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attack-surface.md

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Attack Surface Analysis for milvus-io/milvus

Attack Surface: Unsecured gRPC API

  • Description: Milvus exposes a gRPC API for client communication. If this API is not properly secured, it becomes a direct entry point for attackers.
  • Milvus Contribution: Milvus requires the gRPC API for core functionality. It's the primary interface for data interaction and management. Default configurations might not enforce TLS/SSL or strong authentication.
  • Example: An attacker scans open ports and finds a Milvus instance with an exposed gRPC port (19530) without TLS or authentication. They use a gRPC client to connect and issue commands to exfiltrate vector data or corrupt the database.
  • Impact: Data breach, data manipulation, denial of service, complete compromise of the Milvus instance.
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Enable TLS/SSL: Configure Milvus to use TLS/SSL for gRPC communication to encrypt data in transit and prevent MITM attacks.
    • Implement Authentication: Enable and enforce strong authentication mechanisms for gRPC clients. Milvus supports various authentication methods; choose a robust one and configure it properly.
    • Network Segmentation: Restrict network access to the gRPC port (19530) using firewalls or network policies. Only allow access from authorized clients or application servers.

Attack Surface: Unsecured HTTP REST API (if enabled)

  • Description: Milvus can optionally expose a REST API, often through an Nginx proxy. Similar to gRPC, lack of security makes it vulnerable.
  • Milvus Contribution: Milvus optionally provides a REST API for easier integration in some scenarios. If enabled and not secured, it adds another attack vector directly related to Milvus's features.
  • Example: An attacker discovers an exposed REST API endpoint (e.g., on port 8080) for Milvus without HTTPS. They intercept API calls, steal API keys (if used but transmitted insecurely), or directly exploit API endpoints to manipulate data.
  • Impact: Data breach, data manipulation, denial of service, potential web server vulnerabilities exploitation.
  • Risk Severity: High
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Enable HTTPS: Always enforce HTTPS for the REST API to encrypt communication. Configure TLS/SSL on the web server (e.g., Nginx) proxying requests to Milvus.
    • Implement Authentication and Authorization: Use robust authentication mechanisms (e.g., API keys, OAuth 2.0) for the REST API. Implement proper authorization to control access to specific API endpoints based on user roles.

Attack Surface: Storage Backend Misconfiguration

  • Description: Milvus relies on external storage backends (object storage, metadata storage). Misconfigurations in these backends can expose Milvus data.
  • Milvus Contribution: Milvus depends on external storage. Its security is directly tied to the security of these underlying storage systems, making it a direct concern for Milvus deployments.
  • Example: An administrator misconfigures an S3 bucket used by Milvus for vector data storage, making it publicly readable. An attacker discovers this misconfiguration and directly downloads all vector data, bypassing Milvus access controls.
  • Impact: Data breach, unauthorized access to vector data, data manipulation (if write access is also misconfigured).
  • Risk Severity: High to Critical (depending on the extent of misconfiguration and data exposed)
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Principle of Least Privilege for Storage Access: Grant Milvus processes only the minimum necessary permissions to access storage backends.
    • Secure Storage Configuration: Follow security best practices for configuring object storage (e.g., private buckets, IAM roles, bucket policies) and metadata storage (strong authentication, access controls).
    • Regular Security Audits of Storage Configurations: Periodically review and audit storage backend configurations to identify and rectify any misconfigurations.

Attack Surface: Weak Authentication and Authorization

  • Description: Weak or missing authentication and authorization mechanisms in Milvus APIs and internal components.
  • Milvus Contribution: Milvus's security model relies on properly configured authentication and authorization. Weaknesses here directly compromise its security.
  • Example: Milvus is deployed with default, easily guessable credentials for administrative interfaces (if any exist). An attacker uses these default credentials to gain administrative access and completely control the Milvus instance. Or, authorization is not properly enforced, allowing a regular user to perform administrative actions.
  • Impact: Unauthorized access, data breach, data manipulation, denial of service, complete system compromise.
  • Risk Severity: Critical
  • Mitigation Strategies:
    • Strong Authentication Mechanisms: Implement and enforce strong authentication methods for all Milvus APIs and administrative interfaces. Avoid default credentials and use strong passwords or certificate-based authentication.
    • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Implement RBAC to define granular permissions and assign users to roles with appropriate access levels.
    • Regular Security Audits of Access Controls: Periodically review and audit authentication and authorization configurations to ensure they are correctly implemented and enforced.