Secrets Scanner Simulator

What Is Secrets Scanning

Secrets scanning detects sensitive credentials — API keys, passwords, tokens, certificates, and connection strings — that have been accidentally committed to source code repositories, configuration files, or documentation. Hardcoded secrets are one of the most common and easily exploitable security vulnerabilities, providing attackers with direct access to databases, cloud services, APIs, and internal systems.

Research consistently shows that thousands of new secrets are exposed in public repositories daily. GitHub reports detecting and revoking millions of secrets per year through its push protection feature. Private repositories are also at risk — leaked or stolen repositories expose every secret ever committed.

Common Secret Types

Common Use Cases

• Pre-commit scanning: Block commits containing secrets before they reach the repository, preventing the secret from entering git history
• Repository auditing: Scan existing repositories (including full git history) for previously committed secrets that need rotation
• CI/CD pipeline scanning: Automatically scan code during pull requests and builds to catch secrets that bypass pre-commit hooks
• Incident response: When a repository is compromised, scan for all secrets that may have been exposed to determine the scope of required credential rotation
• Compliance requirements: Meet SOC 2, PCI DSS, and other requirements for protecting authentication credentials

Best Practices

1. Scan git history, not just current files — A secret committed and later deleted still exists in git history. Scan the full commit history and treat exposed secrets as compromised regardless of whether they are in the current codebase.
2. Rotate exposed secrets immediately — Finding a secret in code means assuming it is compromised. Rotate (generate a new key) and update all systems using the old secret.
3. Use environment variables and secret managers — Never hardcode secrets. Use environment variables for local development and services like AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault, or Azure Key Vault for production.
4. Enable pre-commit hooks — Git pre-commit hooks (using tools like detect-secrets, gitleaks, or trufflehog) prevent secrets from being committed in the first place.
5. Enable GitHub push protection — If using GitHub, enable push protection to block pushes containing detected secrets. This provides a safety net beyond local pre-commit hooks.