Update hiding secrets guide (#25439)

Update guide to be more explicit: this feature is to hide secrets in profiles in scripts.
fleetdm · Jan 17, 2025 · c1a4e84 · c1a4e84
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diff --git a/articles/fleet-4.62.0.md b/articles/fleet-4.62.0.md
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ Fleet now creates policies automatically when you add a custom package. This eli
 
 ### Hide secrets in configuration profiles and scripts
 
-Fleet ensures that GitHub or GitLab secrets, like API tokens and license keys used in scripts (Shell & PowerShell) and configuration profiles (macOS & Windows), are hidden when viewed or downloaded in Fleet. This protects sensitive information, keeping it secure until it’s deployed to the hosts. Learn more about secrets [here](https://fleetdm.com/guides/secret-variables).
+Fleet ensures that GitHub or GitLab secrets, like API tokens and license keys used in scripts (Shell & PowerShell) and configuration profiles (macOS & Windows), are hidden when viewed or downloaded in Fleet. This protects sensitive information, keeping it secure until it’s deployed to the hosts. Learn more about secrets [here](https://fleetdm.com/guides/secrets-in-scripts-and-configuration-profiles).
 
 ## Changes
 

diff --git a/articles/secret-variables.md b/articles/secret-variables.md
diff --git a/articles/secrets-in-scripts-and-configuration-profiles.md b/articles/secrets-in-scripts-and-configuration-profiles.md
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+# Hide secrets in scripts in configuration profiles
+
+In Fleet you can hide secrets, like API tokens or software license keys, in Fleet [scripts](https://fleetdm.com/guides/scripts) and [configuration profiles](https://fleetdm.com/guides/custom-os-settings). Secrets are encrypted and stored securely in Fleet, until they're delivered to the host. Secrets are hidden in when the script or configuration profile is viewed in the Fleet UI or API.
+
+Currently, hiding secrets is only available using [Fleet's YAML (GitOps)](https://fleetdm.com/docs/configuration/yaml-files).
+
+## How to specify a secret
+
+A secret can be used in a script or configuration profile by specifying a variable in the format `$FLEET_SECRET_MYNAME` or `${FLEET_SECRET_MYNAME}`. When the script or profile is sent to the host, Fleet will replace the variable with the actual secret value. The prefix `FLEET_SECRET_` is required to indicate that the variable is a secret, and Fleet reserves this prefix for secret variables.
+
+For macOS and Linux scripts, if a secret doesn't have the `$FLEET_SECRET_` prefix, it will be treated as a [local environment variable](https://support.apple.com/en-my/guide/terminal/apd382cc5fa-4f58-4449-b20a-41c53c006f8f/mac).
+
+1. You must add the secret to your repository's secrets to use them in GitOps.
+
+2. For the GitHub GitOps flow, they must also be added to the `env` section of your workflow file, as shown below:
+
+```yaml
+    env:
+      FLEET_URL: ${{ secrets.FLEET_URL }}
+      FLEET_API_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.FLEET_API_TOKEN }}
+      FLEET_GLOBAL_ENROLL_SECRET: ${{ secrets.FLEET_GLOBAL_ENROLL_SECRET }}
+      FLEET_WORKSTATIONS_ENROLL_SECRET: ${{ secrets.FLEET_WORKSTATIONS_ENROLL_SECRET }}
+      FLEET_WORKSTATIONS_CANARY_ENROLL_SECRET: ${{ secrets.FLEET_WORKSTATIONS_CANARY_ENROLL_SECRET }}
+      FLEET_SECRET_CERT_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.FLEET_SECRET_CERT_PASSWORD }}
+      FLEET_SECRET_CERT_BASE64: ${{ secrets.FLEET_SECRET_CERT_BASE64 }}
+```
+
+3. Add your script or profile. Here's an example profile with `$FLEET_SECRET_CERT_PASSWORD` and `$FLEET_SECRET_CERT_BASE64` secrets:
+
+```xml
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
+<plist version="1.0">
+<dict>
+    <key>PayloadDisplayName</key>
+    <string>Certificate PKCS12</string>
+    <key>PayloadIdentifier</key>
+    <string>com.example.certificate</string>
+    <key>PayloadType</key>
+    <string>Configuration</string>
+    <key>PayloadUUID</key>
+    <string>918ee83d-ebd5-4192-bcd4-8b4feb750e4b</string>
+    <key>PayloadVersion</key>
+    <integer>1</integer>
+    <key>PayloadContent</key>
+    <array>
+      <dict>
+            <key>Password</key>
+            <string>$FLEET_SECRET_CERT_PASSWORD</string>
+            <key>PayloadContent</key>
+            <data>$FLEET_SECRET_CERT_BASE64</data>
+            <key>PayloadDisplayName</key>
+            <string>Certificate PKCS12</string>
+            <key>PayloadIdentifier</key>
+            <string>com.example.certificate</string>
+            <key>PayloadType</key>
+            <string>com.apple.security.pkcs12</string>
+            <key>PayloadUUID</key>
+            <string>25cdd076-f1e7-4932-aa30-1d4240534fb0</string>
+            <key>PayloadVersion</key>
+            <integer>1</integer>
+        </dict>
+    </array>
+</dict>
+</plist>
+```
+
+When GitOps syncs the configuration, it looks for secret variables in scripts and profiles, extracts the secret values from the environment, and uploads them to Fleet.
+
+On subsequent GitOps syncs, if a secret variable used by a configuration profile has been updated, the profile will be resent to the host device(s).
+
+> Profiles with secret variables are not entirely validated during a GitOps dry run because secret variables may not be present/correct in the database during the dry run. Hence, there is an increased chance of GitOps non-dry run failure when using a profile with a secret variable. Try uploading this profile to a test team first.
+
+## Escaping and interpolation
+
+The dollar sign (`$`) can be escaped so it's not considered a variable by using a backslash (e.g. `\$100`). Additionally, `MY${variable}HERE` syntax can be used to put strings around the variable.
+
+## Known limitations and issues
+
+- Windows profiles are currently not re-sent to the device when the GitHub action (or GitLab pipeline) runs: [issue #25030](https://github.com/fleetdm/fleet/issues/25030)
+- Fleet does not hide the secret in script results. DO NOT print/echo your secrets to the console output.
+- There is no way to explicitly delete a secret variable. Instead, you can overwrite it with any value.
+- Do not use deprecated API endpoint(s) to upload profiles containing secret variables. Use endpoints documented in [Fleet's REST API](https://fleetdm.com/docs/rest-api/rest-api).
+
+<meta name="articleTitle" value="Hide secrets in scripts in configuration profiles">
+<meta name="authorFullName" value="Victor Lyuboslavsky">
+<meta name="authorGitHubUsername" value="getvictor">
+<meta name="category" value="guides">
+<meta name="publishedOn" value="2025-01-02">
+<meta name="description" value="A guide on using secrets in scripts and configuration profiles.">