threat-modeling.md

Threat Model Analysis for milvus-io/milvus

Threat: Unauthorized Vector Data Access

• Description: An attacker gains unauthorized access to vector data stored in Milvus. This could be achieved by exploiting weak authentication, authorization flaws, or direct database access if security measures are insufficient. The attacker might dump the entire vector collection, selectively query for sensitive vectors, or use API vulnerabilities to bypass access controls.
• Impact: Data breach, exposure of sensitive information represented by vectors, potential reverse engineering of vectors to reveal original data, reputational damage, legal and compliance violations.
• Affected Milvus Component: Data Node, Query Node, Milvus API, Authentication/Authorization Module
• Risk Severity: Critical
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Implement strong authentication and RBAC in Milvus.
  • Enforce least privilege principle for user permissions.
  • Encrypt vector data at rest and in transit.
  • Regularly audit access logs and user permissions.
  • Implement network segmentation to restrict access to Milvus.

Threat: Data Leakage via API Exploitation

• Description: An attacker exploits vulnerabilities in Milvus APIs to extract vector data beyond intended access levels. This could involve techniques like API parameter manipulation, or exploiting information disclosure vulnerabilities in API responses.
• Impact: Data breach, unauthorized disclosure of vector data, potential misuse of leaked information, reputational damage.
• Affected Milvus Component: Milvus API, Query Node, Proxy Node
• Risk Severity: High
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Thoroughly validate and sanitize all inputs to Milvus APIs.
  • Implement rate limiting and request throttling on APIs.
  • Regularly perform security testing and penetration testing on API endpoints.
  • Keep Milvus updated to patch known API vulnerabilities.
  • Implement input validation and output encoding to prevent injection attacks.

Threat: Vector Data Corruption

• Description: An attacker intentionally modifies or corrupts vector data stored in Milvus. This could be achieved through unauthorized access, exploiting write API vulnerabilities, or targeting data storage mechanisms. The attacker might subtly alter vectors to degrade search accuracy or completely overwrite collections to disrupt service.
• Impact: Data integrity compromise, inaccurate search results, application malfunction, loss of trust in the application, potential data recovery costs.
• Affected Milvus Component: Data Node, Write Node, Milvus API, Storage Layer
• Risk Severity: High
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Implement data integrity checks (e.g., checksums) if available in Milvus.
  • Utilize Milvus replication for data redundancy and fault tolerance.
  • Implement robust access control to restrict write access to vector data.
  • Regularly back up Milvus data for recovery purposes.
  • Monitor for unexpected data modifications and anomalies.

Threat: Weak Authentication Credentials

• Description: Milvus is deployed with default or weak authentication credentials, making it easy for attackers to gain unauthorized access. Attackers can use brute-force attacks or known default credentials to bypass authentication and access Milvus.
• Impact: Unauthorized access to Milvus, data breach, data manipulation, service disruption.
• Affected Milvus Component: Authentication Module
• Risk Severity: High
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Change default Milvus credentials immediately upon deployment.
  • Enforce strong password policies for Milvus users.
  • Consider using key-based authentication or integration with external authentication providers if supported.
  • Regularly review and update authentication credentials.

Threat: Unprotected Milvus Ports

• Description: Milvus ports (e.g., API port, internal communication ports) are exposed to the public internet without proper firewalling or network segmentation. This allows attackers to directly interact with Milvus services, potentially bypassing application-level security controls and exploiting vulnerabilities.
• Impact: Unauthorized access to Milvus services, increased attack surface, potential for direct exploitation of Milvus vulnerabilities, data breach, service disruption.
• Affected Milvus Component: Network Configuration, Firewall Rules, Milvus Ports
• Risk Severity: High
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Restrict access to Milvus ports using firewalls or network security groups.
  • Only allow necessary network traffic from trusted sources (e.g., application servers).
  • Deploy Milvus within a private network or VPC.
  • Regularly review and audit firewall rules and network configurations.