A dedicated game server image should be small, run as a non-root user, hold no secrets, use pinned versions and be scanned before each rollout. Game fleets scale up and down all day, so a flaw in the image is copied across hundreds of instances.
Start with a small base
Pick a minimal base image and add only what the server needs. Fewer packages mean fewer things to patch. Use a multi stage build so compilers and build tools stay out of the final image. Remove shells and package managers from the final stage if your tooling allows.
Run as non-root
Create a dedicated user and run the game process as that user. Make the filesystem read only where you can and mount a small writable area for logs and temporary data. Drop Linux capabilities the server does not need. Game servers usually bind a high UDP or TCP port, which needs no special privilege.
Keep secrets out of the image
- No API keys, database passwords or signing keys in layers. Image layers can be read by anyone who can pull the image.
- Inject secrets at start time from your orchestrator or a secrets service, with short lived credentials where possible.
- Check build arguments and environment files, which often leak into history.
Pin and track versions
Pin the base image by digest and the game server build by version. Record what went into each image, with an SBOM. This lets you answer quickly which running servers use a vulnerable library.
Patch rhythm for ephemeral fleets
Game servers are often short lived, which helps. You do not patch a running instance, you rebuild the image and roll new matches onto it. Set a regular rebuild schedule, plus an urgent path for serious issues. Drain old servers by letting matches end, not by cutting players off.
Network and runtime limits
- Expose only the game port and a health port. Keep management ports off the public network.
- Apply CPU and memory limits so one bad match cannot take the host.
- Log to stdout and ship logs off the host.
- Rate limit connection attempts at the edge. See DDoS readiness for game launch day.
Pre-rollout gate
- Build from a clean checkout.
- Scan the image for known vulnerabilities and fail on your agreed severity.
- Check the image runs as non-root and holds no secrets.
- Roll out to a small slice of the fleet, watch error rates, then widen.
Try it yourself
Open the demo and scan a sample container image. Look at which findings come from the base layer and which from your own additions.
Click through it at your own pace, or open it full screen.
Safeguard offers SBOM and dependency scanning that you can use as part of this gate. There is a free scan at https://gold.safeguard.sh/scan.
Quick check
Is it fine to patch a running game server in place?
Prefer rebuilding the image and rolling new matches onto it. In place patches drift from what you tested.
Can I store a database password in an image layer if the registry is private?
Avoid it. Anyone with pull access can read layers, and secrets are hard to remove from history.
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
