Security Features#

DBSurveyor is built with security-first principles that are non-negotiable. This document details the comprehensive security features and guarantees.

Core Security Guarantees#

1. Offline-Only Operation#

• NO NETWORK CALLS: Operates completely offline after initial installation
• NO TELEMETRY: Zero data collection, usage tracking, or external reporting
• NO AUTO-UPDATES: Manual control over all software updates
• AIRGAP COMPATIBLE: Full functionality in air-gapped environments

2. Credential Protection#

Database credentials are never stored, logged, or included in any output files.

Implementation Details#

• Immediate Sanitization: Connection strings sanitized in all error messages and logs
• Secure Memory Handling: Credentials automatically zeroed using the zeroize crate
• Separate Handling: Credentials parsed separately from connection configuration
• No Serialization: Credential structures are never serialized to disk

Example of Credential Sanitization#

// Input: "postgres://user:secret123@localhost:5432/mydb"
// Logged: "postgres://user:****@localhost:5432/mydb"
// Error messages never contain actual passwords

3. AES-GCM Encryption#

Industry-standard authenticated encryption for sensitive schema outputs.

Encryption Specifications#

• Algorithm: AES-GCM-256 (256-bit key, 96-bit nonce, 128-bit authentication tag)
• Nonce Generation: Cryptographically secure random nonces (never reused)
• Key Derivation: Argon2id with secure parameters
• Authentication: Separate authentication tags prevent tampering

Key Derivation Parameters#

Encryption Process#

4. Database Security#

All database operations follow strict security principles.

Read-Only Operations#

• SELECT/DESCRIBE Only: No INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, or DDL operations
• Connection Flags: Read-only mode enforced at connection level where supported
• User Permissions: Recommend using read-only database users

Connection Security#

• Timeouts: All connections and queries have configurable timeouts (default: 30s)
• Connection Pooling: Limited connection pools prevent resource exhaustion
• TLS/SSL: Certificate validation when using encrypted connections
• Parameterized Queries: All queries use parameterized statements (no SQL injection risk)

Example Connection Configuration#

ConnectionConfig {
    connect_timeout: Duration::from_secs(30),
    query_timeout: Duration::from_secs(30),
    max_connections: 10,
    read_only: true, // Enforced
    // Credentials handled separately
}

Security Testing#

DBSurveyor includes comprehensive security tests to verify all guarantees.

Credential Protection Tests#

#[test]
fn test_no_credentials_in_output() {
    let schema = collect_schema("postgres://user:secret@localhost/db").await?;
    let json = serde_json::to_string(&schema)?;

    // Verify no sensitive data is present
    assert!(!json.contains("secret"));
    assert!(!json.contains("user:secret"));
    assert!(!json.contains("password"));
}

Encryption Tests#

#[test]
fn test_nonce_uniqueness() {
    let data = b"test schema data";
    let encrypted1 = encrypt_data(data, "password")?;
    let encrypted2 = encrypt_data(data, "password")?;

    // Same data should produce different ciphertext (random nonce)
    assert_ne!(encrypted1.nonce, encrypted2.nonce);
    assert_ne!(encrypted1.ciphertext, encrypted2.ciphertext);
}

Offline Operation Tests#

#[test]
fn test_airgap_compatibility() {
    // Simulate airgap environment
    let schema = load_schema("fixtures/sample_schema.json")?;

    // All processing should work offline
    let documentation = generate_documentation(&schema, OutputFormat::Markdown)?;
    assert!(!documentation.is_empty());
}

Security Best Practices#

For Users#

1. Use Read-Only Database Users

   Copy

   -- PostgreSQL
   CREATE USER dbsurveyor_readonly;
   GRANT CONNECT ON DATABASE mydb TO dbsurveyor_readonly;
   GRANT USAGE ON SCHEMA public TO dbsurveyor_readonly;
   GRANT SELECT ON ALL TABLES IN SCHEMA public TO dbsurveyor_readonly;
   
   -- MySQL
   CREATE USER 'dbsurveyor_readonly'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
   GRANT SELECT ON mydb.* TO 'dbsurveyor_readonly'@'%';
   

2. Use Strong Encryption Passwords

   • Minimum 12 characters
   • Mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, symbols
   • Consider using password managers

3. Secure File Handling

   Copy

   # Set restrictive permissions on encrypted files
   chmod 600 schema.enc
   
   # Use secure deletion when done
   shred -vfz -n 3 schema.enc
   

4. Network Security

   • Use TLS/SSL connections when possible
   • Avoid credentials in command history
   • Use environment variables for connection strings

For Developers#

1. Never Log Credentials

   Copy

   // ✅ Correct
   log::info!("Connecting to database");
   
   // ❌ Never do this
   log::info!("Connecting to {}", database_url);
   

2. Sanitize Error Messages

   Copy

   // ✅ Correct
   #[error("Connection failed to database")]
   ConnectionFailed,
   
   // ❌ Never do this
   #[error("Failed to connect to {url}")]
   ConnectionError { url: String },
   

3. Use Secure Memory Handling

   Copy

   use zeroize::{Zeroize, Zeroizing};
   
   #[derive(Zeroize)]
   #[zeroize(drop)]
   struct Credentials {
       username: Zeroizing<String>,
       password: Zeroizing<Option<String>>,
   }
   

Security Validation Commands#

Run these commands to verify security guarantees:

# Complete security validation
just security-full

# Test encryption capabilities
just test-encryption

# Verify offline operation
just test-offline

# Check for credential leakage
just test-credential-security

# Security audit
just audit

Threat Model#

In Scope#

• Credential Exposure: Preventing database credentials from appearing in logs, outputs, or error messages
• Data at Rest: Protecting collected schema files with strong encryption
• Network Isolation: Ensuring offline operation after initial setup
• Memory Safety: Secure handling of sensitive data in memory

Out of Scope#

• Network Transport Security: TLS/SSL configuration is the user's responsibility
• Database Server Security: DBSurveyor assumes the database server is trusted
• Host System Security: Operating system and file system security is external
• Social Engineering: User education and operational security practices

Compliance Considerations#

DBSurveyor's security features support various compliance requirements:

• SOC 2: Offline operation and encryption support security controls
• GDPR: Data minimization and encryption for personal data protection
• HIPAA: Encryption and access controls for healthcare data
• PCI DSS: Secure handling of systems that may contain payment data

Security Advisories#

Current known security advisories and their status:

RUSTSEC-2023-0071 (RSA crate - Marvin Attack)#

• Severity: Medium
• Impact: Timing side-channel vulnerability in RSA implementation
• Affected: MySQL connections only (not enabled by default)
• Mitigation: MySQL support disabled by default; PostgreSQL and SQLite recommended
• Status: No fix available upstream; tracked for future SQLx updates
• Review Date: 2025-09-01

Reporting Security Issues#

To report security vulnerabilities:

1. DO NOT create public GitHub issues for security vulnerabilities
2. Email security issues to: security@evilbitlabs.io
3. Include detailed reproduction steps and impact assessment
4. Allow reasonable time for response and remediation

We follow responsible disclosure practices and will acknowledge security reports within 48 hours.