Kubernetes cluster credentials detected in code

Rule Details

Cortex AppSec Rule ID	APPSEC_SECRET_200
Category	Database Credentials
Severity	MEDIUM
Framework	Git

Impact

Kubernetes Cluster Credentials (e.g., tokens, kubeconfig) grant an attacker the ability to interact with the API server.

Exposure leads to full control over the cluster's workload, allowing an attacker to deploy malicious containers, steal secrets (from K8s Secrets), or execute container escape attacks, posing a Critical Risk to the application environment.

How to Fix

To remediate exposed Cloud & Infrastructure credentials:

1. Log in to your cloud provider's console.
2. Locate the identity or service account associated with the compromised credentials.
3. Revoke or deactivate the compromised keys immediately.
4. Generate a new set of credentials.
5. Update your environment variables, secrets manager, or pipelines with the new values.

Next, remove the secret from your codebase:

1. Locate the exposed secret in your codebase.
2. Replace the hardcoded value with a secure variable or reference.

Finally, clean your version control history:

1. Permanently remove the sensitive data from your version control history to ensure it cannot be retrieved.

Warning: Revoking infrastructure keys may cause immediate downtime. Ensure you have identified all dependent services before revoking.