Code Repositories

Code Repositories [T1593.003]

Information

• Name: Code Repositories

• ID: T1593.003

• Tactics: TA0043

• Technique: T1593

Introduction

Code Repositories (T1593.003) is a sub-technique within the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the broader category of Search Open Technical Databases (T1593). This sub-technique involves adversaries searching publicly accessible code repositories and software development platforms to gather sensitive technical information. Attackers leverage repositories such as GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and others to discover credentials, API keys, configuration files, source code, and other potentially exploitable data. By mining these repositories, adversaries can identify vulnerabilities, facilitate reconnaissance, and enhance subsequent attack stages.

Deep Dive Into Technique

Code repositories contain vast amounts of publicly accessible technical information, including source code, scripts, API keys, passwords, configuration files, and documentation. Attackers systematically scan and analyze these repositories to locate sensitive data accidentally committed by developers or leaked through poor security practices.

Key technical details and execution methods include:

• Automated Scanning Tools: Attackers utilize automated scripts or specialized tools (e.g., Gitrob, GitLeaks, TruffleHog, Shhgit) to scan repositories for sensitive strings, credentials, or secrets.

• Keyword Searching: Adversaries conduct targeted searches using specific keywords such as "password," "token," "API key," "AWS_SECRET," "azure_key," and similar terms.

• Historical Commit Analysis: Attackers review commit histories and repository forks to identify credentials or sensitive information that may have been removed from the current codebase but remain accessible through historical commits.

• Reconnaissance and Enumeration: Attackers analyze repository metadata, developer profiles, commit messages, and project documentation to gain insights into organizational infrastructure, development practices, and potential vulnerabilities.

• Private Repository Compromise: Although primarily involving public repositories, attackers may also attempt to compromise developer or organizational accounts to access private repositories containing more sensitive information.

When this Technique is Usually Used

This sub-technique commonly appears during the reconnaissance and resource development phases of the cyber kill chain. Attackers leverage this technique in multiple scenarios, including:

• Initial Reconnaissance: Attackers search repositories early in the attack cycle to gather intelligence about the target organization's technology stack, developers, and infrastructure.

• Credential Harvesting: Adversaries seek leaked credentials or API keys to gain unauthorized access to cloud services, databases, or internal systems.

• Supply Chain Attacks: Attackers analyze open-source software repositories to identify vulnerabilities or inject malicious code into widely-used libraries or dependencies.

• Targeted Attacks: Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups perform detailed analysis of repositories to tailor phishing campaigns or exploit specific vulnerabilities discovered in the codebase.

• Red Teaming and Penetration Testing: Security professionals simulate adversary behavior by searching repositories to identify sensitive information leaks and vulnerabilities as part of security assessments.

How this Technique is Usually Detected

Organizations can employ multiple methods, tools, and practices to detect the use of this sub-technique:

• Continuous Repository Monitoring: Regularly scanning public repositories with automated tools (e.g., GitGuardian, GitLeaks, TruffleHog) to detect sensitive data leaks proactively.

• Internal Security Tools and Integrations: Integrating repository scanning tools into Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to identify and remediate leaks before code is publicly committed.

• Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): Monitoring logs and alerts from repository platforms and cloud infrastructure to identify anomalous access patterns or unauthorized usage of credentials leaked from repositories.

• Threat Intelligence: Leveraging threat intelligence feeds and services that monitor known leaks, repositories, and developer accounts for sensitive disclosures.

• Indicators of Compromise (IoCs):

  • Sudden unauthorized access attempts to cloud services or infrastructure.

  • Unexpected API usage or credential abuse patterns.

  • Alerts from third-party leak detection services indicating exposed credentials.

  • Detection of sensitive internal data or credentials posted publicly online.

Why it is Important to Detect This Technique

Early detection of adversaries utilizing code repositories to gather sensitive information is critical due to the significant potential impacts on organizations:

• Credential and Account Compromise: Leaked credentials or API keys can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, and privilege escalation within organizational systems.

• Increased Attack Surface: Sensitive data leaks expose internal infrastructure, software configurations, and technical details, facilitating targeted attacks and exploitation.

• Financial Impacts: Credential leaks can result in unauthorized resource usage, cloud service abuse, and substantial financial losses due to resource exploitation or regulatory fines.

• Reputational Damage: Public exposure of sensitive information undermines customer trust, damages brand reputation, and may lead to regulatory scrutiny or compliance violations.

• Supply Chain Risks: Attackers exploiting vulnerabilities discovered in open-source repositories can affect multiple organizations relying on compromised software.

• Operational Disruption: Unauthorized access or exploitation resulting from repository leaks can disrupt business operations, degrade service availability, and require costly incident response efforts.

Examples

Real-world examples demonstrating the use and impact of this sub-technique include:

• Uber AWS Credential Leak (2016):

  • Attackers discovered AWS credentials inadvertently committed to a publicly accessible GitHub repository.

  • Resulted in unauthorized access to sensitive internal databases, exposing personal data of millions of users.

  • Impact included significant reputational damage, regulatory investigations, and financial penalties.

• Slack Developer Token Exposure (2015):

  • Slack identified developer tokens and credentials mistakenly committed to GitHub repositories by third-party developers.

  • Potential for attackers to access sensitive Slack channels, messages, and data.

  • Prompted Slack to implement stricter credential management and repository scanning practices.

• Capital One Data Breach (2019):

  • Attacker leveraged leaked AWS credentials and configuration details found in public repositories to gain unauthorized access to Capital One's cloud infrastructure.

  • Breach exposed personal information of over 100 million customers.

  • Resulted in regulatory fines, legal actions, and significant brand damage.

• SolarWinds Supply Chain Attack (2020):

  • Attackers analyzed code repositories and development practices to successfully inject malicious code into SolarWinds Orion software updates.

  • Affected thousands of organizations globally, including government agencies and Fortune 500 companies.

  • Demonstrated severe supply-chain risks associated with repository reconnaissance and vulnerability exploitation.

• Docker Hub Credential Leak (2019):

  • Attackers discovered sensitive credentials and tokens committed to GitHub repositories, enabling unauthorized access to Docker Hub accounts.

  • Attackers used compromised accounts to inject malicious container images, leading to potential downstream compromises.

These examples illustrate the severe consequences organizations face when adversaries exploit publicly accessible code repositories to gather sensitive information, highlighting the necessity of proactive detection, monitoring, and secure coding practices.