GitLab enterprise server key detected in code

Rule Details

Cortex AppSec Rule ID	APPSEC_SECRET_255
Category	API Keys
Severity	MEDIUM
Framework	Git

Impact

A GitLab Enterprise Server Key is a Personal Access Token (PAT) used to authenticate with a self-managed server API.

A leaked token allows an attacker to gain unauthorized access to the account, compromise proprietary code, modify repositories, or inject malicious code, posing a critical threat to the software supply chain.

How to Fix

To remediate exposed Source Control or CI/CD tokens:

1. Log in to the relevant system or provider.
2. Navigate to the settings menu to locate the exposed credential.
3. Revoke or delete the compromised token immediately.
4. Generate a new token if continued access is required.
5. Update any dependent systems or services with the new credential.

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.