docs: state the catalog trust boundary for the credential encryption key - #228
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LeeroyHannigan wants to merge 1 commit into
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docs: state the catalog trust boundary for the credential encryption key#228LeeroyHannigan wants to merge 1 commit into
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The security model noted that the encryption key lives in the catalog database and that a catalog backup includes it, but left the consequence for the reader to infer and did not mention that no rotation path exists. - Add the catalog database contents as an explicit trust boundary: the key and the ciphertext it protects share one trust domain, so catalog read access yields every stored access key secret. - Scope that boundary to direct database access — the management API and console redact `encryption_key` from settings responses. - Record that there is no key rotation path; re-keying means re-creating the affected access keys. - Replace the vague "use a KMS-backed encryption layer at the PostgreSQL level" guidance with what extenddb does and does not do, and what below-extenddb protection can and cannot achieve. - State that a catalog dump is credential-equivalent and should not be copied to less-protected environments.
LeeroyHannigan
requested review from
amrith,
c33howard,
jcshepherd,
pdf-amzn and
yesyayen
as code owners
July 27, 2026 19:17
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What
State the catalog trust boundary for the credential encryption key in the security model. The doc noted that the key lives in the catalog database and that a catalog backup includes it, but left the consequence to inference and did not mention that no rotation path exists.
encryption_keyfrom settings responses.Why
The security model understated a real trust boundary. Making it explicit lets operators
protect the catalog database and its backups to the standard the credentials require,
and sets up a follow-up RFC on key wrapping / rotation.
Closes #
Testing done
Documentation only, no code change:
bootstrapper.rs:261(INSERT INTO settings ... VALUES ('encryption_key', $1)).encryption_keyredacted from settings API/console responses:settings.rs:19-25(REDACTED_KEYS).crates/for rotation/re-key logic returns nothing.Checklist
cargo test --workspace)cargo fmt --check)cargo clippy -- -W clippy::pedantic)Storagetrait, auth model, on-diskformat, or public CLI surface, an RFC has been accepted or is linked
below. Otherwise, an ADR captures the decision (link below).
ADR / RFC: n/a — documentation only, no behavior change.
Breaking changes
None.
By submitting this pull request, I confirm that my contribution is made under
the terms of the Apache License 2.0 and I agree to the Developer Certificate of
Origin (DCO). See CONTRIBUTING.md for details.