# Diagnose ImagePullBackOff

> Determine why a pod cannot pull its container image and resolve safely.

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-bregman-arie-devops-sre-skills-diagnose-imagepullbackoff`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [bregman-arie](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/bregman-arie)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [Content & Media](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/content-and-media)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** Apache-2.0
- **Upstream author:** [bregman-arie](https://github.com/bregman-arie)
- **Source:** https://github.com/bregman-arie/devops-sre-skills/tree/main/skills/kubernetes/diagnose-imagepullbackoff

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-bregman-arie-devops-sre-skills-diagnose-imagepullbackoff
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

## When to use

Use when a pod is stuck in `ImagePullBackOff` or `ErrImagePull`.

## Preconditions

- You have read access to the namespace.
- You can identify the image reference from pod spec or describe output.

## Procedure

1. Confirm the failing image and container.
2. Read the event message for the exact pull error (404/401/timeout/TLS).
3. Validate the image name/tag/digest exists (out-of-band via registry).
4. Validate image pull secrets and service account configuration.
5. Validate network egress/DNS/TLS to the registry.

## Decision points

- `not found`: wrong tag/digest or repo path.
- `unauthorized`: missing/incorrect credentials or secret reference.
- `i/o timeout`: network path, proxy, firewall, or registry outage.
- `x509`: certificate chain/mitm/proxy issues.

## Verification

- New pods progress to `Running` without pull errors.
- Events stop showing pull failures.

## Rollback / undo

- Revert image reference to the last known-good tag/digest.
- Revert service account/secret references if changed.

## Escalation

- Registry team/vendor if the registry is down or auth is broken broadly.
- Platform/network team for cluster-wide DNS/egress/TLS issues.

## Examples

```bash
kubectl -n  get pod 
kubectl -n  describe pod 
```

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [bregman-arie](https://github.com/bregman-arie)
- **Source:** [bregman-arie/devops-sre-skills](https://github.com/bregman-arie/devops-sre-skills)
- **License:** Apache-2.0

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-bregman-arie-devops-sre-skills-diagnose-imagepullbackoff
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/bregman-arie
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

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Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.