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AI’s Biggest Security Risk Starts in the Code: Eliminate Hardcoded Credentials

Harded coded secrets Header

In this article, we will examine real world breaches caused by hardcoded secrets that exposed millions of customer records and cost organisations significant reputational and financial damage. We'll explore why traditional enterprise secret management often fails development teams, and demonstrate a practical middle ground solution that balances security with developer productivity.

Secure secrets management remains one of the most overlooked parts of application development. As a security practitioner, I've seen credentials, API tokens, and service keys mishandled constantly, ending up in source control, shared via chat, or hardcoded into scripts.

Below is an example of a widely shared GitHub search syntax for finding leaked API keys:

(path:*.env OR path:*.yml OR path:*.json) 
AND (api_key OR secret_key OR access_token OR auth_token)
AND ("sk-" AND (openai OR gpt))
➜ Go ahead click this link to try it out for yourself and be prepared to be blown away 😲

But this isn't just about best practices anymore. It's about survival.

The Real Cost of Getting It Wrong

Let's look at some real world examples to understand what is at risk:

  1. Mercedes-Benz learned this the hard way in January 2024. An employee's GitHub token sat exposed for four months, giving complete access to their entire GitHub Enterprise Server¹.

  2. Toyota's experience was worse. They exposed an access key for five years (2017-2022), affecting 296,019 customers².

  3. Schneider Electric faced multiple 2024 breaches, with attackers using exposed credentials to steal 40GB of data affecting 75,000 people³.

The pattern is clear: hardcoded secrets create persistent attack surfaces that are actively exploited

Why do enterprise solutions fail?

Enterprise secret management is often an overkill for smaller teams or PoC projects due to:

  • Complex setup taking weeks
  • Approval processes killing velocity
  • Expensive licensing
  • Over-engineered for simple use cases

So developers take shortcuts. They hardcode credentials "just for now" or stick them in .env files and you can't blame them as they are judged on velocity not security.

Solution: The Happy Medium Approach

Use a secrets management solution that can dynamically inject secrets into the running application allowing DevSecOps teams to rotate them on the fly without redeploying the application thus removing the need to hardcode secrets and API keys in source code.

I personally user the secret managerfrom Bitwarden which offers enterprise grade security, is based on open source technology but comes without enterprise grade complexity. Here is why it's perfect for small teams and PoC projects:

  • Familiar: Most developers already know Bitwarden
  • Flexible: CLI tools, SDKs, API access
  • Reasonable: Production grade but simple to use
  • Accessible: Free tier available, perfect for small teams and PoC projects

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post or an endorsement for Bitwarden. I am sharing a tool I have used and found to be a good fit for my needs.

Show me the code:

For my DevSecOps friends asking how I do use it? I've published a minimal reference implementation to get you started. No theory, just working code you can use as you like.

➜ GitHub Repository: Example Implementation using Bitwarden Secrets Manager ⁵

Here is what you'll find in the repository:

Who Should Care?

  • Pre-sales engineers building secure PoCs without enterprise overhead
  • Developers/AI engineers tired of exchanging API keys via chat or email.
  • Security teams reducing credential sprawl without friction.
  • AI builders avoiding massive cloud bills from exposed keys⁴

Lessons from Industry Experience:

  • Supply chain complexity increases risk. Many incidents involve third-party contractors or vendors who may not follow the same security standards.

  • Detection gaps are common. Industry examples show secrets can remain exposed for years without detection, highlighting the need for continuous monitoring.

  • Access scope often exceeds expectations. What appears to be a simple API key frequently provides broader system access than originally intended.

The Bottom Line

Recent industry incidents show that hardcoded secrets aren't just technical vulnerabilities, they're business critical risks with reputational, financial, and legal consequences. The solution doesn't require ripping out your existing workflow. It requires enabling developers to think secure by design. After all, security isn't just about tools, it's about building the right habits. While the industry continues to struggle with credential management, getting this right becomes a genuine competitive advantage.

As a DevSecOps leader, you need to make security easier than the shortcut, or your developers will choose the shortcut when they are under pressure to deliver.

Need help securing your Application and AI systems?

💡 Book a FREE 30 minute consultation with me to review your AI and Application Security strategy, assess vulnerabilities in your current approach, and develop a comprehensive DevSecOps security framework.

Important Disclaimer

⚠️ Disclaimer and Liability Notice

The implementation and code examples provided in this article are for educational and demonstration purposes only. I assume no responsibility or liability for any damages, losses, or security incidents that may result from the use of this implementation.

Users must perform their own due diligence before implementing any solution in their environment. This implementation is not recommended for production use without thorough security review, testing, and validation by qualified security professionals.

Always follow your organisation's security policies and consult with your security team before implementing any secrets management solution.

References
  1. Mercedes-Benz GitHub token exposed source code | TechCrunch
  2. Toyota discloses data leak after access key exposed on GitHub | BleepingComputer
  3. Schneider Electric confirms dev platform breach | BleepingComputer
  4. GitGuardian State of Secrets Sprawl 2025 | The Hacker News
  5. Bitwarden Secrets Vault Implementation | GitHub Repository
  6. Bitwarden Secrets Vault Implementation | GitHub Repository## Share post: