crowdsecurity/crowdsec · error

no machineID or bouncerName set

Error message

no machineID or bouncerName set

What it means

UsageMetrics ingestion must attribute metrics either to a log processor machine or a remediation component (bouncer). updateBaseMetrics dispatches on machineID or the bouncer object; if neither is present in the request/auth context, metrics cannot be attributed and it returns this error.

Source

Thrown at pkg/apiserver/controllers/v1/usagemetrics.go:27

	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
	"github.com/go-openapi/strfmt"
	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"

	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/database/ent"
	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/database/ent/metric"
	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/models"
)

// updateBaseMetrics updates the base metrics for a machine or bouncer
func (c *Controller) updateBaseMetrics(ctx context.Context, machineID string, bouncer *ent.Bouncer, baseMetrics models.BaseMetrics, hubItems models.HubItems, datasources map[string]int64) error {
	switch {
	case machineID != "":
		return c.DBClient.MachineUpdateBaseMetrics(ctx, machineID, baseMetrics, hubItems, datasources)
	case bouncer != nil:
		return c.DBClient.BouncerUpdateBaseMetrics(ctx, bouncer.Name, bouncer.Type, baseMetrics)
	default:
		return errors.New("no machineID or bouncerName set")
	}
}

// UsageMetrics receives metrics from log processors and remediation components
func (c *Controller) UsageMetrics(gctx *gin.Context) {
	var input models.AllMetrics

	logger := log.WithField("func", "UsageMetrics")

	// parse the payload

	if err := gctx.ShouldBindJSON(&input); err != nil {
		logger.Errorf("Failed to bind json: %s", err)
		gctx.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, gin.H{"message": err.Error()})

		return
	}

View on GitHub (pinned to 909b515798)

Solutions

1. Upgrade the sending component (crowdsec agent or bouncer) so it includes its machine/bouncer identity in metrics payloads.
2. Verify the client authenticates with a machine or bouncer token known to the LAPI (re-register if the DB entry is gone).
3. Check the metrics request payload includes the identifier fields expected by the endpoint.

Example fix

// before (custom metrics client)
req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", url+"/usage-metrics", body) // no auth/identity
// after
req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", url+"/usage-metrics", body)
req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer <machine-or-bouncer-token>")

if metrics.MachineID == "" && metrics.BouncerName == "" {
    return errors.New("metrics payload must identify a machine or bouncer")
}

resp, err := client.Post(ctx, "/usage-metrics", payload)
if err != nil {
    log.Warnf("usage metrics rejected: %v", err) // non-fatal for the component
}

When it happens

Trigger: POST to the usage-metrics endpoint where the payload/metadata contains no machine identifier and no bouncer identity — e.g. an unauthenticated or malformed metrics submission, or a client (old crowdsec/bouncer version) that doesn't send its identity fields.

Common situations: Custom scripts hitting the metrics endpoint without identifying headers; outdated bouncers predating usage-metrics identity fields; metrics posted via LAPI tokens that don't resolve to a machine or bouncer record in the DB.

Understand the failure class

Background: "missing required argument" and "the following required arguments were not provided": what required-argument errors mean and how to fix them — this error's family across 20 libraries.

Related errors

• appsec datasource requires a hub. this is a bug, please repo
• appsec datasource requires a lapi client configuration. this
• missing lapi client credentials
• client not initialized
• missing TLS key file

AI-assisted analysis of crowdsecurity/crowdsec@909b515798 (2026-09-06). Data as JSON: /api/errors/bddbb53507682c6c. Report an issue: GitHub.