "CAP_NET_ADMIN", "CAP_NET_RAW", "CAP_IPC_LOCK", "CAP_IPC_OWNER", "CAP_SYS_MODULE", "CAP_SYS_RAWIO", "CAP_SYS_CHROOT", "CAP_SYS_PTRACE", "CAP_SYS_PACCT", "CAP_SYS_ADMIN", "CAP_SYS_BOOT", "CAP_SYS_NICE", "CAP_SYS_RESOURCE", "CAP_SYS_TIME", "CAP_SYS_TTY_CONFIG", "CAP_MKNOD", "CAP_LEASE", "CAP_AUDIT_WRITE", "CAP_AUDIT_CONTROL", "CAP_SETFCAP", "CAP_MAC_OVERRIDE", "CAP_MAC_ADMIN", "CAP_SYSLOG", "CAP_WAKE_ALARM", "CAP_BLOCK_SUSPEND", "CAP_AUDIT_READ", "CAP_PERFMON", "CAP_BPF", "CAP_CHECKPOINT_RESTORE"]))), apparmorProfile: "", user: ContainerizationOCI.User(uid: 0, gid: 0, umask: nil, additionalGids: [0], username: ""), rlimits: [], args: ["python3", "-m", "http.server", "--bind", "0.0.0.0", "8000"], terminal: false)), hostname: "web", domainname: "", mounts: [ContainerizationOCI.Mount(type: "proc", source: "proc", destination: "/proc", options: [], uidMappings: nil, gidMappings: nil), ContainerizationOCI.Mount(type: "sysfs", source: "sysfs", destination: "/sys", options: ["nosuid", "noexec", "nodev"], uidMappings: nil, gidMappings: nil), ContainerizationOCI.Mount(type: "devtmpfs", source: "none", destination: "/dev", options: ["nosuid", "mode=755"], uidMappings: nil, gidMappings: nil), ContainerizationOCI.Mount(type: "mqueue", source: "mqueue", destination: "/dev/mqueue", options: ["nosuid", "noexec", "nodev"], uidMappings: nil, gidMappings: nil), ContainerizationOCI.Mount(type: "tmpfs", source: "tmpfs", destination: "/dev/shm", options: ["nosuid", "noexec", "nodev", "mode=1777", "size=65536k"], uidMappings: nil, gidMappings: nil), ContainerizationOCI.Mount(type: "cgroup2", source: "none", destination: "/sys/fs/cgroup", options: ["nosuid", "noexec", "nodev"], uidMappings: nil, gidMappings: nil), ContainerizationOCI.Mount(type: "devpts", source: "devpts", destination: "/dev/pts", options: ["nosuid", "noexec", "newinstance", "gid=5", "mode=0620", "ptmxmode=0666"], uidMappings: nil, gidMappings: nil)], annotations: nil, root: Optional(ContainerizationOCI.Root(path: "/run/container/web/rootfs", readonly: false)), linux: Optional(ContainerizationOCI.Linux(uidMappings: [], gidMappings: [], sysctl: Optional([:]), resources: Optional(ContainerizationOCI.LinuxResources(devices: [], memory: Optional(ContainerizationOCI.LinuxMemory(limit: Optional(1073741824), reservation: nil, swap: nil, kernel: nil, kernelTCP: nil, swappiness: nil, disableOOMKiller: nil, useHierarchy: nil, checkBeforeUpdate: nil)), cpu: Optional(ContainerizationOCI.LinuxCPU(shares: nil, quota: Optional(400000), burst: nil, period: Optional(100000), realtimeRuntime: nil, realtimePeriod: nil, cpus: "", mems: "", idle: nil)), pids: nil, blockIO: nil, hugepageLimits: [], network: nil, rdma: nil, unified: Optional([:]))), cgroupsPath: "/container/web", namespaces: [ContainerizationOCI.LinuxNamespace(type: ContainerizationOCI.LinuxNamespaceType.cgroup, path: ""), ContainerizationOCI.LinuxNamespace(type: ContainerizationOCI.LinuxNamespaceType.ipc, path: ""), ContainerizationOCI.LinuxNamespace(type: ContainerizationOCI.LinuxNamespaceType.mount, path: ""), ContainerizationOCI.LinuxNamespace(type: ContainerizationOCI.LinuxNamespaceType.pid, path: ""), ContainerizationOCI.LinuxNamespace(type: ContainerizationOCI.LinuxNamespaceType.uts, path: "")], devices: [], seccomp: nil, rootfsPropagation: "", maskedPaths: [], readonlyPaths: [], mountLabel: "", personality: nil)))
2026-02-06T04:48:41+0000 debug vminitd : [vminitd] creating exec process with Process(cwd: "/", env: ["PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin", "PYTHON_VERSION=3.14.3", "PYTHON_SHA256=a97d5549e9ad81fe17159ed02c68774ad5d266c72f8d9a0b5a9c371fe85d902b", "MY_SUPER_SECRET_PASSWORD=guest", "MY_OTHER_SECRET_PASSWORD=abc123", "HOME=/root"], consoleSize: nil, selinuxLabel: "", noNewPrivileges: false, commandLine: "", oomScoreAdj: nil, capabilities: Optional(ContainerizationOCI.LinuxCapabilities(bounding: Optional(["CAP_CHOWN", "CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE", "CAP_DAC_READ_SEARCH", "CAP_FOWNER", "CAP_FSETID", "CAP_KILL", "CAP_SETGID", "CAP_SETUID", "CAP_SETPCAP", "CAP_LINUX_IMMUTABLE", "CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE", "CAP_NET_BROADCAST", "CAP_NET_ADMIN", "CAP_NET_RAW", "CAP_IPC_LOCK", "CAP_IPC_OWNER", "CAP_SYS_MODULE", "CAP_SYS_RAWIO", "CAP_SYS_CHROOT", "CAP_SYS_PTRACE", "CAP_SYS_PACCT", "CAP_SYS_ADMIN", "CAP_SYS_BOOT", "CAP_SYS_NICE", "CAP_SYS_RESOURCE", "CAP_SYS_TIME", "CAP_SYS_TTY_CONFIG", "CAP_MKNOD", "CAP_LEASE", "CAP_AUDIT_WRITE", "CAP_AUDIT_CONTROL", "CAP_SETFCAP", "CAP_MAC_OVERRIDE", "CAP_MAC_ADMIN", "CAP_SYSLOG", "CAP_WAKE_ALARM", "CAP_BLOCK_SUSPEND", "CAP_AUDIT_READ", "CAP_PERFMON", "CAP_BPF", "CAP_CHECKPOINT_RESTORE"]), effective: Optional(["CAP_CHOWN", "CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE", "CAP_DAC_READ_SEARCH", "CAP_FOWNER", "CAP_FSETID", "CAP_KILL", "CAP_SETGID", "CAP_SETUID", "CAP_SETPCAP", "CAP_LINUX_IMMUTABLE", "CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE", "CAP_NET_BROADCAST", "CAP_NET_ADMIN", "CAP_NET_RAW", "CAP_IPC_LOCK", "CAP_IPC_OWNER", "CAP_SYS_MODULE", "CAP_SYS_RAWIO", "CAP_SYS_CHROOT", "CAP_SYS_PTRACE", "CAP_SYS_PACCT", "CAP_SYS_ADMIN", "CAP_SYS_BOOT", "CAP_SYS_NICE", "CAP_SYS_RESOURCE", "CAP_SYS_TIME", "CAP_SYS_TTY_CONFIG", "CAP_MKNOD", "CAP_LEASE", "CAP_AUDIT_WRITE", "CAP_AUDIT_CONTROL", "CAP_SETFCAP", "CAP_MAC_OVERRIDE", "CAP_MAC_ADMIN", "CAP_SYSLOG", "CAP_WAKE_ALARM", "CAP_BLOCK_SUSPEND", "CAP_AUDIT_READ", "CAP_PERFMON", "CAP_BPF", "CAP_CHECKPOINT_RESTORE"]), inheritable: Optional(["CAP_CHOWN", "CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE", "CAP_DAC_READ_SEARCH", "CAP_FOWNER", "CAP_FSETID", "CAP_KILL", "CAP_SETGID", "CAP_SETUID", "CAP_SETPCAP", "CAP_LINUX_IMMUTABLE", "CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE", "CAP_NET_BROADCAST", "CAP_NET_ADMIN", "CAP_NET_RAW", "CAP_IPC_LOCK", "CAP_IPC_OWNER", "CAP_SYS_MODULE", "CAP_SYS_RAWIO", "CAP_SYS_CHROOT", "CAP_SYS_PTRACE", "CAP_SYS_PACCT", "CAP_SYS_ADMIN", "CAP_SYS_BOOT", "CAP_SYS_NICE", "CAP_SYS_RESOURCE", "CAP_SYS_TIME", "CAP_SYS_TTY_CONFIG", "CAP_MKNOD", "CAP_LEASE", "CAP_AUDIT_WRITE", "CAP_AUDIT_CONTROL", "CAP_SETFCAP", "CAP_MAC_OVERRIDE", "CAP_MAC_ADMIN", "CAP_SYSLOG", "CAP_WAKE_ALARM", "CAP_BLOCK_SUSPEND", "CAP_AUDIT_READ", "CAP_PERFMON", "CAP_BPF", "CAP_CHECKPOINT_RESTORE"]), permitted: Optional(["CAP_CHOWN", "CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE", "CAP_DAC_READ_SEARCH", "CAP_FOWNER", "CAP_FSETID", "CAP_KILL", "CAP_SETGID", "CAP_SETUID", "CAP_SETPCAP", "CAP_LINUX_IMMUTABLE", "CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE", "CAP_NET_BROADCAST", "CAP_NET_ADMIN", "CAP_NET_RAW", "CAP_IPC_LOCK", "CAP_IPC_OWNER", "CAP_SYS_MODULE", "CAP_SYS_RAWIO", "CAP_SYS_CHROOT", "CAP_SYS_PTRACE", "CAP_SYS_PACCT", "CAP_SYS_ADMIN", "CAP_SYS_BOOT", "CAP_SYS_NICE", "CAP_SYS_RESOURCE", "CAP_SYS_TIME", "CAP_SYS_TTY_CONFIG", "CAP_MKNOD", "CAP_LEASE", "CAP_AUDIT_WRITE", "CAP_AUDIT_CONTROL", "CAP_SETFCAP", "CAP_MAC_OVERRIDE", "CAP_MAC_ADMIN", "CAP_SYSLOG", "CAP_WAKE_ALARM", "CAP_BLOCK_SUSPEND", "CAP_AUDIT_READ", "CAP_PERFMON", "CAP_BPF", "CAP_CHECKPOINT_RESTORE"]), ambient: Optional(["CAP_CHOWN", "CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE", "CAP_DAC_READ_SEARCH", "CAP_FOWNER", "CAP_FSETID", "CAP_KILL", "CAP_SETGID", "CAP_SETUID", "CAP_SETPCAP", "CAP_LINUX_IMMUTABLE", "CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE", "CAP_NET_BROADCAST", "CAP_NET_ADMIN", "CAP_NET_RAW", "CAP_IPC_LOCK", "CAP_IPC_OWNER", "CAP_SYS_MODULE", "CAP_SYS_RAWIO", "CAP_SYS_CHROOT", "CAP_SYS_PTRACE", "CAP_SYS_PACCT", "CAP_SYS_ADMIN", "CAP_SYS_BOOT", "CAP_SYS_NICE", "CAP_SYS_RESOURCE", "CAP_SYS_TIME", "CAP_SYS_TTY_CONFIG", "CAP_MKNOD", "CAP_LEASE", "CAP_AUDIT_WRITE", "CAP_AUDIT_CONTROL", "CAP_SETFCAP", "CAP_MAC_OVERRIDE", "CAP_MAC_ADMIN", "CAP_SYSLOG", "CAP_WAKE_ALARM", "CAP_BLOCK_SUSPEND", "CAP_AUDIT_READ", "CAP_PERFMON", "CAP_BPF", "CAP_CHECKPOINT_RESTORE"]))), apparmorProfile: "", user: ContainerizationOCI.User(uid: 0, gid: 0, umask: nil, additionalGids: [0], username: ""), rlimits: [], args: ["echo", "hello"], terminal: false)

[jglogan]

Opened apple/containerization#518.