Apparatus and methods for providing privileged access to software containers

Abstract

A computing system includes a processing device that executes computer program instructions stored in memory that, when executed, cause the processing device to, in response to a request to initiate a software container in a container runtime environment, access a centralized security database that includes for at least one user, data representing one or more container privileges for operations required to run applications in software containers on a computing system. The computing system verifies that a user associated with the request has been granted permission to initiate a software container based on the data representing one or more container privileges identified in the centralized security database. In response to verifying that the user has been granted permission to initiate the software container, the software container is allowed to start by permitting use of associated operations required to run applications in the software container.