---
title: Pod or container without security context
description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring.
breadcrumbs: >-
  Docs > Datadog Security > Code Security > Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
  Security > IaC Security Rules > Pod or container without security context
---

# Pod or container without security context

{% callout %}
# Important note for users on the following Datadog sites: app.ddog-gov.com, us2.ddog-gov.com

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

{% /callout %}

## Metadata{% #metadata %}

**Id:** `kubernetes-pod-or-container-without-security-context` 

**Platform:** Kubernetes

**Severity:** Low

**Category:** Insecure Configurations

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

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

### Description{% #description %}

A security context defines privilege and access control settings for a Pod or container. This policy requires that a Pod's spec include a `securityContext` and that each container in `containers` and `initContainers` include a `securityContext`. The rule flags Pod resources and individual containers missing a `securityContext`, since absent contexts can allow containers to run with default or elevated privileges and increase security risk.

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

```yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: frontend
spec:
  securityContext:
    runAsUser: 1000
  containers:
  - name: app
    image: images.my-company.example/app:v4
    securityContext:
      allowPrivilegeEscalation: false
    resources:
      requests:
        memory: "64Mi"
        cpu: "250m"
      limits:
        memory: "128Mi"
        cpu: "500m"

  - name: log-aggregator
    image: images.my-company.example/log-aggregator:v6
    securityContext:
      allowPrivilegeEscalation: false
    resources:
      requests:
        memory: "64Mi"
        cpu: "250m"
      limits:
        memory: "128Mi"
        cpu: "500m"
```

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

```yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: frontend
spec:
  containers:
  - name: app
    image: images.my-company.example/app:v4
    securityContext:
      allowPrivilegeEscalation: false
    resources:
      requests:
        memory: "64Mi"
        cpu: "250m"
      limits:
        memory: "128Mi"
        cpu: "500m"

  - name: log-aggregator
    image: images.my-company.example/log-aggregator:v6
    resources:
      requests:
        memory: "64Mi"
        cpu: "250m"
      limits:
        memory: "128Mi"
        cpu: "500m"
```