Resolving the RBAC Error When Creating a Key in Azure Key Vault

Azure Key Vault is a powerful service for securely managing keys, secrets, and certificates. However, you might occasionally encounter errors while performing operations, such as creating a key. One common issue is the error message: “The operation is not allowed by RBAC. If role assignments were recently changed, please wait several minutes for role assignments to become effective.”

Error information

CODE
Forbidden

MESSAGE
The operation is not allowed by RBAC. If role assignments were recently changed, please wait several minutes for role assignments to become effective.

RAW ERROR
Caller is not authorized to perform action on resource. If role assignments, deny assignments or role definitions were changed recently, please observe propagation time. Caller: appid=3686488a-04fc-4d8a-b967-61f98ec41efe;oid=59347bed-6be5-4c44-be30-7cf210e473f7;iss=https://sts.windows.net/16b3c013-d300-468d-ac64-7eda0820b6d3/ Action: ‘Microsoft.KeyVault/vaults/keys/create/action’ Resource: ‘/subscriptions/ea72f050-0699-4b00-a43c-aba6cd2743df/resourcegroups/jbmysql/providers/microsoft.keyvault/vaults/jbmysqlkeyvault/keys/jbmysqlkey’ Assignment: (not found) DenyAssignmentId: null DecisionReason: null Vault: jbmysqlkeyvault;location=eastus

This blog will walk you through understanding this error and provide a step-by-step guide to resolve it.

Understanding the Error

The error message indicates that the operation you’re trying to perform (in this case, creating a key) is not permitted due to Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) settings. This issue typically arises because of one or more of the following reasons:

• Insufficient Permissions: The user or service principal doesn’t have the required permissions to perform the operation.
• Recent Role Assignments: Recent changes to role assignments might not have been propagated yet.
• Incorrect Role or Scope: The assigned role might not have the necessary permissions, or it might be scoped incorrectly.

Scenario Demonstration

To illustrate the issue, let’s attempt to create a key in Azure Key Vault and reproduce the error:

Open Azure CLI or PowerShell.

Run the following command to create a key in your Key Vault:

az keyvault key create --vault-name <YourKeyVaultName> --name <YourKeyName> --protection software

Observe the Error Message:

The operation is not allowed by RBAC. If role assignments were recently changed, please wait several minutes for role assignments to become effective.

Steps to Resolve the Error

1. Verify Role Assignments

Objective: Ensure that the correct roles are assigned to the user or service principal.

Azure Portal:

1. Navigate to the Azure Portal.
2. Go to your Key Vault.
3. Select Access control (IAM).
4. Review the role assignments to ensure that the user or service principal has the Key Vault Contributor or Key Vault Administrator role.

Azure CLI:

az role assignment list --scope /subscriptions/<subscription-id>/resourceGroups/<resource-group>/providers/Microsoft.KeyVault/vaults/<key-vault-name> --output table

Azure PowerShell:

Get-AzRoleAssignment -Scope /subscriptions/<subscription-id>/resourceGroups/<resource-group>/providers/Microsoft.KeyVault/vaults/<key-vault-name>

2. Update Role Assignments

Objective: Add or update the necessary role assignments.

Azure Portal:

1. Go to your Key Vault in the Azure Portal.
2. Navigate to Access control (IAM).
3. Click Add role assignment.
4. Assign the Key Vault Contributor role to the user or service principal.

Azure CLI:

az role assignment create --role "Key Vault Contributor" --assignee <UserOrServicePrincipal> --scope /subscriptions/<subscription-id>/resourceGroups/<resource-group>/providers/Microsoft.KeyVault/vaults/<key-vault-name>

Azure PowerShell:

New-AzRoleAssignment -RoleDefinitionName "Key Vault Contributor" -ServicePrincipalName <UserOrServicePrincipal> -Scope /subscriptions/<subscription-id>/resourceGroups/<resource-group>/providers/Microsoft.KeyVault/vaults/<key-vault-name>

3. Wait for Propagation

Objective: Allow time for role assignment changes to propagate.

• Wait Time: Changes in role assignments can take a few minutes to become effective. Be patient and wait for a few minutes before retrying the key creation operation.

4. Retry Key Creation

Objective: Attempt to create the key again after ensuring correct role assignments.

• Azure CLI:

az keyvault key create --vault-name <YourKeyVaultName> --name <YourKeyName> --protection software

Additional Troubleshooting Tips

• Check Subscription or Resource Group Issues: Ensure there are no broader issues with your subscription or resource group that might affect permissions.
• Consult Azure Documentation: Refer to Azure’s official documentation for more detailed information on RBAC and Key Vault operations.
• Contact Azure Support: If the issue persists, consider reaching out to Azure Support for further assistance.

Business Use Case

Consider a scenario where your company needs to manage sensitive keys for encryption and decryption operations. You recently migrated your key management to Azure Key Vault and assigned roles to various team members. After a role assignment change, you encounter the RBAC error while trying to create new keys.

By following the steps outlined above, you ensure that all team members have the necessary permissions and can manage keys without interruptions. Properly handling RBAC settings ensures secure and efficient key management, crucial for maintaining the integrity of your company’s encryption practices.

Conclusion

Encountering RBAC errors when creating keys in Azure Key Vault can be frustrating, but understanding the root cause and following the resolution steps can help you overcome these issues. By verifying and updating role assignments, waiting for propagation, and retrying the operation, you can ensure smooth key management in Azure Key Vault.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to leave a comment below or check out additional resources on Azure Key Vault and RBAC.

For more tutorials and tips on SQL Server, including performance tuning and database management, be sure to check out our JBSWiki YouTube channel.

Thank You,
Vivek Janakiraman

Disclaimer:
The views expressed on this blog are mine alone and do not reflect the views of my company or anyone else. All postings on this blog are provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights.