Base64 AWS IAM Access Key detected in code

Rule Details

Cortex AppSec Rule ID	APPSEC_SECRET_288
Category	Secrets
Severity	HIGH
Framework	Git

Impact

A Base64 encoded AWS IAM Access Key is the public identifier component of the IAM credential pair.

While less sensitive than the secret key, its exposure aids an attacker in profiling the targeted account, providing the necessary ID component to exploit a potential Secret Key leak. (Base64 encoding is not encryption).

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.