Table of Contents
What is the Feluda.ai Vault?
Overview
The Feluda.ai Vault is a secure, local-first credential management system designed to protect sensitive API keys and authentication tokens while enabling trusted tools and assistants within the Feluda.ai ecosystem to access them when authorized. Unlike conventional approaches that rely on plaintext environment variables, remote secret stores, or insecure configuration files, the Vault ensures that all keys remain stored and used exclusively on the user’s device. This architecture eliminates the risk of exposing credentials to third-party servers or directly to AI models, while still allowing automation workflows to function seamlessly.
Why Use a Vault?
Modern AI-assisted workflows often depend on external APIs and services — from security intelligence feeds like Shodan, VirusTotal, and HaveIBeenPwned to cloud platforms and enterprise SaaS integrations. Without structured key management, users frequently embed credentials in prompts, scripts, or shared documents, creating a significant risk of leaks. The Feluda.ai Vault eliminates this vulnerability by introducing a secure, auditable, and tool-specific key access model, ensuring that sensitive credentials are never placed in untrusted contexts.
Key Benefits
- No Third-Party Storage: All keys are managed locally without relying on remote infrastructure.
- No Model Exposure: Language models never receive raw credentials; keys are injected only into trusted tool execution environments.
- Granular Access Control: Users define which tools can access which keys and under what conditions.
Why You Should Never Share API Keys or Secrets with AI
| Risk | Description | Potential Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Unintended Storage | AI systems may store conversation history, including keys, in logs or training datasets. | Permanent exposure of sensitive credentials. |
| Indirect Leakage | Keys might appear in AI-generated outputs if prompts or chain-of-thought reasoning are compromised. | Unauthorized access to linked accounts or services. |
| Prompt Injection Exploits | Malicious prompts can trick AI into revealing secrets stored in its context. | Loss of control over sensitive data and service abuse. |
| Third-Party Interception | If the AI system relies on cloud processing, credentials may pass through untrusted infrastructure. | Potential theft or misuse by unauthorized actors. |
| Scope Creep | Keys given to AI without restrictions could be reused for unintended purposes. | Breach of compliance policies and legal exposure. |
How It Works
The Vault is operated and maintained by the Feluda.ai Gene Manager, which serves as the central control point for credential storage and retrieval.
- Secure Entry – The user adds API keys to the Vault using the Gene Manager’s secure interface.
- Tool Request – When a Feluda tool, such as
ShodanorVirusTotal, requires a key, it submits a structured request specifying the exact key it needs. - Authorization & Injection – If the request matches an approved policy, the key is injected directly into the tool’s execution environment without ever being passed to the AI model itself.
- Operation & Logging – The tool performs its function, while the Vault maintains logs for audit and compliance purposes.
Design Principles
The Feluda.ai Vault is engineered to meet both individual and enterprise-grade security requirements:
- Local-First: All storage and retrieval operations occur entirely on the user’s device.
- Isolation: Keys are stored in secure storage spaces and are never included in the memory or token stream of a language model.
- Auditability: All key requests can be logged, reviewed, and exported for compliance.
- Scoping: Tools must declare the exact credentials they require, and access is restricted to those keys alone.
Example: Using APIs with Feluda.ai Tools
Consider a security analyst who wishes to use VirusTotal to investigate the metadata of a suspicious IP address. With the Vault in place:
- The API key is stored securely within the Vault.
- When the investigation tool is triggered, it requests the
VirusTotalkey. - Upon approval, the key is injected directly into the tool’s backend call.
- The AI assistant receives only the resulting analysis, never the key itself.
Enabling Practical and Private Local AI
The Feluda.ai Vault is more than a storage mechanism — it is an enabler of safe, high-trust AI automation. By separating credential management from model execution, it ensures that assistants can integrate with sensitive systems without ever breaching security boundaries.
In essence: Feluda.ai Vault = secure local key storage + tool-scoped access + zero unnecessary exposure. This makes it possible to harness the full potential of intelligent automation while maintaining complete control over sensitive credentials.