detecting-secrets
This skill should be used when the user asks to "find hardcoded secrets", "audit for credential leaks", "check for API keys in code", "review secret scanning alerts", "rotate a leaked secret", or needs to detect hardcoded credentials, review secret handling patterns, or remediate exposed secrets.
- Installs
- 101
- Last 24h
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- Trending rank
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- Security
- Not audited
Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/bitwarden/ai-plugins --skill detecting-secrets- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads detecting-secrets automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Secret Patterns
Look for these categories of hardcoded secrets in code:
High-Confidence Patterns
| Type | Example Patterns |
|---|---|
| API Keys | AKIA[0-9A-Z]{16} (AWS), AIza[0-9A-Za-z_-]{35} (Google), strings assigned to variables named *apiKey*, *api_key* |
| Connection Strings | Server=...;Password=..., mongodb://user:pass@host, postgres://user:pass@host |
| Private Keys | -----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----, -----BEGIN OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY----- |
| Tokens | ghp_[A-Za-z0-9]{36} (GitHub PAT), xoxb- (Slack bot), sk- (OpenAI) |
| Passwords | Values assigned to variables named *password*, *passwd*, *secret*, *credential* |
| Certificates | PFX/P12 files with embedded passwords, PEM files with private keys |
Lower-Confidence Patterns (Require Context)
- Base64-encoded strings in configuration (may be encrypted or may be cleartext secrets)
- JWT tokens (may be test tokens or production tokens)
- Hex strings of 32+ characters (may be encryption keys or hashes)
- URLs with embedded credentials (
https://user:pass@host)
Context-Aware Detection
Distinguish real secrets from false positives. Not every pattern match indicates an actual secret — consider context:
Test Fixtures and Mock Data
// NOT a real secret — test fixture with obvious fake value
var testApiKey = "test-api-key-not-real-12345";
var mockPassword = "P@ssword123"; // Used only in unit tests
// REAL secret — production-looking value in non-test code
var apiKey = "sk-proj-abc123def456ghi789jkl012mno345pqr678stu901vwx";
Decision criteria:
- Is it in a test directory (
**/test/**,**/tests/**,**/*.Test/**)? - Does the value contain obvious placeholder text ("test", "fake", "mock", "example", "placeholder")?
- Is the value used in assertions or mock setups?
Example and Placeholder Values
// NOT a real secret — documented example
{
"apiKey": "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
}
// REAL secret — actual value in config
{
"apiKey": "sk-proj-abc123def456ghi789jkl012mno345pqr678stu901vwx"
}
Encrypted or Hashed Values
- Hashed passwords (bcrypt
$2b$, argon2$argon2id$) are NOT secrets — they're properly stored - Encrypted values with proper key management are NOT secrets in the same way
- But the encryption KEY itself, if hardcoded, IS a secret
Common Hiding Spots
Search these locations when auditing for secrets:
| Location | What to Look For |
|---|---|
appsettings.json / appsettings.Development.json | Connection strings, API keys, service credentials |
.env / .env.local | Environment variable definitions with real values |
web.config / app.config | Machine keys, connection strings |
docker-compose.yml / Dockerfile | ENV directives with credentials, build args with secrets |
CI/CD files (.github/workflows/*.yml) | Inline secrets instead of ${{ secrets.* }} references |
| Test seed scripts / migration files | Database passwords, service account credentials |
| Comments and TODO notes | "Temporary" credentials left in comments |
| Default parameter values | function connect(password = "admin123") |
| Constants files | Centralized credential definitions |
GitHub Secret Scanning Integration
# List all secret scanning alerts
gh api /repos/{owner}/{repo}/secret-scanning/alerts --jq '.[] | {number, state, secret_type, secret_type_display_name, created_at, push_protection_bypassed}'
# Get details for a specific alert
gh api /repos/{owner}/{repo}/secret-scanning/alerts/{alert_number}
# List alerts that bypassed push protection
gh api "/repos/{owner}/{repo}/secret-scanning/alerts?state=open" --jq '.[] | select(.push_protection_bypassed == true)'
Push protection prevents commits containing detected secrets from being pushed. When someone bypasses push protection, the alert is flagged — review these with extra scrutiny.
Remediation Workflow
When a secret is found in code, follow this sequence:
1. Rotate Immediately
Assume any committed secret is compromised. Even if the repo is private, the secret may have been cached, logged, or accessed by CI/CD systems.
- Revoke the existing credential
- Generate a new credential
- Update the credential wherever it's used (services, deployments)
2. Remove from Code
Replace the hardcoded secret with a secure reference:
// WRONG — hardcoded secret
var connectionString = "Server=prod.db;Password=s3cr3t!";
// CORRECT — environment variable
var connectionString = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("DB_CONNECTION_STRING");
// CORRECT — Azure Key Vault (Bitwarden's approach)
var connectionString = await keyVaultClient.GetSecretAsync("db-connection-string");
3. Remove from Git History (If Needed)
If the secret was committed to a public repo or a repo that will become public:
# Using git filter-repo (preferred over filter-branch)
git filter-repo --path-glob '*.json' --replace-text expressions.txt
# expressions.txt format:
# literal:the-secret-value==>REDACTED
Warning: Rewriting git history is destructive and affects all collaborators. Only do this when the secret was exposed in a public or soon-to-be-public repository.
4. Prevent Recurrence
- Add patterns to
.gitignorefor files that should never be committed (.env,*.pfx,appsettings.Development.json) - Enable GitHub push protection for the repository
- Use secret scanning custom patterns for organization-specific secret formats
Secure Alternatives
Bitwarden uses Azure Key Vault for secrets management, provisioned by the BRE team:
| Instead Of | Use |
|---|---|
| Hardcoded connection strings | Azure Key Vault secrets |
| API keys in config files | Environment variables set at deployment |
| Certificates in source | Azure Key Vault certificates |
| Shared team credentials in code | Managed identities (Azure) |
| Secrets in CI/CD workflow files | GitHub Actions secrets (${{ secrets.NAME }}) |
For local development, use user-secrets or .env files that are .gitignored — never commit them.
Critical Rules
- Assume any committed secret is compromised. Always rotate, even if the repo is private. No exceptions.
- Never suppress secret scanning alerts without rotation. Dismissing an alert doesn't make the exposure go away.
- Validation, not just detection. When a potential secret is found, verify it's real before raising an alarm. Check if it's a test value, placeholder, or encrypted content.
- Check the full commit history. A secret removed in the latest commit may still exist in git history. Use
git log -p -S "secret-pattern"to search history. - Bitwarden uses Azure Key Vault for secrets management. If a new secret needs to be stored, work with BRE to provision vault access for the repository.
FAQ
What does the detecting-secrets skill do?
This skill should be used when the user asks to "find hardcoded secrets", "audit for credential leaks", "check for API keys in code", "review secret scanning alerts", "rotate a leaked secret", or needs to detect hardcoded credentials, review secret handling patterns, or remediate exposed secrets.
How do I install detecting-secrets?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/bitwarden/ai-plugins --skill detecting-secrets in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/detecting-secrets/ (personal) or .claude/skills/detecting-secrets/ (project).
Which AI agents can use detecting-secrets?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is detecting-secrets safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains detecting-secrets?
It is published by bitwarden in bitwarden/ai-plugins, and it is an official skill from the maker of the technology it covers. It has 101 recorded installs.
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