---
title: Project-wide SSH keys are enabled in VM instances
description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring.
breadcrumbs: >-
  Docs > Datadog Security > Code Security > Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
  Security > IaC Security Rules > Project-wide SSH keys are enabled in VM
  instances
---

# Project-wide SSH keys are enabled in VM instances

{% 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:** `terraform-gcp-project-wide-ssh-keys-are-enabled-in-vm-instances` 

**Provider:** GCP

**Platform:** Terraform

**Severity:** Medium

**Category:** Secret Management

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

- [Provider Reference](https://registry.terraform.io/providers/hashicorp/google/latest/docs/resources/compute_instance)

### Description{% #description %}

This check ensures that Google Compute Engine VM instances have project-wide SSH keys blocked by setting the metadata attribute `block-project-ssh-keys` to `"TRUE"`. Without this setting, anyone with project-level SSH key access can connect to the VM, increasing the risk of unauthorized access and making it harder to manage individual SSH permissions. For a secure configuration, define the attribute in your Terraform configuration as follows:

```
metadata = {
  block-project-ssh-keys = "TRUE"
}
```

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

```terraform
resource "google_compute_instance" "negative1" {
  name         = "test"
  machine_type = "e2-medium"
  zone         = "us-central1-a"

  tags = ["foo", "bar"]

  boot_disk {
    initialize_params {
      image = "debian-cloud/debian-9"
    }
  }

  // Local SSD disk
  scratch_disk {
    interface = "SCSI"
  }

  network_interface {
    network = "default"

    access_config {
      // Ephemeral IP
    }
  }

  metadata = {
    #... some other metadata
    
    block-project-ssh-keys = "TRUE"
  }

  metadata_startup_script = "echo hi > /test.txt"

  service_account {
    scopes = ["userinfo-email", "compute-ro", "storage-ro"]
  }
}
```

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

```terraform
resource "google_compute_instance" "positive1" {
  name         = "test"
  machine_type = "e2-medium"
  zone         = "us-central1-a"

  tags = ["foo", "bar"]

  boot_disk {
    initialize_params {
      image = "debian-cloud/debian-9"
    }
  }

  // Local SSD disk
  scratch_disk {
    interface = "SCSI"
  }

  network_interface {
    network = "default"

    access_config {
      // Ephemeral IP
    }
  }

  metadata = {
    #... some other metadata
    block-project-ssh-keys = false
  }

  metadata_startup_script = "echo hi > /test.txt"

  service_account {
    scopes = ["userinfo-email", "compute-ro", "storage-ro"]
  }
}

resource "google_compute_instance" "positive2" {
  name         = "test"
  machine_type = "e2-medium"
  zone         = "us-central1-a"

  tags = ["foo", "bar"]

  boot_disk {
    initialize_params {
      image = "debian-cloud/debian-9"
    }
  }

  // Local SSD disk
  scratch_disk {
    interface = "SCSI"
  }

  network_interface {
    network = "default"

    access_config {
      // Ephemeral IP
    }
  }

  metadata_startup_script = "echo hi > /test.txt"

  service_account {
    scopes = ["userinfo-email", "compute-ro", "storage-ro"]
  }
}
```