Software Design

How Mutual TLS (mTLS) Authenticates Microservices

UML Sequence Diagrams · made in Skemio

UML sequence diagram showing an mTLS handshake between Client Service, Server Service, and Root CA, verifying certificates bidirectionally.
UML sequence diagram showing an mTLS handshake between Client Service, Server Service, and Root CA, verifying certificates bidirectionally.
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What it shows

  • Both client and server validate each other via x509 certificates.
  • Prevents man-in-the-middle attacks within internal Kubernetes networks.
  • Adds slight initial TLS handshake overhead but keeps persistent sessions.

The takeaway

mTLS guarantees dual-sided identity verification and encryption for every internal RPC.

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