Encryption
All secrets stored in Driftless are encrypted with AES-256-GCM before they reach the database. This includes:
- API keys
- Webhook secrets
- GitHub App credentials
- Model provider keys (BYOM)
- OAuth tokens and authorization codes
The encryption key is derived from environment variables and never stored in the database.
Never store plaintext secrets in Driftless. The encryption layer is mandatory and applied transparently.
API keys
API keys are the primary authentication mechanism for the CLI and CI.
- Keys are generated with a
drift_ prefix for easy identification
- The raw key is shown only once at creation time
- Keys are stored as salted hashes; the raw value cannot be recovered
- Keys can be revoked at any time from the dashboard
- Multiple keys per workspace are supported
Create keys from the dashboard under Settings > API Keys or via the CLI:
OAuth & MCP
Driftless supports OAuth 2.0 authorization for MCP (Model Context Protocol) client applications such as ChatGPT and Claude. OAuth allows third-party AI clients to access your workspace context with explicit user consent.
OAuth scopes
| Scope | Description |
|---|
context:read | Read topics and context |
topics:create | Create new topics |
topics:write | Update existing topics |
context:diff | Read topic diff for local changes |
OAuth flow
- The MCP client redirects the user to
/api/v1/oauth/authorize on the Driftless API
- The user consents in the dashboard at
/oauth/authorize
- The API issues an authorization code (PKCE-supported)
- The client exchanges the code for an access token at
/api/v1/oauth/token
- The client uses the bearer token to call MCP tools
Token security
- Authorization codes, access tokens, and refresh tokens are stored as hashes only, never plaintext
- Tokens are never logged or returned after initial issuance
- The MCP server (
apps/mcp) is a protocol adapter that calls the existing Driftless REST API. It never accesses Postgres or internal libraries directly.
Data handling
| Data | Storage | Encryption |
|---|
| Topic content | Postgres | At rest (Supabase) |
| API keys | Postgres (hashed) | Hashed + encrypted |
| GitHub tokens | Postgres | AES-256-GCM |
| OAuth tokens | Postgres (hashed) | Hashed + encrypted |
| Source code | Never stored | N/A |
GitHub App permissions
The GitHub App requests the minimum permissions required:
| Permission | Why |
|---|
| Contents (read) | Fetch list of changed files per commit |
| Pull requests (read & write) | Post and update context comments |
| Issues (read & write) | PR comments use the Issues API |
| Metadata (read) | Required by GitHub for all apps |
Network
- All traffic between CLI, dashboard, and API is HTTPS
- API keys are sent in
x-api-key headers, never in URL parameters
- Webhook payloads are verified with HMAC signatures
- The API runs on Render with encrypted environment variables
Reporting
If you discover a security issue, please report it to security@driftless.icu. Do not open a public issue.