<p>I have the following definitions in my custom namespace:</p>

<pre><code>apiVersion: v1
kind: ServiceAccount
metadata:
  name: test-sa
---
kind: Role
apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
metadata:
  name: test
rules:
  - apiGroups: [""]
    resources: ["pods", "pods/exec"]
    verbs: ["get", "list", "delete", "patch", "create"]
  - apiGroups: ["extensions", "apps"]
    resources: ["deployments", "deployments/scale"]
    verbs: ["get", "list", "delete", "patch", "create"]
---
apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
kind: RoleBinding
metadata:
  name: test
subjects:
  - kind: User
    name: test-sa
    apiGroup: rbac.authorization.k8s.io
roleRef:
  kind: Role
  name: test
  apiGroup: rbac.authorization.k8s.io
</code></pre>

<p>Running <code>describe role test</code></p>

<pre><code>Name:         test
Labels:       &lt;none&gt;
Annotations:  kubectl.kubernetes.io/last-applied-configuration:
                {"apiVersion":"rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1","kind":"Role","metadata":{"annotations":{},"name":"test","namespace":"test-namesapce...
PolicyRule:
  Resources                     Non-Resource URLs  Resource Names  Verbs
  ---------                     -----------------  --------------  -----
  pods/exec                     []                 []              [get list delete patch create]
  pods                          []                 []              [get list delete patch create]
  deployments.apps/scale        []                 []              [get list delete patch create]
  deployments.apps              []                 []              [get list delete patch create]
  deployments.extensions/scale  []                 []              [get list delete patch create]
  deployments.extensions        []                 []              [get list delete patch create]
</code></pre>

<p>When I'm trying to run the command <code>kubectl get pods</code> in a pod that is using this service account, I'm getting the following error:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Error from server (Forbidden): pods is forbidden: User
  "system:serviceaccount:test-namespace:test-sa" cannot list resource
  "pods" in API group "" in the namespace "test-namespace"</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Where is that misconfigured?</p>

<p>The problem was with the <code>subjects</code> of <code>RoleBinding</code>. The correct definition would be:</p>

<pre><code>apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
kind: RoleBinding
metadata:
  name: test
subjects:
  - kind: ServiceAccount
    name: test-sa
roleRef:
  kind: Role
  name: test
  apiGroup: rbac.authorization.k8s.io
</code></pre>
