← Problem Library
Security L7 SECURITY-1489 · 12 min

A Vault agent rotates a certificate and the app still presents the old one because it watches the symlink and not the projected file inode

The secret updates, but the app's watcher never notices the projected inode swap behind the stable symlink path.

SecurityPlatform ReliabilityLevel 7Pro12 min
Scenario

Certificate rotation succeeds in Vault and the application keeps serving the previous certificate until restart.

What to check first
  • Identify the primary failure signal in the The Secret Changed and the App Kept Watching the Sign on the Door Instead of the Person Walking Through It scenario.
  • Separate visible symptoms from the underlying technical dependency.
  • Describe the safest recovery path and the follow-up prevention work.
Checking checklist
  1. Summarize the current impact and the last known change.
  2. Collect direct evidence from logs, runtime state, and configuration before changing anything.
  3. Separate immediate recovery from permanent prevention work.
Recovery and prevention

Compare watcher behavior and projected file updates before widening cert TTLs.

Questions worth viewing together
Should I translate commands, logs, or product names?

No. Keep commands, logs, file names, APIs, and product names unchanged, then explain the reasoning in the selected UI language.

What should the answer focus on?

State the root cause, the evidence that supports it, and the safest recovery direction.

Why can the scenario remain in the original language?

The source scenario is treated as an incident artifact. Guidance, checklist, hints, and explanations can be localized around it.