bentopdf/SECURITY.md

Security Configuration

Non-Root User Support

BentoPDF now uses nginx-unprivileged for enhanced security. This follows the Principle of Least Privilege and is essential for production environments.

Security Benefits

• Reduced Attack Surface: If compromised, attackers won't have root privileges
• Compliance: Meets security standards like SOC 2, PCI DSS
• Kubernetes/OpenShift Compatibility: Works with security policies that require non-root execution
• System Protection: Prevents system-wide damage if the application is compromised

Usage

Default Configuration (nginx-unprivileged)

docker build -t bentopdf .
docker run -p 8080:8080 bentopdf

Simple Mode

# Build with simple mode enabled
docker build --build-arg SIMPLE_MODE=true -t bentopdf-simple .

# Run the container
docker run -p 8080:8080 bentopdf-simple

Kubernetes Example

apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: bentopdf
spec:
  template:
    spec:
      securityContext:
        runAsNonRoot: true
        runAsUser: 2000
        runAsGroup: 2000
      containers:
        - name: bentopdf
          image: bentopdf:latest
          ports:
            - containerPort: 8080

Docker Compose Example

version: '3.8'
services:
  bentopdf:
    build:
      context: .
      dockerfile: Dockerfile
      args:
        SIMPLE_MODE: false
    ports:
      - '8080:8080'
    security_opt:
      - no-new-privileges:true

Verification

To verify the container is running as non-root:

# Check the user inside the container
docker exec <container_id> whoami
# Should output: nginx

# Check the user ID
docker exec <container_id> id
# Should show UID/GID for nginx user (typically 101)

Security Best Practices

1. Use nginx-unprivileged: Built-in non-root user with minimal privileges
2. Regular Updates: Keep the base image updated (currently using 1.29-alpine)
3. Port 8080: Use high port numbers to avoid requiring root privileges
4. Security Scanning: Regularly scan images for vulnerabilities
5. Network Policies: Implement network segmentation

Troubleshooting

If you encounter permission issues:

1. Check file ownership: Ensure all application files are owned by the nginx user
2. Verify PID directory: Ensure /etc/nginx/tmp/ directory exists and is writable
3. Port binding: Ensure port 8080 is available and not blocked by firewall

Migration from Root

If migrating from a root-based setup:

1. Update your Dockerfile to use nginx-unprivileged base image
2. Change port mappings from 80 to 8080 in all configurations
3. Update nginx.conf to use /etc/nginx/tmp/nginx.pid for PID file
4. Rebuild your images with the new security settings
5. Update your deployment configurations (Kubernetes, Docker Compose, etc.)
6. Test thoroughly in a staging environment