Teleport: Zero Trust Access to SSH and K8s

Introduction

Welcome to the Teleport Zero Trust Network Access lab. In this comprehensive exercise, you will deploy enterprise-grade secure access to SSH servers without VPNs, passwords, or managing SSH keys. By the end, you'll have certificate-based authentication, complete session recording, and SSO integration via Authentik.

Prerequisite: Project A Required

This lab builds on a working Zero-Trust SSO Gateway (Project A) with Authentik. Teleport integrates with Authentik for SAML-based single sign-on.

Enterprise Skill Transfer

Teleport is used by enterprises including Goldman Sachs, Snowflake, DoorDash, and Elastic. Zero Trust access skills are in extremely high demand — ZTNA engineers command salaries of $130K-$200K annually. This lab teaches you the exact patterns used in production environments.

Lab Objectives

Deploy Teleport as your secure access gateway
Configure SSH access with short-lived certificates (no keys!)
Integrate SSO via Authentik SAML
Implement RBAC with role-based server access
Enable session recording for compliance and audit
Add nodes to your Teleport cluster

How Teleport Works

You
Anywhere

Authentik
SSO

Teleport
Proxy

Servers
SSH

What Teleport Can Protect

SSH

Linux servers

Database

PostgreSQL, MySQL

Kubernetes

K8s clusters

Web Apps

Internal apps

Windows

RDP access

This guide covers SSH Access (highlighted). Other protocols can be added later.

The Problem Teleport Solves

Traditional SSH: Keys everywhere, never rotated. Keys get copied, shared, stolen. No audit trail. Need VPN to access internal servers.

With Teleport: Short-lived certificates. SSO authentication. Complete session recording. No VPN required!

Time Investment

Phase	Focus	Time	Machine
Phase 1	Core Concepts	15-20 min	Reading
Phase 2	Prerequisites	10-15 min	SERVER
Phase 3	Teleport Installation	30-45 min	SERVER
Phase 4	Add SSH Nodes	20-30 min	TARGET Server
Phase 5	SSO Integration	30-45 min	SERVER + BROWSER
Phase 6	RBAC & Session Recording	30-45 min	SERVER

Total: 3-4 hours (can be split across multiple sessions)

Table of Contents

0 Introduction
1 Phase 1: Core Concepts
2 Phase 2: Prerequisites
3 Phase 3: Installation
4 Phase 4: Add Nodes
5 Phase 5: SSO Integration
6 Phase 6: RBAC & Recording
7 Troubleshooting
8 Cleanup

Phase 1: Core Concepts

Understanding Teleport terminology before we build.

15-20 minutes Reading / Understanding

Teleport has specific architecture and terminology. Understanding these concepts will make the hands-on sections much easier.

Teleport Architecture

Auth Service

Issues certificates, stores configuration, manages cluster state

Proxy Service

Entry point for users, handles TLS termination and routing

Node (Agent)

Runs on servers you want to access via SSH

Certificate

Short-lived identity proving who you are (replaces SSH keys)

Role

Defines what servers a user can access and what they can do

Labels

Tags on servers (env=prod, team=backend) used for access control

Why Certificate-Based Authentication?

Traditional SSH Keys	Teleport Certificates
Never expire (unless manually rotated)	Expire automatically (minutes to hours)
Stored on disk, can be copied	Generated on-demand, short-lived
No central management	Centrally issued and audited
No visibility into who has access	Complete audit trail
authorized_keys nightmare	Automatic certificate trust

Phase 3: Teleport Installation

Deploy Teleport using Docker.

30-45 minutes Performed on: SERVER Machine

Task 3.1: Create Directory Structure

SERVER Machine — Via SSH Connection

Create Teleport Directories

Bash SERVER

# Navigate to your identity stack directory
cd ~/identity-stack

# Create directory structure for Teleport
mkdir -p teleport/config    # Configuration files
mkdir -p teleport/data      # Persistent data

# Verify structure
tree teleport/ 2>/dev/null || ls -la teleport/

Task 3.2: Generate Secure Join Token

SERVER Machine — Via SSH Connection

Generate Token for Node Joining

Bash SERVER

# Generate a secure random token
openssl rand -hex 32

# Example output: a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8...
# SAVE THIS TOKEN! You'll use it in the next step

Save This Token!

Copy this token somewhere safe. You'll need it for:

The Teleport configuration file (next step)
Any servers you want to add to the cluster

Task 3.3: Create Teleport Configuration

SERVER Machine — Via SSH Connection

Create teleport.yaml Configuration

YAML — teleport.yaml SERVER

# Create the Teleport configuration file
cat > ~/identity-stack/teleport/config/teleport.yaml << 'EOF'
# ============================================
# TELEPORT SERVER CONFIGURATION
# ============================================
version: v3

teleport:
  nodename: teleport              # Name of this node
  data_dir: /var/lib/teleport     # Data directory
  log:
    output: stderr
    severity: INFO

# Auth Service - Certificate Authority
auth_service:
  enabled: true
  cluster_name: homelab           # Your cluster name
  listen_addr: 0.0.0.0:3025
  tokens:
    # Join token for nodes - REPLACE WITH YOUR TOKEN
    - proxy,node,app:YOUR_SECURE_TOKEN_HERE
  # Enable session recording
  session_recording: node-sync

# Proxy Service - User entry point
proxy_service:
  enabled: true
  web_listen_addr: 0.0.0.0:3080
  public_addr: teleport.yourdomain.com:443
  https_keypairs: []
  acme:
    enabled: false                # Traefik handles TLS

# SSH Service - This node is also an SSH target
ssh_service:
  enabled: true
  labels:
    env: homelab
    role: main
EOF

# Verify the file was created
cat ~/identity-stack/teleport/config/teleport.yaml

Replace These Values!

YOUR_SECURE_TOKEN_HEREThe token from Step 2
teleport.yourdomain.comYour actual domain

Task 3.4: Create Docker Compose Service

SERVER Machine — Via SSH Connection

Create Teleport Docker Compose File

YAML — docker-compose.teleport.yml SERVER

# Create Docker Compose file for Teleport
cat > ~/identity-stack/docker-compose.teleport.yml << 'EOF'
# ============================================
# TELEPORT - Zero Trust Access Gateway
# ============================================

version: "3.8"

services:
  teleport:
    image: public.ecr.aws/gravitational/teleport:15
    container_name: teleport
    restart: unless-stopped
    hostname: teleport
    volumes:
      - ./teleport/config:/etc/teleport:ro   # Configuration
      - ./teleport/data:/var/lib/teleport    # Persistent data
    ports:
      - "3023:3023"    # SSH proxy
      - "3024:3024"    # SSH tunnel (reverse)
      - "3025:3025"    # Auth service
    command: start --config=/etc/teleport/teleport.yaml
    networks:
      - identity-network
    labels:
      - "traefik.enable=true"
      - "traefik.http.routers.teleport.rule=Host(\`teleport.yourdomain.com\`)"
      - "traefik.http.routers.teleport.entrypoints=websecure"
      - "traefik.http.routers.teleport.tls.certresolver=letsencrypt"
      - "traefik.http.services.teleport.loadbalancer.server.port=3080"

networks:
  identity-network:
    external: true
EOF

Update Domain in Docker Compose

Bash SERVER

# Replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain
sed -i 's/yourdomain.com/YOUR_ACTUAL_DOMAIN.com/g' \
    ~/identity-stack/docker-compose.teleport.yml

# Also update the teleport.yaml
sed -i 's/yourdomain.com/YOUR_ACTUAL_DOMAIN.com/g' \
    ~/identity-stack/teleport/config/teleport.yaml

# Verify the changes
grep "yourdomain\|YOUR_ACTUAL" ~/identity-stack/docker-compose.teleport.yml
grep "yourdomain\|YOUR_ACTUAL" ~/identity-stack/teleport/config/teleport.yaml

Task 3.5: Start Teleport

SERVER Machine — Via SSH Connection

Start the Teleport Container

Bash SERVER

cd ~/identity-stack

# Pull the Teleport image
docker compose -f docker-compose.teleport.yml pull

# Start Teleport
docker compose -f docker-compose.teleport.yml up -d

# Check container is running
docker compose -f docker-compose.teleport.yml ps

# View logs (look for "Teleport is ready")
docker logs teleport --tail=50

Verification

Check Teleport status:

Bash SERVER

docker exec teleport tctl status

Expected Output:

Cluster homelab Version 15.x.x CA pin sha256:xxxxxx...

Task 3.6: Create Admin User

SERVER Machine — Via SSH Connection

Create First Admin User

Bash SERVER

# Create admin user with editor and access roles
docker exec teleport tctl users add admin \
    --roles=editor,access \
    --logins=root,ubuntu

# You'll get a signup URL like:
# https://teleport.yourdomain.com:443/web/invite/xxxxx
#
# Open this URL in your browser to:
#   1. Set your password
#   2. Configure MFA (hardware key or TOTP)

Phase 3 Complete!

Teleport is running! Open the signup URL in your browser to create your admin account with MFA. You can now access the Teleport Web UI at https://teleport.yourdomain.com

Phase 4: Add SSH Nodes

Connect servers to your Teleport cluster.

20-30 minutes Performed on: TARGET Server (the server you want to access)

Now we'll install the Teleport agent on servers you want to access via SSH. These commands run on the target server, not the Teleport server.

Task 4.1: Install Teleport Agent

TARGET Server — The server you want to SSH into

Add Teleport Repository and Install

Bash — Ubuntu/Debian TARGET

# Add Teleport repository GPG key
sudo curl https://apt.releases.teleport.dev/gpg \
    -o /usr/share/keyrings/teleport-archive-keyring.asc

# Add Teleport repository
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/teleport-archive-keyring.asc] \
https://apt.releases.teleport.dev/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable/v15" | \
sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/teleport.list > /dev/null

# Update and install
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y teleport

# Verify installation
teleport version

Task 4.2: Configure Agent

TARGET Server — The server you want to SSH into

Create Agent Configuration

Bash TARGET

# Create agent configuration
sudo cat > /etc/teleport.yaml << 'EOF'
# ============================================
# TELEPORT AGENT CONFIGURATION
# ============================================
version: v3

teleport:
  nodename: my-server              # Descriptive name for this server
  data_dir: /var/lib/teleport
  auth_token: YOUR_SECURE_TOKEN    # Same token from Phase 3
  auth_server: teleport.yourdomain.com:443

# Disable services we don't need on agents
auth_service:
  enabled: false

proxy_service:
  enabled: false

# Enable SSH service with labels
ssh_service:
  enabled: true
  labels:
    env: homelab                   # Environment tag
    type: server                   # Server type
    os: ubuntu                     # Operating system
EOF

Replace These Values!

my-serverA descriptive name (e.g., web-server-1, db-server)
YOUR_SECURE_TOKENThe same token from Phase 3
teleport.yourdomain.comYour Teleport server domain

Start and Enable Teleport Service

Bash TARGET

# Enable Teleport to start on boot
sudo systemctl enable teleport

# Start Teleport
sudo systemctl start teleport

# Check status
sudo systemctl status teleport

# View logs if needed
sudo journalctl -u teleport -f

Verification

Back on your Teleport server, verify the node joined:

Bash SERVER

docker exec teleport tctl nodes ls

Expected Output:

Nodename UUID Address Labels ----------- ------------------------------------- -------------- ------------------ teleport xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx 127.0.0.1:3022 env=homelab,role=main my-server yyyyyyyy-yyyy-yyyy-yyyy-yyyyyyyyyyyy 10.0.0.5:3022 env=homelab,type=server

Node Connected!

Your server is now part of the Teleport cluster. Users with appropriate roles can SSH to it through Teleport.

Troubleshooting Guide

Common issues and their solutions when working with Teleport.

Node Won't Join Cluster

Cause: Token mismatch, network issue, or incorrect auth_server address.

Solutions:

Verify token matches exactly in both configurations
Check node can reach teleport.yourdomain.com:443
Check node logs: journalctl -u teleport
Verify DNS resolves correctly

SSO Login Fails

Cause: SAML configuration mismatch between Teleport and Authentik.

Solutions:

Verify ACS URL matches exactly in both systems
Check entity_descriptor_url is accessible
Ensure user has groups mapped in Authentik
Check Teleport logs for SAML errors

Permission Denied on SSH

Cause: Role doesn't allow access to this server or login user.

Solutions:

Check user's assigned roles: tctl users ls
Verify node_labels in role match server labels
Ensure login user is in the role's allowed logins
Check role with: tctl get roles/ROLENAME

Certificate Expired

Cause: Your Teleport certificate has expired (they're short-lived by design).

Solution: Simply log in again to get a new certificate:
tsh login --proxy=teleport.yourdomain.com

Cleanup Instructions

Remove Teleport when finished with the lab.

Option A: Stop Teleport (Preserve Data)

SERVER Machine

Bash SERVER

cd ~/identity-stack

# Stop Teleport container (data preserved)
docker compose -f docker-compose.teleport.yml stop

# Verify it's stopped
docker compose -f docker-compose.teleport.yml ps

Option B: Complete Removal

Warning: Permanent Data Loss

This will permanently delete all Teleport configuration, certificates, and session recordings.

SERVER Machine

Bash SERVER

cd ~/identity-stack

# Stop and remove Teleport container
docker compose -f docker-compose.teleport.yml down

# Remove all Teleport data
rm -rf ~/identity-stack/teleport/data/*

# Optionally remove configuration too
# rm -rf ~/identity-stack/teleport/

Remove Agent from Target Servers

TARGET Server

Bash TARGET

# Stop and disable Teleport
sudo systemctl stop teleport
sudo systemctl disable teleport

# Remove Teleport package
sudo apt remove -y teleport

# Remove data and config
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/teleport
sudo rm -f /etc/teleport.yaml

Skills Acquired

Congratulations!

You've implemented enterprise-grade Zero Trust Network Access!

Zero Trust Architecture: Certificate-based access without VPN
Certificate Authentication: Short-lived certs replace SSH keys
SSO Integration: SAML-based login via Authentik
Role-Based Access Control: Granular server access by labels
Session Recording: Complete audit trail for compliance
Cluster Management: Add/remove nodes dynamically

Next Steps

Add more servers to your Teleport cluster
Configure database access through Teleport
Set up Kubernetes access
Configure application access for internal web apps
Project D: Wazuh SIEM for Security Monitoring
Project E: Identity Governance and Access Reviews