Docker build encountering 401 error from npm package on Elastic Beanstalk

Other Questions NPM
1

I created a Dockerfile for my Node.js Express application, including the following contents:

FROM node:lts-alpine3.20
RUN echo $(node -v)
COPY . /app/
WORKDIR /app/
ENV MY_GITHUB_TOKEN=your_github_token_hardcoded
RUN echo "//npm.pkg.github.com/:_authToken=${MY_GITHUB_TOKEN}" > ~/.npmrc
RUN npm install
RUN npm run build
EXPOSE 5000
CMD ["npm", "start"]

The build process runs correctly on my local machine using the command docker build ., but when I deploy this on Elastic Beanstalk, I encounter a “401 Unauthorized” error. The message indicates that authentication failed for the token provided when trying to access a private npm repo. I’m puzzled as I explicitly hardcoded the GitHub token into the Dockerfile to avoid dealing with environment variables. Any suggestions on how to resolve this issue?

2

To address the 401 Unauthorized error you're facing on Elastic Beanstalk, hardcoding sensitive information like API tokens is generally not recommended due to security and operational risks. Here’s a streamlined approach to handle this efficiently and securely:

Use Elastic Beanstalk Environment Variables

  1. Store Sensitive Data Securely: Instead of hardcoding, use Elastic Beanstalk to manage environment variables securely. This keeps your Dockerfile clean and your credentials safe.
    • In the AWS Management Console, navigate to your Elastic Beanstalk environment.
    • Go to Configuration > Software > Edit.
    • Add your MY_GITHUB_TOKEN under Environment properties.
  2. Update Dockerfile: 
    FROM node:lts-alpine3.20
RUN echo $(node -v)
COPY . /app/
WORKDIR /app/
ARG MY_GITHUB_TOKEN
RUN echo "//npm.pkg.github.com/:_authToken=${MY_GITHUB_TOKEN}" > ~/.npmrc
RUN npm install
RUN npm run build
EXPOSE 5000
CMD ["npm", "start"]
  3. Pass Tokens as Build Arguments:
    • Modify your Elastic Beanstalk configuration to build the Docker image using the token stored in the environment variable:
    • Use a multi-stage build process or build-time arguments to pass the token securely during deployment.

This method ensures that your sensitive tokens aren't exposed in your codebase and lets AWS handle them securely on their infrastructure.

3

The suggestion to use environment variables instead of hardcoding the token is a crucial best practice. However, if you're still experiencing issues with a 401 error on Elastic Beanstalk, it might be due to how the build environment accesses the token. Let me share a different perspective on handling this:

Consider Using AWS Secrets Manager

  • Store your secrets: Use AWS Secrets Manager to store the GitHub token securely. Secrets Manager is designed to securely store, retrieve, and manage sensitive information.
  • Read the secret at runtime: Modify your application's code to read the token from Secrets Manager at runtime. This way, the token is never exposed in your Dockerfile or environment variables.
  • Use IAM Roles: Ensure your Elastic Beanstalk instance has permissions to access Secrets Manager. You can attach the necessary IAM policies to your instance profile.

Example of Accessing Secrets

Here's a simple code snippet to access secrets using AWS SDK in Node.js:

const AWS = require('aws-sdk');
const secretsManager = new AWS.SecretsManager();

async function getSecretValue(secretName) {
  try {
    const data = await secretsManager.getSecretValue({ SecretId: secretName }).promise();
    if (data.SecretString) {
      return JSON.parse(data.SecretString);
    }
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error fetching secret:', error);
    throw new Error('Could not retrieve secret');
  }
}

// Usage example
getSecretValue('YourSecretName').then(token => {
  console.log('Token:', token);
});

With this method, you maintain the security of your tokens, keep them out of your versioned code, and allow AWS services to manage credentials effectively.

4

Hey DancingBird, try using Elastic Beanstalk environment variables instead of hardcoding your token.

Steps:

  1. Go to your Elastic Beanstalk environment in AWS Management Console.
  2. Navigate to Configuration > Software > Edit.
  3. Add MY_GITHUB_TOKEN under Environment properties.

Update your Dockerfile:


FROM node:lts-alpine3.20
RUN echo $(node -v)
COPY . /app/
WORKDIR /app/
ARG MY_GITHUB_TOKEN
RUN echo "//npm.pkg.github.com/:_authToken=${MY_GITHUB_TOKEN}" > ~/.npmrc
RUN npm install
RUN npm run build
EXPOSE 5000
CMD ["npm", "start"]

This keeps the token secure and solves deployment issues on Elastic Beanstalk.