Error Looking Up Module Versions 403 Forbidden

Problem

When running terraform init, the operation fails to download modules from the Private Module Registry in HCP Terraform or Terraform Enterprise. The command returns the following error message:

error looking up module versions: 403 Forbidden

Prerequisites

• Access to the HCP Terraform or Terraform Enterprise workspace settings.

Cause

This error can occur if a proxy-related environment variable, such as NO_PROXY, is configured as a workspace variable. This variable may interfere with HCP Terraform or Terraform Enterprise's ability to communicate with its internal services, including the Private Module Registry, leading to a 403 Forbidden response.

Solution

To resolve this issue, you must identify and remove the conflicting proxy environment variable from the workspace configuration.

1. Navigate to the affected workspace in your HCP Terraform or Terraform Enterprise organization.
2. Select the Variables tab.
3. Review the list of configured workspace variables and locate any proxy-related variables (e.g., HTTP_PROXY, HTTPS_PROXY, NO_PROXY).
4. Delete the variable that is causing the conflict. In most cases, this will be the NO_PROXY variable.
5. After removing the variable, trigger a new run or execute terraform init again from your local command line to confirm that Terraform can now successfully download the modules.

Additional Information

• For more details on managing workspace variables, refer to the official HCP Terraform and Terraform Enterprise documentation.
• To learn more about the Private Module Registry, consult the product documentation.