---
title: Container running as root
description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring.
breadcrumbs: >-
  Docs > Datadog Security > Code Security > Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
  Security > IaC Security Rules > Container running as root
---

# Container running as root

{% callout %}
# Important note for users on the following Datadog sites: app.ddog-gov.com

{% alert level="danger" %}
This product is not supported for your selected [Datadog site](https://docs.datadoghq.com/getting_started/site). ().
{% /alert %}

{% /callout %}

## Metadata{% #metadata %}

**Id:** `cf34805e-3872-4c08-bf92-6ff7bb0cfadb`

**Cloud Provider:** Kubernetes

**Platform:** Kubernetes

**Severity:** Medium

**Category:** Best Practices

#### Learn More{% #learn-more %}

- [Provider Reference](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/configure-pod-container/security-context/)

### Description{% #description %}

Containers should run as a non-root user. This rule checks `securityContext.runAsUser` and `securityContext.runAsNonRoot` at both the container and pod levels (including inherited settings) and requires `runAsUser` > 0 and/or `runAsNonRoot` = true. Running as non-root reduces the exploitability of security misconfigurations and limits an attacker's options if a container is compromised.

## Compliant Code Examples{% #compliant-code-examples %}

```yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: security-context-demo-2
spec:
  securityContext:
    runAsUser: 10000
    runAsNonRoot: true
  containers:
  - name: sec-ctx-demo-2
    image: gcr.io/google-samples/node-hello:1.0
    securityContext:
      runAsUser: 10100
      allowPrivilegeEscalation: false
      runAsNonRoot: true
      
```

```yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: security-context-demo-1
spec:
  securityContext:
    runAsUser: 1000
    runAsNonRoot: true
  containers:
  - name: sec-ctx-demo-100
    image: gcr.io/google-samples/node-hello:1.0
    securityContext:
      runAsUser: 1000
      runAsNonRoot: false
  - name: sec-ctx-demo-200
    image: gcr.io/google-samples/node-hedwfwllo:1.0
    securityContext:
      runAsUser: 2000
      runAsNonRoot: true
      
```

```yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: containers-runs-as-root
spec:
  securityContext:
    runAsUser: 0
    runAsNonRoot: false
  containers:
  - name: sec-ctx-demo-100
    image: gcr.io/google-samples/node-hello:1.0
    securityContext:
      runAsUser: 1000
      runAsNonRoot: false
      
```

## Non-Compliant Code Examples{% #non-compliant-code-examples %}

```yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: security-context-demo-2
spec:
  securityContext:
    runAsUser: 10
    runAsNonRoot: false
  containers:
  - name: sec-ctx-demo-100
    image: gcr.io/google-samples/node-hello:1.0
    securityContext:
      runAsUser: 0
      runAsNonRoot: false
  - name: sec-ctx-demo-200
    image: gcr.io/google-samples/node-hedwfwllo:1.0
    securityContext:
      runAsUser: 0
      runAsNonRoot: false
      
```

```yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: containers-runs-as-root
spec:
  securityContext:
    runAsUser: 0
    runAsNonRoot: false
  containers:
  - name: sec-ctx-demo-100
    image: gcr.io/google-samples/node-hello:1.0
    securityContext:
      runAsUser: 0
      runAsNonRoot: false
      
      
```

```yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: security-context-demo-2
spec:
  containers:
  - name: sec-ctx-demo-1
    image: gcr.io/google-samples/node-hello:1.0
  - name: sec-ctx-demo-2
    image: gcr.io/google-samples/node-hello:1.0
    securityContext:
      runAsUser: 0
      allowPrivilegeEscalation: false
      runAsNonRoot: false
```