The Tool Desk
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Why API keys appear in source code
Hardcoded values and tracked configuration
A developer may put a key directly in application code or in a configuration file for convenience. If that file is inside the source tree, it can be committed to Git and later shared through a repository, a fork, or a published project. Google advises against embedding API keys in code or keeping them in files within an application’s source tree: Google Cloud API key best practices.
Deleting the current copy is not enough
A credential may remain in earlier commits, other branches, build artifacts, tickets, or logs after the original file is corrected. GitHub secret scanning can scan repository history across branches, but finding and deleting copies is separate from invalidating the key. Revoke or rotate it first.
Why a key appears in browser requests
Frontend code is delivered to the user
A browser application runs on a user’s device, so values included in its delivered JavaScript or network requests can be inspected. Putting a private key in a frontend environment variable does not conceal it if the build inserts that variable into browser-delivered code. Google warns that embedding a Google Cloud API key in an application makes it publicly available: Google Cloud API key best practices.
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Use a backend for privileged calls
When an API call requires a private credential, route it through a server you control. The browser sends its request to your backend; the backend retrieves the credential and makes the provider request. Google Cloud documentation puts it this way: “The client should pass requests to the server, which can add the credential and issue the request.” See Google’s guidance.
Not every browser-facing key is necessarily intended to be secret. Some services use keys in public clients, but those keys should be restricted to the required websites or apps and APIs where the provider supports it. Restrictions limit potential misuse; they do not turn a browser-visible key into a secret.
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Why keys end up in logs
Credentials in URLs
A key placed in a query string can be captured wherever URLs are recorded or scanned, including application, proxy, or diagnostic logs. Google recommends using an API-key header or client library rather than a query parameter for Google APIs, warning that a key in a URL can be exposed through URL scans: Google Cloud API key best practices.
Request and diagnostic records
Headers, request bodies, debugging output, proxy captures, error reports, and traces can all preserve credential-bearing data if an application or its infrastructure records it. Logging defaults vary by application and service; do not assume a system automatically redacts secrets. Use the provider’s recommended credential transport and configure logging and observability tools to redact credentials.
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What to do when you find an exposed key
- Revoke or rotate it with the issuer. Treat credible exposure as compromise and act promptly. AWS and GitHub both advise immediate rotation or revocation. A repository edit or log deletion does not invalidate an issued credential.
- Replace it through a protected path. Store the replacement in a secrets manager or protected runtime configuration, then have the server-side application retrieve it at runtime. Google recommends Secret Manager for sensitive values; AWS describes retrieving replacements from Secrets Manager or Systems Manager Parameter Store. See Google Cloud guidance and AWS Secrets Manager rotation guidance.
- Check for misuse. Review the provider’s available audit events and usage records for unexpected actions or sources during the exposure period. GitHub recommends checking audit events associated with a compromised token and reviewing secret-scanning findings. The records available depend on the provider and what was configured before the incident: GitHub guidance for remediating a leaked secret.
- Remove remaining copies. Search current files, affected Git history, branches, build outputs, logs, tickets, and other places the value may have been copied. Rewriting Git history can improve repository hygiene, but it does not replace revocation. GitHub notes that history removal can take time and is often unnecessary once a secret is revoked; AWS includes history removal in its remediation guidance. See GitHub and AWS.
- Verify the replacement. Confirm deployed services use the new credential and still work as expected, then continue monitoring for suspicious activity.
How to prevent another exposure
- Keep private credentials out of tracked source. Retrieve them at runtime from a secrets manager or protected environment rather than committing them in code or configuration files. Google’s best practices are at cloud.google.com.
- Keep privileged API calls server-side. Do not rely on a frontend build variable to hide a credential from browser users.
- Use identity-based or short-lived credentials where supported. Google recommends considering IAM policies and short-lived service-account credentials instead of production authorization keys in applicable cases. The right option depends on the specific API and provider; check its guidance for service-specific exceptions: Google Cloud API key best practices.
- Restrict keys designed for public clients. Apply website, application, IP-address, or API restrictions where supported; keep permissions narrow, monitor usage, and remove unused keys. Restrictions reduce exposure’s potential impact but cannot make a public key secret.
- Scan repositories and development workflows. Enable secret scanning for source control and add detection to local development or CI/CD. GitHub’s scanning can check Git history on branches; AWS also recommends regular repository scans and integrating detection into development or CI/CD. See GitHub and AWS.
- Keep credentials out of logs. Prefer the provider’s recommended header or client library over URL query parameters, and configure your logging and tracing stack to redact secrets from captured requests.
Choose the fix based on the exposure
The appropriate control depends on where the key appeared, what it can access, how long it remains valid, whether the caller can be moved behind a server, and what restrictions and audit controls the provider offers. A private server credential needs secure storage and a protected execution path; a key intentionally used by a browser needs narrow restrictions and monitoring. In either case, an exposed private credential must be invalidated, not merely hidden.
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