Information Leakage / Embedded Password in Source Code

Web and API

Description

Embedded Password in Source Code is a vulnerability classified as CWE-259 and involves the unintentional disclosure of a password, secret, or other sensitive information within the source code of a web or API application. This vulnerability is mainly due to accidental inclusion of credentials in source code, which can be easily accessed by anyone with access to the source code. Additionally, it could also occur due to the lack of access control or authentication on the application. This vulnerability is discussed in the OWASP Testing Guide in the Information Leakage Testing section.

Risk

Embedded Password in Source Code can cause serious damage to an application’s security by allowing attackers to gain access to sensitive information. This can lead to a complete compromise of the system, as passwords can be used to gain access to restricted areas and confidential data. Additionally, if the passwords are reused in other applications, it can lead to a larger breach.

Solution

The most effective way to prevent Embedded Password in Source Code is to use an automated code scanning solution to detect and remove any sensitive information from the source code. Additionally, proper access control and authentication measures should be implemented to prevent unauthorized access to source code.

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