Secret leaks often occur when a sensitive piece of authentication data is stored with the source code of an application. Considering the source
code is intended to be deployed across multiple assets, including source code repositories or application hosting servers, the secrets might get
exposed to an unintended audience.
Why is this an issue?
In most cases, trust boundaries are violated when a secret is exposed in a source code repository or an uncontrolled deployment environment.
Unintended people who don’t need to know the secret might get access to it. They might then be able to use it to gain unwanted access to associated
services or resources.
The trust issue can be more or less severe depending on the people’s role and entitlement.
What is the potential impact?
An OpenWeather API key is a unique identifier that allows you to access the OpenWeatherMap API. The OpenWeatherMap API provides weather data and
forecasts for various locations worldwide.
If an OpenWeather API key leaks to an unintended audience, it can have several security consequences. Attackers may use the leaked API key to
access the OpenWeatherMap API and consume the weather data without proper authorization. This can lead to excessive usage, potentially exceeding the
API rate limits, or violating the terms of service.
Moreover, depending on the pricing model of the corresponding OpenWeather account, unauthorized usage of the leaked API key can result in
unexpected charges or increased costs. Attackers may consume a large amount of data or make excessive requests, leading to additional expenses for the
API key owner.
How to fix it
Revoke the secret
Revoke any leaked secrets and remove them from the application source code.
Before revoking the secret, ensure that no other applications or processes are using it. Other usages of the secret will also be impacted when the
secret is revoked.
Use a secret vault
A secret vault should be used to generate and store the new secret. This will ensure the secret’s security and prevent any further unexpected
disclosure.
Depending on the development platform and the leaked secret type, multiple solutions are currently available.
Code examples
Noncompliant code example
url = "http://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?units=imperial&appid=ae73acab47d0fc4b71b634d943b00518&q="
Compliant solution
import os
token = os.environ["OW_TOKEN"]
uri = "http://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?units=imperial&appid={token}&q="
Resources
Standards
Documentation
OpenWeather Documentation - API keys
