docs/security.md

Security

Access Control

• Optional Access Keys: ACCESS_KEYS environment variable for usage restriction
• Rate Limiting: Applied to search and inference endpoints
• Server-side Validation: Access keys verified before proxying to SearXNG
• Key Timeout: ACCESS_KEY_TIMEOUT_HOURS controls cache duration

Privacy

• Local-First Storage: All data stored in IndexedDB, no cloud sync
• No Tracking: No telemetry, analytics, or user tracking
• SearXNG Integration: All web searches routed through privacy-focused metasearch
• No External Requests: Optional browser-only mode for complete privacy

Data Protection

• Encrypted Storage: Optional encryption for sensitive data
• TTL-based Cleanup: Automatic cleanup of cached data
• No PII Collection: No personally identifiable information stored
• User Control: Users can export and delete all their data

Security Best Practices

• Input validation on all endpoints
• Sanitization of user-generated content
• Secure random token generation
• HTTPS enforcement in production
• Regular dependency updates via Renovate
• Argon2 Hashing: Access keys hashed using argon2id for secure storage
• Cross-Origin Isolation: COOP/COEP headers for SharedArrayBuffer security

Threat Model

• Local Environment: Assumes trusted local execution
• Network Requests: All external requests go through SearXNG proxy
• AI Models: Models run locally or through trusted providers
• Data Exfiltration: Prevented by local-first architecture

Related Topics

• Configuration: docs/configuration.md - Environment variables for access control
• Overview: docs/overview.md - Security architecture and data flow
• AI Integration: docs/ai-integration.md - Privacy implications of inference types