VedDB Security Practices and Vulnerability Reporting

Last updated: 2025-12-28
Version: v0.2.0

VedDB v0.2.0 is designed for trusted network deployments.

✅ Encryption at Rest:

• Data encrypted with AES-256-GCM
• Key rotation with full re-encryption
• Crash-safe rotation state machine

✅ Authentication:

• JWT-based authentication
• Role-based access control (RBAC)
• Password hashing

✅ Data Integrity:

• WAL-based durability
• Atomic metadata updates
• Crash recovery

❌ Network Attacks (without additional hardening):

• Man-in-the-middle (TLS validation incomplete)
• DDoS attacks (no rate limiting)
• Connection flooding

❌ Compliance Gaps:

• No audit trail (audit logging missing)
• Incomplete JWT revocation
• No session management

❌ Operational Security:

• No runtime secret rotation
• No automatic threat detection
• No intrusion detection

• Encryption at rest (1,292 LOC)
• Key rotation with crash recovery
• Authentication (JWT)
• Authorization (RBAC)

• TLS validation - Certificate chains not verified
• Rate limiting - No protection against floods
• Audit logging - No compliance trail
• Token revocation - Incomplete implementation

• Network-level security
• DDoS protection
• Intrusion detection
• Automated threat response

VedDB v0.2.0 is safe for:

• Internal networks (firewalled)
• Development environments
• Trusted corporate networks
• Staging validation

Requirements:

• Network access control (firewall)
• Strong authentication enabled
• Encryption enabled for sensitive data

DO NOT deploy VedDB v0.2.0 to:

• Public internet (without TLS validation)
• Compliance-critical systems (without audit logging)
• Untrusted networks
• High-value targets without WAF

Required Mitigations:

1. Complete P1 security items
2. Add reverse proxy/WAF
3. Implement rate limiting
4. Security audit
5. Penetration testing

Before deploying to any production environment:

• Default credentials changed
• Strong passwords enforced (not admin/admin123)
• JWT secret is cryptographically random
• Role assignments reviewed
• Principle of least privilege applied

• Encryption enabled
• Master key stored securely (not in command line)
• Master key backed up securely
• Key rotation tested
• Backup encryption verified

• Firewall rules configured
• Access limited to known IPs/networks
• TLS enabled (even with self-signed certs)
• VPN required for remote access
• Monitoring configured

• Logs reviewed regularly
• Alerts configured
• Incident response plan documented
• Backup restoration tested
• Security updates applied

See LIMITATIONS.md for complete list.

Critical:

• TLS certificate validation incomplete
• JWT revocation incomplete
• No audit logging
• No rate limiting

Medium:

• No session management
• Cache invalidation global (performance issue)

Low:

• No automated threat detection

• Open a public GitHub issue
• Post in public forums
• Disclose before patch availability

Email: mihirrabari2604@gmail.com

Subject: [SECURITY] VedDB Vulnerability Report

Include:

1. Affected version/commit
2. Detailed description
3. Reproduction steps or proof-of-concept
4. Impact assessment (confidentiality, integrity, availability)
5. Suggested mitigation (if known)
6. Your contact information

• Acknowledgment: Within 3 business days
• Initial assessment: Within 7 days
• Fix timeline: Depends on severity
  • Critical: 7-14 days
  • High: 14-30 days
  • Medium: 30-60 days
  • Low: Next release

We follow responsible disclosure:

1. Report received → Private investigation
2. Fix developed → Private testing
3. Patch released → Public disclosure with credit (if desired)
4. CVE assigned (if applicable)

We will:

• Keep you informed of progress
• Credit you in release notes (unless you prefer anonymity)
• Work with you on disclosure timing

Encryption State Machine Hardening:

• Added startup enforcement (won't start mid-rotation)
• Implemented checkpoint-based crash recovery
• Enforced metadata update ordering

Authentication:

• JWT validation implemented
• Role-based access control

P1 Security Items:

• TLS certificate validation
• JWT revocation list
• Audit logging
• Rate limiting

DO:

• Use environment variables (VEDDB_MASTER_KEY)
• Store in secure secret management (Vault, AWS Secrets Manager)
• Rotate periodically
• Back up separately from data

DO NOT:

• Hard-code in source
• Pass via command line (visible in ps)
• Store in plain text files
• Share across environments

Recommendations:

• Minimum 12 characters
• Mix of upper/lower/numbers/symbols
• No dictionary words
• No reuse across systems

Recommendations:

• Firewall everything by default
• Whitelist specific IPs/networks
• Use VPN for remote access
• Monitor connection attempts
• Implement fail2ban or equivalent

Security Events to Monitor:

• Failed authentication attempts
• Permission denied errors
• Encryption failures
• Unusual connection patterns
• Large data exports

VedDB v0.2.0 has partial compliance support.

Encryption:

• AES-256-GCM (FIPS 140-2 approved algorithm)
• Key rotation with audit trail (in logs)

Access Control:

• Role-based access control
• Authentication required

SOC 2:

• ❌ Audit logging
• ❌ Session management
• ❌ Comprehensive access logs

HIPAA:

• ❌ Audit trail
• ❌ Transmission security (TLS validation)
• ❌ Integrity controls (CAS enforcement)

PCI-DSS:

• ❌ Network segmentation documentation
• ❌ Logging and monitoring
• ❌ Penetration testing

GDPR:

• ✅ Encryption at rest
• ❌ Right to be forgotten (manual)
• ❌ Data portability (manual)
• ❌ Breach notification tooling

Recommendation: Complete P1 before claiming compliance.

See ROADMAP.md for detailed plan.

P1 (Required for internet exposure):

• TLS certificate validation
• JWT revocation
• Audit logging
• Rate limiting

P2 (Operational hardening):

• Intrusion detection
• Automated threat response
• Session management

Primary: mihirrabari2604@gmail.com
GitHub: Mihir-Rabari

For non-security issues:

• GitHub Issues: https://github.com/Mihir-Rabari/ved-db-server/issues

VedDB takes security seriously, but is honest about current limitations.

We do not claim:

• Feature completeness
• Compliance readiness without hardening
• Internet-safety without additional work

We do guarantee:

• Honest disclosure of gaps
• Rapid response to reports
• Transparent communication

If you discover a security issue not listed in LIMITATIONS.md, please report it.

Security is a journey, not a destination. VedDB is on that journey.