terrahelp
A command-line utility written in Go that provides encryption, decryption, and masking functionality for Terraform state and output.
What is terrahelp?
Terrahelp is a command-line utility written in Go that provides supplementary functionality for Terraform users. It solves security and output management problems by offering encryption, decryption, and masking capabilities for Terraform state files and command outputs. This helps protect sensitive data like passwords and API keys that may appear in Terraform outputs or persisted state files.
Infrastructure developers and DevOps engineers using Terraform for infrastructure-as-code who need to secure sensitive data in state files or command outputs. It's particularly useful for teams managing shared or public-facing Terraform configurations.
Developers choose Terrahelp because it provides a simple, focused toolset for securing Terraform workflows without modifying Terraform itself. Its support for both simple encryption and HashiCorp Vault integration offers flexibility, while the masking functionality provides a lightweight alternative when full encryption isn't required.
Overview
Terraform helper. Terrahelp is as a command line utility written in Go and is aimed at providing supplementary functionality which can sometimes prove useful when working with Terraform.
Use Cases
Best For
- Encrypting terraform.tfstate files containing sensitive credentials
- Masking sensitive output from terraform apply or terraform plan commands
- Securing Terraform state when working with version control systems
- Integrating HashiCorp Vault with Terraform for encryption management
- Protecting API keys and passwords in Terraform output logs
- Sharing Terraform configurations while keeping sensitive data obscured
Not Ideal For
- Windows-based development environments, as Windows support is not yet available
- Teams using infrastructure-as-code tools other than Terraform, such as Pulumi or CloudFormation
- Projects requiring automated, policy-driven secrets management integrated into the IaC platform itself
Pros & Cons
Pros
Offers encryption and masking specifically for Terraform outputs and state files, addressing common security gaps in IaC workflows without modifying Terraform core.
The vault-autoconfig command simplifies setting up HashiCorp Vault for encryption, reducing manual configuration effort, as highlighted in the commands list.
Available via Homebrew for macOS and pre-built binaries for Linux/BSD, making installation straightforward for most Unix-like systems, though Windows is excluded.
As a supplementary CLI tool written in Go, it provides minimal overhead and complements Terraform's workflow without adding complexity.
Cons
The README explicitly states that Windows is not yet supported, which excludes a significant portion of potential users and limits cross-platform adoption.
Requires running separate commands for each security operation, which can be cumbersome compared to integrated solutions in modern DevOps tools like Terraform Cloud.
Relies on simple keys or HashiCorp Vault providers, adding an extra layer of dependency and potential setup complexity for teams not using these systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
terraformerCLI tool to generate terraform files from existing infrastructure (reverse Terraform). Infrastructure to Code
InfracostCloud cost intelligence for engineers, AI coding agents, and CI/CD 💰📉 Shift FinOps Left!
TerragruntTerragrunt is a flexible orchestration tool that allows Infrastructure as Code written in OpenTofu/Terraform to scale.
atlantisTerraform Pull Request Automation
Found a gem we're missing?
Open-Awesome is built by the community, for the community. Submit a project, suggest an awesome list, or help improve the catalog on GitHub.