Security
Security considerations for deploying image-proxy
File Access
Ensure that IMAGE_PROXY_ROOT_PATH points to a directory containing only images you intend to serve. The service should not be exposed to untrusted users who could request sensitive files or cause excessive resource usage through large transformations.
image-proxy includes protections against common attacks like path traversal and will refuse to serve files that are not valid images. However, do not rely solely on these protections — deploy the service in a secure environment to minimize risk.
Fallback Image
If using the fallback image feature (IMAGE_PROXY_FALLBACK_IMAGE_URL), set a reasonable IMAGE_PROXY_FALLBACK_IMAGE_MAX_SIZE to prevent abuse. The default limit is 5 MB.
Deployment Recommendations
- Run with limited permissions — Use a non-root user and restrict filesystem access to only the image directory.
- Place behind a reverse proxy — Use Traefik, nginx, or Caddy with proper access controls, rate limiting, and TLS termination.
- Restrict network access — If possible, limit which hosts can reach the service to your CDN or reverse proxy only.