env

Environment Variable Secret Source (env://)

The Environment Variable secret source allows you to retrieve secrets directly from the process's environment variables.

Status

Built-in: This source is included and enabled by default in spelunk.

Usage

To use the Environment Variable source, use the env:// scheme followed by the name of the environment variable.

Syntax

env://<VARIABLE_NAME>

• Type: env
• Location: The name of the environment variable to look up.

Example

Suppose you have an environment variable named API_KEY with the value 12345-abcde.

export API_KEY="12345-abcde"

To retrieve this secret:

env://API_KEY

Behavior

1. Lookup: The source uses os.LookupEnv to find the variable.
2. Validation: If the environment variable is not set, DigUp will return an error (ErrSecretNotFound).
3. Result: Returns the string value of the environment variable.

Use Cases

• Twelve-Factor Apps: Adhering to the 12-factor methodology by storing config in the environment.
• Containerization: Easily injecting secrets into containers via environment variables.