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.
