Ansible Security and Testing Tools for Automation

Automation has become the cornerstone of modern IT operations, enabling organizations to streamline processes, reduce manual errors, and improve efficiency. However, as automation grows in complexity and scale, security risks also increase. Misconfigured infrastructure, untested playbooks, and vulnerabilities in automation workflows can expose organizations to significant threats.

After my article on using SonarQube for Ansible code scanning and quality checks, this article covers additional tools and frameworks required for secured automation.

Ansible, one of the most widely used tools for configuration management and deployment, offers immense power and flexibility. But without proper safeguards, it can inadvertently introduce security risks. To address this challenge, organizations must adopt a security-first approach to automation by leveraging specialized tools for testing, validation, and compliance enforcement.

This guide explores key tools that help secure Ansible implementations, covering both open-source solutions and commercial offerings. Whether your organization is managing small-scale projects or enterprise-level deployments, these tools will enable you to automate confidently while maintaining robust security standards.

Essential Security and Testing Tools for Ansible

1. Molecule: Role Testing Framework

Molecule is a powerful framework designed specifically for testing Ansible roles. It enables developers to validate roles in isolated environments before deploying them to production systems. By simulating different scenarios and environments, Molecule ensures that roles behave predictably across various configurations.

Key Capabilities

• Creates isolated test environments using Docker, Podman, or Vagrant
• Supports multi-scenario testing across different operating systems
• Integrates seamlessly with continuous integration pipelines for automated testing
• Provides detailed feedback on role functionality and compatibility

Installation

pip install molecule

Molecule is ideal for teams looking to enforce rigorous testing standards during role development. By identifying issues early in the development lifecycle, it reduces the risk of deployment failures and security vulnerabilities.

To create a new Ansible collection and a role with Molecule, check the documentation here. 

Add Molecule on an Existing Ansible Role

1. To add Molecule to an existing role, run the below command to generate the required molecule directory and file structure

molecule init scenario

 For the complete directory structure, check the GitHub repository with Ansible YAML snippets.

2. Edit the meta/main.yml file in your role and add role_name and namespace under galaxy_info:

galaxy_info:
  author: vidyasagarMachupalli
  description: A file management role
  company: your company (optional)
  role_name: file_management
  namespace: vidyasagar_machupalli

3. Now, run the Molecule test on the Ansible role.

molecule test

2. Ansible Lint: Playbook Validation Tool

Ansible Lint is a lightweight yet powerful tool for validating playbooks, roles, and collections. It scans Ansible content for common issues such as syntax errors, deprecated modules, and security misconfigurations. By enforcing best practices during development, Ansible Lint helps teams create reliable and secure automation workflows.

Critical Functions

• Identifies security misconfigurations in playbook development
• Detects deprecated modules and anti-patterns that may introduce risks
• Supports custom rule configuration to align with organizational policies
• Provides actionable feedback to improve playbook quality

Installation

pip install ansible-lint

Ansible Lint is particularly useful for teams adopting DevSecOps practices, as it integrates easily into CI/CD pipelines to ensure playbooks meet security standards before deployment.

3. KICS: Infrastructure as Code Security Scanner

KICS (Keeping Infrastructure as Code Secure) is an open-source tool designed to scan Infrastructure as Code (IaC) files for misconfigurations and vulnerabilities. It supports a wide range of IaC formats, including Ansible playbooks, Terraform configurations, Kubernetes manifests, and more. KICS helps organizations identify issues before deployment, reducing the risk of exposing infrastructure to security threats.

Security Features

• Analyzes Ansible playbooks alongside other IaC formats such as Terraform and Kubernetes configurations
• Includes over 2,000 predefined security policies tailored for cloud environments (AWS, GCP, Azure)
• Provides pre-deployment misconfiguration detection to prevent security breaches
• Offers detailed reports on vulnerabilities with remediation guidance

Deployment

docker pull checkmarx/kics:latest

KICS is ideal for organizations managing hybrid or multi-cloud environments where IaC plays a critical role in provisioning resources securely.

4. Steampunk Spotter: Enterprise Playbook Analysis

Steampunk Spotter is a commercial tool designed for enterprise-grade analysis of Ansible playbooks. It leverages advanced algorithms to optimize playbooks while ensuring compliance with security standards. Steampunk Spotter provides detailed insights into playbook performance and potential vulnerabilities, making it an excellent choice for large-scale deployments.

Enterprise-Grade Capabilities

• Advanced playbook optimization features to improve efficiency and reliability
• Comprehensive security and compliance scanning tailored for enterprise requirements
• Integration with CI/CD pipelines for automated validation workflows
• Detailed reporting capabilities for audits and governance purposes

Steampunk Spotter is particularly valuable for organizations requiring deep insights into their automation workflows and needing tools that scale effectively with complex infrastructures.

5. Ansible Development Tools: Red Hat's Integrated Solution

Red Hat’s Ansible Development Tools provide a comprehensive suite of utilities designed to enhance the creation, testing, and validation of Ansible content. These tools are part of the Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform and are ideal for teams seeking enterprise-grade solutions with official support from Red Hat.

Toolkit Components

• ansible-builder: Creates secure execution environments tailored to specific requirements
• ansible-navigator: Provides an intuitive interface for debugging playbooks during development
• ansible-sign: Digitally signs content to verify authenticity and integrity
• pytest-ansible: Enables unit testing of roles and collections within Python-based test frameworks

You can find the curated list of tools here installed as part of the Ansible Development Tools.

RHEL Installation

sudo dnf install ansible-dev-tools

This suite of tools is particularly useful for organizations already invested in Red Hat’s ecosystem or those seeking enterprise support for their automation initiatives.

Recommended Security Practices

To maximize the effectiveness of these tools, organizations should adopt the following best practices:

1. Test roles in isolated environments. Use Molecule to validate role functionality across different configurations before deploying them in production systems.
2. Enforce linting during development. Integrate Ansible Lint into your CI/CD pipelines to catch errors early in the development process.
3. Conduct comprehensive IaC scanning. Use KICS to identify misconfigurations across all infrastructure code formats before deployment.
4. Implement robust secret management. Leverage tools like HashiCorp Vault or a Cloud Secrets Manager to securely manage sensitive credentials used in automation workflows.
5. Evaluate commercial solutions. For enterprise-scale deployments or advanced requirements such as compliance auditing, consider tools like Steampunk Spotter or Red Hat’s offerings.

Conclusion

Security must be an integral part of every automation strategy — not an afterthought added during audits or post-deployment reviews. By leveraging the tools outlined in this guide — ranging from open-source solutions like Molecule and KICS to enterprise-grade offerings like Steampunk Spotter — organizations can build a secure foundation for their automation workflows.

For small-scale projects or teams just beginning their DevSecOps journey, open-source tools provide robust functionality at no cost while enabling rapid adoption of best practices. Enterprises managing complex infrastructures can benefit from commercial solutions that offer deeper insights into performance optimization and compliance enforcement.

Ultimately, secure automation is not just about protecting infrastructure — it’s about enabling innovation with confidence while maintaining operational resilience against evolving threats.

Organizations should begin implementing these tools today to ensure their automation workflows remain secure, compliant, and efficient as they scale toward future growth objectives.