{"token_count": 4166} # Protect a GitHub Organization with Teleport Teleport protects your GitHub organization with a GitHub App scoped to specific repositories and permissions. `git` and `gh` commands go through Teleport with short-lived credentials instead of long-lived personal access tokens and SSH keys. Teleport records this activity in its audit log. In this guide, you will: - Connect a GitHub organization to Teleport. - Configure access for a user. - Clone a repository and use the `gh` CLI through Teleport. ## How it works Teleport uses a private GitHub App installed on your organization to authenticate on behalf of users. Once a user authorizes the app, Teleport proxies their Git commands and `gh` CLI calls using securely-stored, short-lived OAuth tokens. A user's effective access is the narrowest of three: what Teleport's RBAC allows, what the GitHub App's installation grants, and what the user's own GitHub permissions cover. ## Prerequisites - A running Teleport cluster accessible at a hostname with a valid TLS certificate. If you want to get started with Teleport, [sign up](https://goteleport.com/signup) for a free trial or [set up a demo environment](https://goteleport.com/docs/ver/19.x/get-started/deploy-community.md). - The `tctl` and `tsh` clients. Installing `tctl` and `tsh` clients 1. Determine the version of your Teleport cluster. The `tctl` and `tsh` clients must be at most one major version behind your Teleport cluster version. Send a GET request to the Proxy Service at `/v1/webapi/find` and use a JSON query tool to obtain your cluster version. Replace teleport.example.com:443 with the web address of your Teleport Proxy Service: **Mac/Linux** ``` $ TELEPORT_DOMAIN=teleport.example.com:443 $ TELEPORT_VERSION="$(curl -s https://$TELEPORT_DOMAIN/v1/webapi/find | jq -r '.server_version')" ``` **Windows - Powershell** ``` $ $TELEPORT_DOMAIN = "teleport.example.com:443" $ $TELEPORT_VERSION = (Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "https://${TELEPORT_DOMAIN}/v1/webapi/find").server_version ``` 2. Follow the instructions for your platform to install `tctl` and `tsh` clients: **Mac** Download the signed macOS .pkg installer for Teleport, which includes the `tctl` and `tsh` clients: ``` $ curl -O https://cdn.teleport.dev/teleport-${TELEPORT_VERSION?}.pkg ``` In Finder double-click the `pkg` file to begin installation. --- DANGER Using Homebrew to install Teleport is not supported. The Teleport package in Homebrew is not maintained by Teleport and we can't guarantee its reliability or security. --- **Windows - Powershell** ``` $ curl.exe -O https://cdn.teleport.dev/teleport-v$TELEPORT_VERSION-windows-amd64-bin.zip Unzip the archive and move the `tctl` and `tsh` clients to your %PATH% NOTE: Do not place the `tctl` and `tsh` clients in the System32 directory, as this can cause issues when using WinSCP. Use %SystemRoot% (C:\Windows) or %USERPROFILE% (C:\Users\) instead. ``` **Linux** All of the Teleport binaries in Linux installations include the `tctl` and `tsh` clients. For more options (including RPM/DEB packages and downloads for i386/ARM/ARM64) see our [installation page](https://goteleport.com/docs/ver/19.x/installation/single-machine.md). ``` $ curl -O https://cdn.teleport.dev/teleport-v${TELEPORT_VERSION?}-linux-amd64-bin.tar.gz $ tar -xzf teleport-v${TELEPORT_VERSION?}-linux-amd64-bin.tar.gz $ cd teleport $ sudo ./install Teleport binaries have been copied to /usr/local/bin ``` Connecting with TLS routing disabled This guide's commands assume your Teleport cluster uses TLS routing (`proxy_listener_mode: multiplex`), where the `tctl` and `tsh` clients reach every Teleport service through the Proxy Service's web address on port `443`. If you're not sure whether this applies to your cluster, check with whoever manages it. If your cluster uses separate listener ports instead, adjust ports as follows: - **`tsh` commands** (e.g., `tsh login --proxy=...`): continue using the Proxy Service web address on port `3080` (or `443` if behind a load balancer). Do not change these to port `3025`. - **Direct `tctl` or Auth Service API commands**: use port `3025` for the Auth Service gRPC listener: ``` $ tctl status --auth-server=teleport.example.com:3025 ``` * Check that you can connect to your Teleport cluster and verify that you can run `tctl` and `tsh` commands using your current credentials. 1. Assign teleport.example.com to the domain name of the Teleport Proxy Service in your cluster and email\@example.com to your Teleport username. 2. Authenticate to your Teleport cluster. This depends on whether your shell is interactive or not. **In an interactive shell:** Run the following command. By default, this triggers a multi-factor authentication prompt: ``` $ tsh login --proxy=teleport.example.com --user=email@example.com $ tctl status Cluster teleport.example.com Version 19.0.0-dev CA pin sha256:abdc1245efgh5678abdc1245efgh5678abdc1245efgh5678abdc1245efgh5678 ``` **On non-interactive environments:** If you are running `tsh` and `tctl` as an AI agent, in a CI/CD environment, or similar, make sure the `TELEPORT_IDENTITY_FILE` environment variable is assigned to a valid file path with credentials for your cluster. `tsh` and `tctl` read the file path from the environment variable and do not require a separate authentication step. If there is no identity file available, we recommend that you [set up Machine ID](https://goteleport.com/docs/ver/19.x/machine-workload-identity/getting-started.md) to provision one automatically. When executing `tctl` commands with an identity file, you must pass the `--auth-server` flag to provide the Teleport Auth Service address, which is not included in the identity file. If you provide the Proxy Service address, `tctl` connects to the Proxy Service, which forwards traffic to and from the Teleport Auth Service. Update 443 to `3025` if you are contacting the Auth Service directly with `tctl`: ``` $ tctl status --auth-server=teleport.example.com:443 ``` For `tsh` commands that read an identity file, you must pass the `--proxy` flag, which points `tsh` to the address of the Teleport Proxy Service: ``` $ tsh status --proxy=teleport.example.com ``` Ensure client commands can access your identity file. Replace path/to/identity/file with the path to your identity file: ``` $ export TELEPORT_IDENTITY_FILE="${TELEPORT_IDENTITY_FILE:-path/to/identity/file}" ``` Add the `--auth-server` or `--proxy` flags to all subsequent `tctl` and `tsh` commands. If you can connect to the cluster and run the `tctl status` command, you can use your current credentials to run subsequent `tctl` commands from your workstation. If you host your own Teleport cluster, you can also run `tctl` commands on the computer that hosts the Teleport Auth Service for full permissions. - You must be an **owner** of the GitHub organization you want to connect. - If the organization is on GitHub Enterprise, your Teleport cluster requires a valid Teleport Enterprise license. - `git` and `gh` installed and added to your system's `PATH` environment variable. --- COMPATIBILITY Git over HTTPS is not supported when the Teleport cluster runs in FIPS mode. For FIPS clusters, use [GitHub over SSH](https://goteleport.com/docs/ver/19.x/enroll-resources/git-platforms/github-ssh.md) instead. Support for GitHub Enterprise Server (self-hosted) is not available as of the current release. --- ## Step 1/3. Connect your GitHub organization Run the following command, replacing doc-example-org with your organization's name: ``` $ tctl integrations github add --org doc-example-org This command connects your GitHub organization to Teleport for Git over HTTPS: "doc-example-org" Prerequisites: - You are an owner of the GitHub organization. - You are a Teleport admin who can create integrations and git servers, for example with the preset editor role. - If the organization is on GitHub Enterprise, the Teleport cluster has a Teleport Enterprise license. Steps: 1. On your behalf, tctl creates the Teleport resources for the GitHub integration. 2. In your browser, you create the GitHub App "teleport.example.com", requesting read and write access to contents, issues and pull requests. You can customize its name there. 3. On your behalf, tctl saves the GitHub App credentials in Teleport. 4. In your browser, you install the GitHub App in "doc-example-org" and choose which repositories it can access. If a step fails, tctl deletes the Teleport resources it created. Proceed with GitHub App creation [y/N]: y ``` The command opens your browser once, to create a GitHub App in your organization from a predefined manifest. After you approve, you're redirected to install the app in doc-example-org and choose which repositories it can access. --- CUSTOMIZING GITHUB APP PERMISSIONS The GitHub App is created with read and write access to contents, issues, and pull requests. You can always go to the app's settings on GitHub to change its permissions if needed. --- ## Step 2/3. Configure access You can grant access to the GitHub organization with a custom role or with the preset `access` role. **Use a custom role** Create a role that grants access to the organization: ``` # role_with_github_permissions.yaml kind: role metadata: name: github-access spec: allow: github_permissions: - orgs: - doc-example-org version: v8 ``` Create the role: ``` $ tctl create role_with_github_permissions.yaml ``` Assign the `github-access` role to your Teleport user. The commands to run depend on how you authenticate to Teleport, that is, whether you have a local Teleport user, a single sign-on authentication connector, or a non-interactive user: **Local User** 1. Retrieve your local user's roles as a comma-separated list: ``` $ ROLES=$(tsh status -f json | jq -r '.active.roles | join(",")') ``` 2. Edit your local user to add the new role: ``` $ tctl users update $(tsh status -f json | jq -r '.active.username') \ --set-roles "${ROLES?},github-access" ``` 3. Sign out of the Teleport cluster and sign in again to assume the new role. **GitHub** 1. Open your `github` authentication connector in a text editor: ``` $ tctl edit github/github ``` 2. Edit the `github` connector, adding `github-access` to the `teams_to_roles` section. The team you should map to this role depends on how you have designed your organization's role-based access controls (RBAC). However, the team must include your user account and should be the smallest team possible within your organization. Here is an example: ``` teams_to_roles: - organization: octocats team: admins roles: - access + - github-access ``` 3. Apply your changes by saving and closing the file in your editor. 4. Sign out of the Teleport cluster and sign in again to assume the new role. **SAML** 1. Retrieve your `saml` configuration resource: ``` $ tctl get --with-secrets saml/mysaml > saml.yaml ``` Note that the `--with-secrets` flag adds the value of `spec.signing_key_pair.private_key` to the `saml.yaml` file. Because this key contains a sensitive value, you should remove the saml.yaml file immediately after updating the resource. 2. Edit `saml.yaml`, adding `github-access` to the `attributes_to_roles` section. The attribute you should map to this role depends on how you have designed your organization's role-based access controls (RBAC). However, the group must include your user account and should be the smallest group possible within your organization. Here is an example: ``` attributes_to_roles: - name: "groups" value: "my-group" roles: - access + - github-access ``` 3. Apply your changes: ``` $ tctl create -f saml.yaml ``` 4. Sign out of the Teleport cluster and sign in again to assume the new role. **OIDC** 1. Retrieve your `oidc` configuration resource: ``` $ tctl get oidc/myoidc --with-secrets > oidc.yaml ``` Note that the `--with-secrets` flag adds the value of `spec.signing_key_pair.private_key` to the `oidc.yaml` file. Because this key contains a sensitive value, you should remove the oidc.yaml file immediately after updating the resource. 2. Edit `oidc.yaml`, adding `github-access` to the `claims_to_roles` section. The claim you should map to this role depends on how you have designed your organization's role-based access controls (RBAC). However, the group must include your user account and should be the smallest group possible within your organization. Here is an example: ``` claims_to_roles: - name: "groups" value: "my-group" roles: - access + - github-access ``` 3. Apply your changes: ``` $ tctl create -f oidc.yaml ``` 4. Sign out of the Teleport cluster and sign in again to assume the new role. **Non-Interactive** For non-interactive users such as AI agents and CI/CD runners, follow these steps. If you are using Machine ID to issue identity files to your user: 1. Add the new role to your bot. Assign mybot to the name of the Machine ID bot that issues your certificate: ``` $ tctl bots update mybot --add-roles github-access ``` 2. Force `tbot` to regenerate the certificate: ``` $ pkill -HUP tbot ``` The bot will also generate a certificate with the new role on its next renewal. Otherwise, update your user and regenerate your identity file: 1. Retrieve your local user's roles as a comma-separated list. Make sure username is the Teleport user you want to assign the new role to. ``` $ ROLES=$(tctl get user/username --format=json | jq -r '.[].spec.roles | join(",")') ``` 2. Edit your local user to add the new role: ``` $ tctl users update username \ --set-roles "${ROLES?},github-access" ``` 3. Regenerate the identity file. Make sure path/to/identity/file corresponds to the correct output path: ``` $ tctl auth sign \ --user=username \ --out=path/to/identity/file \ --overwrite ``` **Use the preset access role (local users)** If a local user already has the preset `access` role, grant them access to the organization. Replace teleport-user with the name of the user: ``` $ tctl users update teleport-user --set-github-orgs=doc-example-org ``` Sign out of the Teleport cluster and sign in again to pick up the new access. ## Step 3/3. Connect Use `tsh git ls` to view a list of GitHub organizations you have access to: ``` $ tsh git ls Type Organization Username URL ------ --------------- -------- ---------------------------------- GitHub doc-example-org my-user https://github.com/doc-example-org ``` Connect your GitHub identity so Teleport can act on your behalf: ``` $ tsh git login --github-org doc-example-org ``` This command opens a browser, prompting you to authorize access to your GitHub account: ![GitHub authorization view](/docs/assets/images/github-app-auth-screen-f9659091cc61405466fb766261516593.png) To clone a repository from your GitHub organization, copy its HTTPS clone URL from the repository page on GitHub (**Code** > **HTTPS**) and run: ``` $ tsh git clone https://github.com/doc-example-org/my-repo.git Cloning into 'my-repo'... ``` Configuring an existing Git repository instead To configure an existing Git repository to proxy through Teleport, go to the repository and run: ``` $ tsh git config update Remote "origin" is updated to use Teleport over HTTPS. ``` `tsh git config update` configures the protocol matching the current URL scheme of the "origin" remote, for example HTTPS if the remote already uses an HTTPS URL. To switch protocols instead, update the remote URL first, for example: ``` $ git remote set-url origin https://github.com/doc-example-org/my-repo.git ``` then run `tsh git config update` again. Once the repo is cloned or configured, use `git` commands as normal: ``` $ cd my-repo $ git fetch ``` Use `tsh gh --` as a direct replacement for `gh` once your GitHub organization is connected to Teleport: ``` $ tsh gh -- api /user ``` ## Next steps - [Access Controls for Git Platforms](https://goteleport.com/docs/ver/19.x/enroll-resources/git-platforms/access-controls.md): configure a custom role instead of the preset `access` role.