Kernel-Level Container Insights: Utilizing eBPF With Cilium, Tetragon, and Sboms for Security

As applications become more distributed, traditional monitoring and security tools are failing to keep pace. This article explores how eBPF, when utilized by the graduated CNCF Cilium and its sub-project Tetragon, combined with Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs), can provide insights and a security feedback loop for modern systems. We’ll create a container image and its SBOM. We’ll then launch it, simulate a breach, and see how our eBPF-based setup with Tetragon captures the issue. This will show how the SBOM can be used to debug and understand the incident.