chore: Describe RBAC rules, remove unnecessary rules (#916)

* chore: Describe RBAC rules, remove unnecessary rules

* chore: Update changelog

* Apply suggestions from code review

Co-authored-by: Nick <10092581+NickLarsenNZ@users.noreply.github.com>

* chore: Add missing comments on RBAC rules

* chore: Remove the get for customresourcedefinitions for the operator clusterrole.

* chore: Remove the configmaps/secrets/serviceaccounts get rule for the product clusterrole

* fix: Always allow list/watch on customresourcedefinitions for the operator

* chore: Simplify RBAC rule descriptions

* chore: Remove the events.k8s.io rule from the product ClusterRole. The operator manages the Kubernetes events

* chore: Keep the rbac.authorization.k8s.io rules within a ClusterRole close to each other

* chore: Split the roles.yaml into separate files for clusterrole-operator.yaml and clusterrole-product.yaml

Author: NickLarsenNZ

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+- Document Helm deployed RBAC permissions and remove unnecessary permissions ([#916]).
+
+[#916]: https://github.com/stackabletech/nifi-operator/pull/916
+
 ## [26.3.0] - 2026-03-16
 
 ## [26.3.0-rc1] - 2026-03-16

…/helm/nifi-operator/templates/roles.yaml …ator/templates/clusterrole-operator.yamldeploy/helm/nifi-operator/templates/roles.yaml renamed to deploy/helm/nifi-operator/templates/clusterrole-operator.yaml deploy/helm/nifi-operator/templates/roles.yaml renamed to deploy/helm/nifi-operator/templates/clusterrole-operator.yaml

@@ -1,41 +1,54 @@
+---
 apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
 kind: ClusterRole
 metadata:
   name: {{ include "operator.fullname" . }}-clusterrole
   labels:
   {{- include "operator.labels" . | nindent 4 }}
 rules:
-  - apiGroups:
-      - ""
-    resources:
-      - nodes
-    verbs:
-      - list
-      - watch
   # For automatic cluster domain detection
   - apiGroups:
       - ""
     resources:
       - nodes/proxy
     verbs:
       - get
+  # Manage core workload resources created per NifiCluster.
+  # Applied via SSA and tracked for orphan cleanup.
   - apiGroups:
       - ""
     resources:
-      - pods
       - configmaps
       - services
-      - endpoints
-      - secrets
-      - serviceaccounts
     verbs:
       - create
       - delete
       - get
       - list
       - patch
-      - update
       - watch
+  # ServiceAccount created per NifiCluster for workload pod identity.
+  # Applied via SSA and tracked for orphan cleanup.
+  - apiGroups:
+      - ""
+    resources:
+      - serviceaccounts
+    verbs:
+      - create
+      - delete
+      - get
+      - list
+      - patch
+  # Sensitive properties key and (when OIDC) admin password secret.
+  - apiGroups:
+      - ""
+    resources:
+      - secrets
+    verbs:
+      - get
+      - create
+  # RoleBinding created per NifiCluster to bind the product ClusterRole to the workload
+  # ServiceAccount. Applied via SSA and tracked for orphan cleanup.
   - apiGroups:
       - rbac.authorization.k8s.io
     resources:
@@ -46,20 +59,29 @@ rules:
       - get
       - list
       - patch
-      - update
-      - watch
+  # Required to bind the product ClusterRole to per-cluster ServiceAccounts
+  - apiGroups:
+      - rbac.authorization.k8s.io
+    resources:
+      - clusterroles
+    verbs:
+      - bind
+    resourceNames:
+      - {{ include "operator.name" . }}-clusterrole
+  # StatefulSet created per role group. Applied via SSA, tracked for orphan cleanup, and
+  # owned by the controller.
   - apiGroups:
       - apps
     resources:
       - statefulsets
     verbs:
-      - get
       - create
       - delete
+      - get
       - list
       - patch
-      - update
       - watch
+  # Optional reporting-task Job (NiFi 1.x only). Applied via SSA and tracked for orphan cleanup.
   - apiGroups:
       - batch
     resources:
@@ -70,8 +92,7 @@ rules:
       - get
       - list
       - patch
-      - update
-      - watch
+  # PodDisruptionBudget created per role. Applied via SSA and tracked for orphan cleanup.
   - apiGroups:
       - policy
     resources:
@@ -82,56 +103,59 @@ rules:
       - get
       - list
       - patch
-      - update
-      - watch
+  # Required for maintaining the CRDs within the operator (including the conversion webhook info).
+  # Also for the startup condition check before the controller can run.
   - apiGroups:
       - apiextensions.k8s.io
     resources:
       - customresourcedefinitions
     verbs:
-      - get
       # Required to maintain the CRD. The operator needs to do this, as it needs to enter e.g. it's
       # generated certificate in the conversion webhook.
       {{- if .Values.maintenance.customResourceDefinitions.maintain }}
       - create
       - patch
+      {{- end }}
       # Required for startup condition
       - list
       - watch
-      {{- end }}
+  # Required to report reconciliation results and warnings back to the NifiCluster object.
   - apiGroups:
       - events.k8s.io
     resources:
       - events
     verbs:
       - create
       - patch
+  # Listener created per role group for external access. Applied via SSA and tracked for orphan
+  # cleanup.
   - apiGroups:
       - listeners.stackable.tech
     resources:
       - listeners
     verbs:
+      - create
+      - delete
       - get
       - list
-      - watch
       - patch
-      - create
-      - delete
+  # Primary CRD: watched by the controller and read during reconciliation.
   - apiGroups:
       - {{ include "operator.name" . }}.stackable.tech
     resources:
       - {{ include "operator.name" . }}clusters
     verbs:
       - get
       - list
-      - patch
       - watch
+  # Status subresource: updated at the end of every reconciliation.
   - apiGroups:
       - {{ include "operator.name" . }}.stackable.tech
     resources:
       - {{ include "operator.name" . }}clusters/status
     verbs:
       - patch
+  # Read authentication class configuration referenced in the NifiCluster spec.
   - apiGroups:
       - authentication.stackable.tech
     resources:
@@ -140,70 +164,3 @@ rules:
       - get
       - list
       - watch
-  - apiGroups:
-      - rbac.authorization.k8s.io
-    resources:
-      - clusterroles
-    verbs:
-      - bind
-    resourceNames:
-      - {{ include "operator.name" . }}-clusterrole
-
----
-apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
-kind: ClusterRole
-metadata:
-  name: {{ include "operator.name" . }}-clusterrole
-  labels:
-  {{- include "operator.labels" . | nindent 4 }}
-rules:
-  - apiGroups:
-      - ""
-    resources:
-      - secrets
-      - serviceaccounts
-      # This is redundant with the rule for specifically about configmaps
-      # (due to clustering), but we read them for other purposes too
-      - configmaps
-    verbs:
-      - get
-  - apiGroups:
-      - events.k8s.io
-    resources:
-      - events
-    verbs:
-      - create
-      - patch
-  # Required for Kubernetes-managed clustering, see https://nifi.apache.org/nifi-docs/administration-guide.html#kubernetes-clustering
-  - apiGroups:
-      - coordination.k8s.io
-    resources:
-      - leases
-    verbs:
-      - create
-      - get
-      - update
-      # undocumented but required
-      - patch
-  # Required for Kubernetes cluster state provider, see https://nifi.apache.org/nifi-docs/administration-guide.html#kubernetes-configmap-cluster-state-provider
-  - apiGroups:
-      - ""
-    resources:
-      - configmaps
-    verbs:
-      - create
-      - delete
-      - get
-      - list
-      - patch
-      - update
-{{ if .Capabilities.APIVersions.Has "security.openshift.io/v1" }}
-  - apiGroups:
-      - security.openshift.io
-    resources:
-      - securitycontextconstraints
-    resourceNames:
-      - nonroot-v2
-    verbs:
-      - use
-{{ end }}

deploy/helm/nifi-operator/templates/clusterrole-product.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+---
+apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+kind: ClusterRole
+metadata:
+  name: {{ include "operator.name" . }}-clusterrole
+  labels:
+  {{- include "operator.labels" . | nindent 4 }}
+rules:
+  # Required for Kubernetes-managed clustering, see https://nifi.apache.org/nifi-docs/administration-guide.html#kubernetes-clustering
+  - apiGroups:
+      - coordination.k8s.io
+    resources:
+      - leases
+    verbs:
+      - create
+      - get
+      - update
+      # undocumented but required
+      - patch
+  # Required for Kubernetes cluster state provider, see https://nifi.apache.org/nifi-docs/administration-guide.html#kubernetes-configmap-cluster-state-provider
+  - apiGroups:
+      - ""
+    resources:
+      - configmaps
+    verbs:
+      - create
+      - delete
+      - get
+      - list
+      - patch
+      - update
+{{ if .Capabilities.APIVersions.Has "security.openshift.io/v1" }}
+  # Required to use the nonroot-v2 SCC on OpenShift
+  - apiGroups:
+      - security.openshift.io
+    resources:
+      - securitycontextconstraints
+    resourceNames:
+      - nonroot-v2
+    verbs:
+      - use
+{{ end }}