In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to enable and use the userpass authentication method in HashiCorp Vault. This approach is ideal for simple username/password scenarios.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://notes.kodekloud.com/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Prerequisites
- Vault CLI installed and configured
- Vault server unsealed and reachable
- A Vault token with
rootorsudoprivileges
1. Verify Existing Auth Methods
Before enabling new methods, check which authentication backends are active:| Path | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| token/ | token | default token-based credentials |
The
token method is enabled by default and provides basic token authentication.2. Enable the Userpass Auth Method
Activate theuserpass backend at its default path:
3. Create Userpass Users
Add individual users underauth/userpass/users. Each user can be assigned one or more policies.
| Username | Password | Policies |
|---|---|---|
| frank | vault | bryan |
| jamie | cloud | bryan |
3.1 Create User “frank”
3.2 Create User “jamie”
Storing plaintext passwords in scripts can be insecure. Consider using environment variables or a secure secrets store.
4. List and Inspect User Configurations
4.1 List All Users
4.2 Read a User’s Settings
Inspect configuration for userjamie:
5. Authenticate with Userpass
After creating users, log in using theuserpass method. Each login issues a distinct Vault token.
5.1 Login as “jamie”
5.2 Login as “frank”
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
token | Your Vault token |
token_policies | Applied policies (bryan, default) |
token_duration | Token TTL |
token_meta_username | Username metadata |