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106 lines
3.0 KiB
Markdown
106 lines
3.0 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Secrets Management
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summary: Master key, encryption, and strict mode
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---
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Paperclip encrypts secrets at rest using a local master key. Agent environment variables that contain sensitive values (API keys, tokens) are stored as encrypted secret references.
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## Default Provider: `local_encrypted`
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Secrets are encrypted with a local master key stored at:
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```
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~/.paperclip/instances/default/secrets/master.key
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```
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This key is auto-created during onboarding. The key never leaves your machine.
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Paperclip best-effort enforces `0600` permissions when it creates or loads the
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key file. `paperclipai doctor` and the provider health API warn when the file is
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readable by group or other users.
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Back up the key file together with database backups. A database backup without
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the key cannot decrypt local secrets, and a key backup without the database
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metadata is not enough to restore named secret versions.
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## Configuration
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### CLI Setup
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Onboarding writes default secrets config:
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```sh
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pnpm paperclipai onboard
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```
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Update secrets settings:
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```sh
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pnpm paperclipai configure --section secrets
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```
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Validate secrets config:
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```sh
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pnpm paperclipai doctor
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```
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### Environment Overrides
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| Variable | Description |
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|----------|-------------|
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| `PAPERCLIP_SECRETS_MASTER_KEY` | 32-byte key as base64, hex, or raw string |
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| `PAPERCLIP_SECRETS_MASTER_KEY_FILE` | Custom key file path |
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| `PAPERCLIP_SECRETS_STRICT_MODE` | Set to `true` to enforce secret refs |
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## Strict Mode
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When strict mode is enabled, sensitive env keys (matching `*_API_KEY`, `*_TOKEN`, `*_SECRET`) must use secret references instead of inline plain values.
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```sh
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PAPERCLIP_SECRETS_STRICT_MODE=true
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```
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Recommended for any deployment beyond local trusted.
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Authenticated deployments default strict mode on unless explicitly overridden by
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configuration or `PAPERCLIP_SECRETS_STRICT_MODE=false`.
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## External References
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Provider-owned secrets can be linked without copying values into Paperclip by
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using `managedMode: "external_reference"` plus a provider `externalRef`.
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Paperclip stores metadata and a non-sensitive fingerprint, never the value.
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Runtime resolution remains server-side and binding-enforced.
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The built-in AWS, GCP, and Vault provider IDs currently accept external
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reference metadata, but runtime resolution requires provider configuration in the
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deployment. Their provider health check reports this as a warning until
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configured.
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## Migrating Inline Secrets
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If you have existing agents with inline API keys in their config, migrate them to encrypted secret refs:
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```sh
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pnpm secrets:migrate-inline-env # dry run
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pnpm secrets:migrate-inline-env --apply # apply migration
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```
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## Secret References in Agent Config
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Agent environment variables use secret references:
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```json
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{
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"env": {
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"ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": {
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"type": "secret_ref",
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"secretId": "8f884973-c29b-44e4-8ea3-6413437f8081",
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"version": "latest"
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}
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}
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}
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```
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The server resolves and decrypts these at runtime, injecting the real value into the agent process environment.
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