How do I install the Keyvault Secret Reader skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add microsoft-foundry-foundry-samples/keyvault-secret-reader in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Keyvault Secret Reader safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Independent scanners report: SkillSpector: PASS, Skill Scanner: PASS. Capability flags: executes scripts, makes network calls, reads secrets. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Keyvault Secret Reader?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Keyvault Secret Reader free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Keyvault Secret Reader?

microsoft-foundry (@microsoft-foundry-foundry-samples) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Keyvault Secret Reader by microsoft-foundry-foundry-samples

Name: Keyvault Secret Reader
Rating: 4.666666666666667 (3 reviews)
Author: microsoft-foundry

Keyvault Secret Reader

Read a named secret from Azure Key Vault using the caller's (agent's) managed identity, without ever placing the secret value in a prompt or tool argument. Use when an agent needs a credential, API key, connection string, or `sig` held in Key Vault — including from inside a managed harness or sandbox where DefaultAzureCredential resolves to the agent identity. Requires the identity to hold the 'Key Vault Secrets User' role on the vault.

File contents

Key Vault Secret Reader

Overview

Fetch a secret from Azure Key Vault via the caller's identity. The bundled scripts/read_secret.py is stdlib-only (no pip installs) so it runs on a bare Python image such as a harness sandbox. In a managed harness the agent's managed identity is used automatically via DefaultAzureCredential.

Secret hygiene: the secret value stays inside the script process. By default the CLI masks the value; only pass --show when a downstream step must consume the raw value, and pipe it directly rather than printing it into the conversation.

Prerequisites

KEYVAULT_URL — https://<vault>.vault.azure.net (or --vault).
A token — resolved automatically: --token / KEYVAULT_TOKEN env, then DefaultAzureCredential (managed identity / sandbox identity / az login), then az account get-access-token. Scope is https://vault.azure.net/.default.
RBAC: the identity must have Key Vault Secrets User on the vault (role id 4633458b-17de-408a-b874-0445c86b69e6). A 401/403 means the role is missing.

Usage

export KEYVAULT_URL="https://<vault>.vault.azure.net"

# Inspect a secret without revealing it (masked value + length):
python scripts/read_secret.py get financial-profile-sig

# Emit the raw value for a downstream step (avoid printing to the user):
SIG="$(python scripts/read_secret.py get financial-profile-sig --show)"

Key rules

Never echo the raw value to the user. Use the masked form to confirm retrieval; use --show only to hand the value to another program.
401/403 = missing role, not a transient error — report it plainly and stop; do not retry.
Pass --version to pin a specific secret version; latest is used by default.

---name: keyvault-secret-readerdescription: Read a named secret from Azure Key Vault using the caller's (agent's) managed identity, without ever placing the secret value in a prompt or tool argument. Use when an agent needs a credential, API key, connection string, or `sig` held in Key Vault — including from inside a managed harness or sandbox where DefaultAzureCredential resolves to the agent identity. Requires the identity to hold the 'Key Vault Secrets User' role on the vault.---# Key Vault Secret Reader## OverviewFetch a secret from Azure Key Vault via the **caller's identity**. The bundled`scripts/read_secret.py` is stdlib-only (no pip installs) so it runs on a bare Pythonimage such as a harness sandbox. In a managed harness the **agent's managed identity** isused automatically via `DefaultAzureCredential`.**Secret hygiene:** the secret value stays inside the script process. By default the CLI**masks** the value; only pass `--show` when a downstream step must consume the raw value,and pipe it directly rather than printing it into the conversation.## Prerequisites- **`KEYVAULT_URL`** — `https://<vault>.vault.azure.net` (or `--vault`).- **A token** — resolved automatically: `--token` / `KEYVAULT_TOKEN` env, then `DefaultAzureCredential` (managed identity / sandbox identity / `az login`), then `az account get-access-token`. Scope is `https://vault.azure.net/.default`.- **RBAC**: the identity must have **Key Vault Secrets User** on the vault (role id `4633458b-17de-408a-b874-0445c86b69e6`). A 401/403 means the role is missing.## Usage```bashexport KEYVAULT_URL="https://<vault>.vault.azure.net"# Inspect a secret without revealing it (masked value + length):python scripts/read_secret.py get financial-profile-sig# Emit the raw value for a downstream step (avoid printing to the user):SIG="$(python scripts/read_secret.py get financial-profile-sig --show)"```## Key rules- **Never echo the raw value to the user.** Use the masked form to confirm retrieval; use `--show` only to hand the value to another program.- **401/403 = missing role**, not a transient error — report it plainly and stop; do not retry.- Pass `--version` to pin a specific secret version; latest is used by default.

Frequently asked questions