> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/appsec-rules/iac-security/public-exposure/appsec2-ibm-1.md).

# IBM Cloud Application Load Balancer for VPC has public access enabled in Terraform misconfiguration

## Rule Details

|                        |                                  |
| ---------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| Cortex AppSec Rule ID  | APPSEC2\_IBM\_1                  |
| Category - Subcategory | Public Exposure - Load Balancing |
| Provider               | IBM                              |
| Severity               | MEDIUM                           |
| Framework              | Terraform, Terraform Plan        |

## Impact

This rule detects whether a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) load balancer has public access disabled, which helps mitigate the risk of unauthorized external access. Publicly accessible load balancers can potentially expose the VPC to external threats and malicious traffic. By ensuring the load balancer is private, access is restricted to internal network traffic, reducing the surface area for potential attacks and enhancing overall security within the VPC.

## How to Fix

*Resource:* ibm\_is\_lb

* *Arguments:* type

Ensure all `ibm_is_lb` resources are configured with the `type` parameter set to `private`, preventing public access.

## In this example, the `type` attribute is set to `private` in the `ibm_is_lb` resource to make the load balancer accessible only within the VPC. This configuration ensures that the load balancer is private. \[source,go]

resource "ibm\_is\_lb" "example" { ...

* type = "private" }

***


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