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Hard-Coded Secrets

Preventing Hard-Coded Secrets​

About Hard-Coded Secrets

What are Hard-coded Secrets?​

Hard-coded secrets refer to the practice of embedding sensitive information, such as passwords, encryption keys, or API keys, directly in the source code of an application.

This practice can make it easy for attackers to identify and exploit these secrets, leading to security vulnerabilities and other types of security threats.

Hard-coded secrets are a security risk because they are often stored in plain text, making it easy for attackers to extract them from the source code. They can also be inadvertently disclosed or exposed through other security vulnerabilities, such as code injection or data leaks.

Hard-coded secrets can affect various types of applications, such as web applications, mobile applications, and desktop applications. They can also be found in infrastructure components, such as scripts, configuration files, and server software.

At GuardRails, we differentiate between different kinds of secrets and cover the below CWEs.

What is the impact of Hard-Coded Secrets?​

Hard-coded secrets can lead to various security threats and risks, such as:

  • Information disclosure: Hard-coded secrets can expose sensitive information, such as passwords, keys, or other types of confidential information, to unauthorized parties.
  • Unauthorized access: Hard-coded secrets can allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to applications, systems, or networks, perform unauthorized actions, or modify data.
  • Data modification: Hard-coded secrets can allow attackers to modify data or system configurations, leading to data loss or corruption, or other types of system instability.

This has led to many high-profile breaches.

How to prevent Hard-Coded Secrets?​

To prevent hard-coded secrets, implement appropriate security measures, such as:

  • Use environment variables: Use environment variables or configuration files to store sensitive information, such as passwords or keys, instead of hard-coding them in the source code.
  • Use secure storage: Store sensitive information in secure storage, such as a secure key vault, that provides additional security features, such as access controls and encryption.
  • Use encryption: Use encryption to protect sensitive information in transit and at rest, such as using TLS for network traffic and encrypting storage media.
  • Apply access controls: Apply access controls to limit the privileges and actions that users or applications can perform on sensitive information, such as using role-based access controls or fine-grained access controls.
  • Use secure coding practices: Follow secure coding practices, such as code reviews, vulnerability scanning and testing, and threat modeling, to ensure that the source code is free of vulnerabilities and that sensitive information is properly protected.

A list of popular secure key vault software can be found below:

  1. HashiCorp Vault
  2. AWS Secrets Manager
  3. GCP Cloud KMS
  4. Microsoft Azure Key Vault
  5. Confidant
  6. Keywhiz
  7. Knox

References​

Taxonomies​

Explanation & Prevention​

Training​

ECS Task Definition Container With Plaintext Password​

It's not recommended to use plaintext environment variables for sensitive information, such as credential data.

Specific References:

Option A: Make sure to not include passwords or other secret values in environment variables​

Replace any plaintext passwords or other sensitive environment variables in task definitions by creating AWS Secrets Manager secrets or AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store parameters and then reference them in your container definitions.

For example, if you decided to use AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store:

  1. Create a parameter in AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store as type SecureString, for example, let's call it MY_PASSWORD and assign the value ("y0uC4ntT0uchMe") to it.

  2. Reference that parameter in your task definition in the secrets list instead of in the clear as an environment variable like the following:

    Move the following environment variable:

    {
      "family": "",
      "containerDefinitions": [
        {
          "name": "",
          "image": "",
          ...
          "environment": [
            {
              name = "password",
              value = "y0uC4ntT0uchMe"
            }
          ],
          ...
        }
      ],
      ...
    }

    To a proper secret that will be injected as an environment variable into your container:

    {
      "family": "",
      "containerDefinitions": [
        {
          "name": "",
          "image": "",
          ...
          "environment": [],
          "secrets": [
            {
              "valueFrom": "MY_PASSWORD",
              "name": "password"
            }
          ]
          ...
        }
      ],
      ...
    }

  3. Test it

  4. Ship it 🚢 and relax 🌴

User Data Contains Encoded Private Key​

AWS ECS Launch Configuration User Data should not contain an encoded RSA Private Key. Encoding secrets does not protect them at all, it simply obscures them. Do not rely on obscurity as a technique to provide security.

Rule-specific references:

Option A: Make sure EC2 Launch Configuration User Data does not contain encoded RSA Private Key​

If ec2_lc.user_data contains an encoded RSA private key, store secret values in AWS services such as the:

  • AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store
  • AWS Secrets Manager

Details on passing secrets or sensitive information securely to containers in an AWS ECS task can be found here.

  1. Locate the secret within the value of ec2_lc.user_data
  2. Consider your options of moving the embedded secret to a more secure location such as described above
  3. Make the move
  4. Test it
  5. Ship it 🚢 and relax 🌴
Last updated on by Stefan Streichsbier