Exposed Secrets in JavaScript Bundles Across Millions of Applications
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A study by Intruder's research team revealed that over 42,000 exposed tokens across 334 secret types were found in 5 million scanned applications. These tokens, often missed by traditional vulnerability scanners, pose significant security risks, including unauthorized access to code repositories, project management tools, and other sensitive services. The research highlights the limitations of existing secrets detection methods and underscores the need for more comprehensive scanning techniques. The exposed tokens included 688 GitHub and GitLab personal access tokens, many of which were still active and gave full access to repositories. An API key for Linear, a project management application, was also found embedded directly in front-end code, exposing the organization’s entire Linear instance. Additionally, exposed secrets were found across a wide range of other services, including CAD software APIs, email platforms, webhooks for chat and automation platforms, PDF converters, sales intelligence and analytics platforms, and link shorteners. The findings underscore the need for more comprehensive scanning techniques to prevent such exposures.
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20.01.2026 12:45 2 articles · 28d ago
Intruder's Research Reveals 42,000 Exposed Tokens in JavaScript Bundles
Intruder's research team scanned 5 million applications and discovered over 42,000 exposed tokens across 334 secret types. These tokens, often missed by traditional vulnerability scanners, include GitHub and GitLab personal access tokens, Linear API keys, and other sensitive credentials. The findings underscore the need for more comprehensive scanning techniques to prevent such exposures. The exposed tokens included 688 GitHub and GitLab personal access tokens, many of which were still active and gave full access to repositories. An API key for Linear, a project management application, was also found embedded directly in front-end code, exposing the organization’s entire Linear instance. Additionally, exposed secrets were found across a wide range of other services, including CAD software APIs, email platforms, webhooks for chat and automation platforms, PDF converters, sales intelligence and analytics platforms, and link shorteners.
Show sources
- Why Secrets in JavaScript Bundles are Still Being Missed — thehackernews.com — 20.01.2026 12:45
- What 5 Million Apps Revealed About Secrets in JavaScript — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 17.02.2026 16:40
Information Snippets
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Intruder's research team scanned 5 million applications and found over 42,000 exposed tokens across 334 secret types.
First reported: 20.01.2026 12:452 sources, 2 articlesShow sources
- Why Secrets in JavaScript Bundles are Still Being Missed — thehackernews.com — 20.01.2026 12:45
- What 5 Million Apps Revealed About Secrets in JavaScript — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 17.02.2026 16:40
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Traditional vulnerability scanners often miss secrets in JavaScript bundles due to limitations in their detection methods.
First reported: 20.01.2026 12:452 sources, 2 articlesShow sources
- Why Secrets in JavaScript Bundles are Still Being Missed — thehackernews.com — 20.01.2026 12:45
- What 5 Million Apps Revealed About Secrets in JavaScript — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 17.02.2026 16:40
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Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) tools are more robust but are often not deployed widely due to cost and complexity.
First reported: 20.01.2026 12:452 sources, 2 articlesShow sources
- Why Secrets in JavaScript Bundles are Still Being Missed — thehackernews.com — 20.01.2026 12:45
- What 5 Million Apps Revealed About Secrets in JavaScript — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 17.02.2026 16:40
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Static Application Security Testing (SAST) tools can miss secrets introduced during build and deployment phases.
First reported: 20.01.2026 12:452 sources, 2 articlesShow sources
- Why Secrets in JavaScript Bundles are Still Being Missed — thehackernews.com — 20.01.2026 12:45
- What 5 Million Apps Revealed About Secrets in JavaScript — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 17.02.2026 16:40
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Exposed tokens included GitHub and GitLab personal access tokens, Linear API keys, and other sensitive credentials.
First reported: 20.01.2026 12:452 sources, 2 articlesShow sources
- Why Secrets in JavaScript Bundles are Still Being Missed — thehackernews.com — 20.01.2026 12:45
- What 5 Million Apps Revealed About Secrets in JavaScript — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 17.02.2026 16:40
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The exposed tokens granted access to various services, including code repositories, project management tools, and automation platforms.
First reported: 20.01.2026 12:452 sources, 2 articlesShow sources
- Why Secrets in JavaScript Bundles are Still Being Missed — thehackernews.com — 20.01.2026 12:45
- What 5 Million Apps Revealed About Secrets in JavaScript — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 17.02.2026 16:40
-
The exposed tokens included 688 GitHub and GitLab personal access tokens, many of which were still active and gave full access to repositories.
First reported: 17.02.2026 16:401 source, 1 articleShow sources
- What 5 Million Apps Revealed About Secrets in JavaScript — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 17.02.2026 16:40
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An API key for Linear, a project management application, was embedded directly in front-end code, exposing the organization’s entire Linear instance.
First reported: 17.02.2026 16:401 source, 1 articleShow sources
- What 5 Million Apps Revealed About Secrets in JavaScript — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 17.02.2026 16:40
-
Exposed secrets were found across a wide range of other services, including CAD software APIs, email platforms, webhooks for chat and automation platforms, PDF converters, sales intelligence and analytics platforms, and link shorteners.
First reported: 17.02.2026 16:401 source, 1 articleShow sources
- What 5 Million Apps Revealed About Secrets in JavaScript — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 17.02.2026 16:40
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