# external-secrets/kubernetes-external-secrets

Integrate external secret management systems with Kubernetes

Repository: https://github.com/external-secrets/kubernetes-external-secrets
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/kubernetes-external-secrets
Language: JavaScript
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Topics: kubernetes, secrets-management, aws, aws-secrets-manager, vault, hashicorp, kubernetes-external-secrets, secrets-manager
Archived: true
Last push: 2022-05-28T13:05:36+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 10/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2821, "days_push": 1558, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: archived
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2580, forks 395 (observed 2026-08-28T04:07:02.377017+00:00)

## What it is
A Kubernetes controller that syncs secrets from external secret management systems like AWS Secrets Manager and HashiCorp Vault into native Kubernetes Secrets via a Custom Resource Definition. It is deprecated; users should use the External Secrets Operator (ESO) instead.

## Use cases
- sync AWS Secrets Manager secrets into Kubernetes Secrets
- use HashiCorp Vault secrets in my cluster without storing them in etcd
- manage Kubernetes secrets from an external vault
- automatically create Kubernetes Secrets from external providers
- avoid storing plaintext secrets in etcd
- deploy a secrets sync controller with Helm

## When to choose
- you are maintaining a legacy cluster already using this controller
- you need the original GoDaddy ExternalSecret CRD behavior for compatibility

## When to avoid
- starting a new project - use external-secrets/external-secrets (ESO) instead
- you need active maintenance, updates, or new provider support
- you need secrets encrypted at rest in etcd without an external manager

## Facets
- artifact type: service
- maturity: abandoned
- function: secrets-management, deployment, container-orchestration
- domain: security, cloud-computing, self-hosted
- platform: self-hosted, cloud
- tags: kubernetes-operator, aws-secrets-manager, hashicorp-vault, custom-resource-definitions, deprecated, helm-chart, external-secrets-operator-successor, devops, kubernetes, docker

## Member repositories
- external-secrets/kubernetes-external-secrets (main) score 10

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:02.377017+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T02:22:38.310051+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/external-secrets/kubernetes-external-secrets (fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:02.377017+00:00, sha be4779522095)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.