CyberArk credential storage integration

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 4 minutes to read
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    Summary of CyberArk credential storage integration

    The CyberArk credential storage integration enables ServiceNow Orchestration, Discovery, and Service Mapping to operate without storing any credentials directly on the ServiceNow instance. It leverages CyberArk Application Identity Management (AIM) to centrally store, manage, and monitor privileged credentials securely within the CyberArk vault. This integration helps organizations comply with internal and regulatory requirements by eliminating embedded passwords in applications and scripts, enabling periodic password rotation, and auditing privileged access.

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    The integration requires the ServiceNow External Credential Storage plugin and mandates that the MID Server and CyberArk AIM/API client be installed on the same machine. Supported CyberArk versions start from Credential Providers 12.0.1 onward.

    Key Features

    • Credential Resolution: The MID Server uses credential identifiers, types (e.g., SSH, SNMP, Windows), and IP addresses from the instance to retrieve usable credentials from CyberArk. It supports hostname, FQDN, and reverse DNS lookups to locate credentials.
    • External Credential Storage Plugin: Provides business rules and system properties to control credential views, refresh MID Server caches, and enable or disable external credential storage.
    • Supported Credential Types: Includes GCP, Azure, CIM, JMS, SNMP, SNMPv3, Basic Auth, SSH Key Pair, SSH Private Key, VMware, Windows, and Applicative Credentials. Note that GCP credentials require a modified external credential storage jar.
    • Protocol Support in ServiceNow AI Platform: Credentials stored in CyberArk support network protocols such as SOAP, REST, JDBC, SSH, PowerShell, SFTP, and JMS through corresponding workflow activities.
    • Credential Lookup Logic: CyberArk first attempts to match credentials by ID. If unsuccessful, it tries IP address matching. To prevent conflicts when multiple credentials share an IP (e.g., Windows and Tomcat), a MID Server configuration parameter can enforce matching by both credential type and IP address.
    • CyberArk Library Upgrade Process: Details steps for upgrading the CyberArk Java SDK library used by the MID Server, including managing jar files and instance entries to ensure the latest secure configuration parameters are applied.

    Implementation Considerations for ServiceNow Customers

    • Activate and configure the External Credential Storage plugin and enable it via system properties to integrate CyberArk credentials.
    • Ensure the MID Server and CyberArk AIM/API client are installed on the same host to support credential resolution.
    • Manage credential activation states carefully: disabling external credential storage sets external credentials to inactive, and re-enabling requires manual reactivation of each credential record.
    • Configure the MID Server parameter ext.cred.typespecifier to true if multiple credential types share an IP address to avoid lookup ambiguity.
    • For integration with GCP credentials, update the external credential storage jar as specified in ServiceNow documentation.
    • Follow CyberArk documentation alongside ServiceNow procedures for full integration setup and maintenance.

    Benefits

    • Enhances security by avoiding credential storage on the ServiceNow instance.
    • Centralizes privileged credential management and auditing in CyberArk.
    • Supports a wide range of credential types and network protocols used in ServiceNow workflows.
    • Enables compliance with regulatory and internal password management policies through CyberArk’s vault capabilities.

    The MID Server integration with the CyberArk vault enables ServiceNow® Orchestration, ServiceNow® Discovery, and ServiceNow® Service Mapping to run without storing any credentials on the instance.

    Introduction to CyberArk

    CyberArk Application Identity Management (AIM) product uses the Privileged Account Security solution to eliminate the need to store application passwords embedded in applications, scripts or configuration files, and allows these highly sensitive passwords to be centrally stored, logged, and managed within the CyberArk vault. This approach enables organizations to comply with internal and regulatory requirements of periodic password replacement and to monitor activities associated with all types of privileged identities, whether on-premise or in the cloud.

    The instance maintains a unique identifier for each credential, the credential type (such as SSH, SNMP, or Windows), and any credential affinities. The MID Server obtains the credential identifier, credential type, and IP address from the instance, and then uses the CyberArk vault to resolve these elements into a usable credential. The credential resolver can also look up the hostname, fqdn, and use reverse DNS lookup to get fqdn.

    The CyberArk integration requires the ServiceNow® External Credential Storage plugin, which is available in System Definitions > Plugins. The MID Server and CyberArk AIM/API client must be installed on the same machine. CyberArk Application Access Manager (AAM) Credential Providers version 12.0.1 and later is supported.

    Installed with CyberArk

    • Business rule: The External Credential Storage business rule performs the following tasks when an administrator makes any change to the external credential storage property:
      • Changes the view for the Credentials record list and form to the External Storage view. This view enables users to see the Credential ID column in the list.
      • Instructs the MID Server to refresh its non-external credentials cache in preparation for a change in the way that credentials are obtained.
    • System property: A property called Enable External Credential Storage [com.snc.use_external_credentials] enables or disables the External Credential Storage plugin after it is activated. This property is located in Discovery Definition > Properties and Orchestration > MID Server Properties, and is enabled when you activate the plugin.
      Note:
      If you disable external credential storage with the system property, the system automatically sets all the external credentials to inactive in the instance. If you re-enable the feature with this property, the system does not reset the external credential records to active. You must reactivate each credential record manually.

    Supported credential types

    The CyberArk integration supports these ServiceNow credential types:
    • GCP
    • Azure
    • CIM
    • JMS
    • SNMP forum
    • SNMPv3
    • Basic Auth
    • SSH Key Pair
    • SSH Private Key (with key and password)
      Note:
      CyberArk returns the decrypted private key; passphrase is not required.
    • VMware
    • Windows
    • Applicative Credentials
    Note:
    To use CyberArk integration with the GCP credential type, you must modify the external credential storage jar. For details see ServiceNow GCP Credential Resolver using CyberArk.

    ServiceNow AI Platform features that use these network protocols also support the use of credentials stored on a CyberArk vault.

    Table 1. Credentials supported by network protocol
    Network protocol ServiceNow® Workflow Studio support Orchestration support
    SOAP SOAP Step Create a SOAP web service activity with basic authentication overrides
    REST REST Step Create a REST web service activity with basic authentication overrides
    JDBC JDBC Step JDBC activity
    SSH SSH Step SSH activity
    PowerShell PowerShell Step PowerShell activity
    SFTP SFTP Step SFTP activity
    JMS JMS activity
    Important:
    You cannot manage credentials stored on a CyberArk vault and a custom external credential storage system using the same MID Server. The MID Server and CyberArk AIM/API client must be installed on the same machine.

    CyberArk architecture

    Figure 1. CyberArk storage architecture
    CyberArk storage architecture.
    Note:
    CyberArk uses the base system mid.jar file for resolving credentials.

    How the MID Server handles Windows accounts

    Credential lookup initially attempts to match the specified credential ID to an existing value in the CyberArk vault Name field. If a match is found, that credential is returned. If no match is found, the credential lookup attempts to find a match using the IP address. If the IP address lookup matches more than one credential, such as Windows and Tomcat on the same server, the lookup fails. To avoid this issue, set the ext.cred.type_specifier parameter in the MID Server config.xml file to true to force CyberArk to return credentials that match both the credential type and the IP address. For example, if an IP address is shared by both Windows and Tomcat, a credential type of Windows returns the Windows credential only.

    Upgrade the CyberArk library

    You can upgrade the CyberArk library if a secured configuration parameter is needed.

    Check the following configuration parameter in the config.xml: <parameter name="mid.secure_config.provider" value="com.service_now.mid.services.config.CyberArkSecuredConfigProvider"/>

    Perform the following steps to perform the upgrade if a secured config parameter provider is configured.
    1. Rename the CyberArk client version to JavaPasswordSDK_MajorVersion_minorVersion_patchNum.jar.
    2. Create a new jar entry in the ecc_agent table where the rename jar can be attached. This new entry downloads to the MID Server. This step results in two jar (Passworsdk.jar and JavaPasswordSDK _12_X_X.jar).
    3. Delete old ecc_agent entry from instance. This step deletes Passworsdk.jar from the MID Server, and the JavaPasswordSDK _12_X_X.jar remains in the system.