Credentials & Data Leak

A credentials/data leak occurs when sensitive information — such as usernames, passwords, personal data, or internal documents — is inadvertently exposed to unauthorized individuals. This can happen through hacking, misconfigurations, insider threats, or accidental publication.

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Types of Leaked Data

1. Credentials

   • Usernames & passwords (plaintext or hashed)

   • API keys & access tokens

   • SSH keys & private certificates

2. Personal Identifiable Information (PII)

   • Names, addresses, phone numbers

   • National ID numbers, passport data

   • Financial details (credit cards, bank info)

3. Business & Technical Data

   • Internal documents & emails

   • Source code repositories

   • Configuration files (config.php, .env) containing secrets

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Common Causes

• Database breaches from hacking or SQL injection

• Misconfigured cloud storage (AWS S3 buckets, Google Cloud, Azure Blob)

• Public code repositories (e.g., GitHub leaks)

• Accidental web exposure via backup files or admin panels

• Phishing attacks leading to credential theft

• Third-party breaches where partner services leak shared credentials

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Cybersecurity Perspective

Risks:

• Unauthorized access to accounts and systems

• Identity theft and financial fraud

• Corporate espionage and competitive disadvantage

• Compromise of entire infrastructure if privileged accounts are exposed

Pentesting & Threat Hunting Tips:

• Search public breach databases (HaveIBeenPwned, DeHashed, LeakCheck) for leaked accounts

• Check GitHub and GitLab for accidentally committed secrets

• Use tools like truffleHog or git-secrets to scan repos for sensitive info

• Monitor paste sites (Pastebin, Ghostbin) for data dumps

• Set up Data Leak Detection systems to get alerts for your domains or email patterns

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Example

Scenario:
During a penetration test for example.com, you discover an .env file exposed in the web root containing:

DB_USER=admin
DB_PASS=supersecret123
API_KEY=ab123cd456

Impact:

• Direct database access

• API abuse

• Potential privilege escalation into the entire infrastructure

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Prevention & Mitigation

• Enforce strong authentication (MFA, password managers)

• Keep sensitive files out of public directories and repositories

• Regularly scan your assets for exposed data

• Rotate compromised credentials immediately

• Train staff on secure handling of sensitive information

• Use secrets management systems (Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault)

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Security Insight:
Credentials/data leaks are often found using Google Dorks, GitHub searches, or Shodan queries — making this a crucial intersection between OSINT and penetration testing.