Secure your MongoDB database with these essential practices. From authentication to injection prevention.
Verify your app follows these best practices automatically.
MongoDB requires intentional security configuration. Default settings are convenient but not secure. Follow these practices to protect your data.
Never run MongoDB without authentication enabled. Create users with specific roles.
Enable --auth flag and create users with least-privilege roles
Include authentication in connection strings, never connect without credentials.
Use mongodb://user:password@host/database format with URL-encoded credentials
Validate and sanitize all user input before using in queries. Don't pass raw user input to query operators.
Validate input types, use schema validation, sanitize query operators
db.users.find({ username: req.body.username })db.users.find({ username: String(req.body.username) })Bind MongoDB to specific IPs, use firewalls to restrict access.
Configure bindIp, use security groups or firewall rules
Encrypt all connections to MongoDB using TLS.
Configure TLS certificates and enable in connection string
Create specific roles with minimum required permissions for each application.
Create custom roles instead of using built-in admin roles
Anyone who can reach the database has full access
Always enable authentication with --auth flag
Overly broad permissions if the application is compromised
Create application-specific users with limited roles
Enables NoSQL injection attacks
Validate input types and sanitize query operators
Following best practices is the first step. Verify your app is actually secure with a comprehensive security scan.
Scan Your App FreeNo, MongoDB historically prioritized convenience over security in defaults. You must enable authentication, configure network restrictions, and enable TLS.
NoSQL injection is when attackers inject query operators through user input. For example, { 'username': { '$ne': null } } could match all users. Always validate and type-check input.
Atlas handles many security configurations automatically (TLS, authentication, network isolation). It's often more secure than self-hosted for teams without dedicated database security expertise.
Last updated: January 2026