---
issue: 101
title: "Backend: config loads .env.development unconditionally regardless of NODE_ENV"
severity: medium
domain: Security
labels: [security, backend, configuration]
status: open
created: 2026-05-30
source: Full Codebase Audit 2026-05-30
---

# Backend: config loads .env.development unconditionally regardless of NODE_ENV

**Severity:** medium
**Domain:** Security
**Labels:** security, backend, configuration

## Description

`backend/src/shared/config/index.ts:4` loads `.env.development` unconditionally. In a production environment where `NODE_ENV=production`, this still reads and applies `.env.development` values, overriding injected production secrets with development values. Paired with `.dockerignore` whitelisting this file (ISSUE-075), it means dev secrets are active in prod images.

## Options

1. Load `.env.<NODE_ENV>` conditionally, never fall back to dev file in production.
2. Only load dotenv when not in production (rely on injected env in prod).
3. Load env-specific file and fail fast if required vars are missing.

## Recommendation

Load the env-file matching `NODE_ENV` (or none in production) and never default to `.env.development`. Pair with ISSUE-075.

## Affected Files

- `backend/src/shared/config/index.ts:4`

## References

- [Full Codebase Audit 2026-05-30](../09%20-%20Audits/Full%20Codebase%20Audit%20-%202026-05-30.md) — DEC-49
- [[ISSUE-075-backend-dockerignore-whitelists-env-development-into-prod-image|ISSUE-075]]