Source Code Leak Monitoring

Source code, the programming code that makes up an application, is the foundation of all software. Because it’s so important, it’s a prime target for cybercriminals who want to find and exploit data vulnerabilities in your applications. Unfortunately, source code is often leaked, both maliciously and by accident. For this reason, security teams are tasked with scanning both code and the web to find leaks before those leaks cause an attack.

Monitoring source code with Flare

Why do security teams use Flare to monitor their source code?

As important as source code is, it can be an easy target. Developers often need to share source code in order to work on projects, and sometimes they expose that code in the process of sharing it. Additionally, extortion groups like Lapsus$ put significant energy into finding and exposing proprietary source code on the dark web. Security teams must find these leaks, but they may not even be aware of them.

How does Flare answer source code monitoring needs?

For a security team to proactively find leaks, they would have to manually scan the dark web, the clear web, GitHub repositories, and anywhere threat actors might be sharing information. At best, this is tedious manual work that may cause errors. At worst, it’s impossible. Flare automates source code scanning, and sends alerts so that your team is able to find leaks without having to seek them out yourself.

What do you get with Flare’s data leak monitoring solution?

Visibility into your data leaks: Attacks are obvious, but leaks aren’t always visible; you might not know that source code has been leaked until you’re being attacked. Flare’s data leak monitoring solution scans the dark and clear web, as well as illicit Telegram channels, to find leaks before an attack happens.
Continuous monitoring: Your team can’t constantly scan the web for leaks. Using a solution that scans for you gives you 24/7 coverage, so you will know as soon as a leak is found.
A proactive security stance: You might not be able to stop every leak, but by actively seeking them out, you can catch secrets before an attacker exploits them.

Source code leaks: a brief overview

What is a source code leak?

Source code leaks are unauthorized or unintentional exposures of the underlying programming code that makes up a software application or system. While source code is sometimes shared so that developers can collaborate, that’s not the case in commercial software development. Companies often protect their proprietary source code as intellectual property and do not disclose it publicly to prevent unauthorized use or modification.

What is the risk of source code leakage?

Because source code is the foundation of software applications, leaks pose significant risks. For example, threat actors can use code to identify vulnerabilities in your application and exploit them. This can cause catastrophic damage to your application, your company, or your clients. Source code is a favorite weapon of ransomware gangs, because it can be used to blackmail software companies or publicize trade secrets. Leaks are particularly dangerous because a company may not be aware its code has even been leaked in the first place. As with all leaks, a source code leak can also cause reputational damage for a company once a breach has been publicized.

How can you protect your source code?

Protecting proprietary source code and mitigating the damage of a possible leak requires a combination of education, strong security controls, and proactive measures to detect leaks:

Limit and monitor access: Use the principle of least privilege by limiting who can read and change code. Regularly monitoring access ensures that no former employees or contractors still have access to secrets.
Encrypt code: If your developers are collaborating on code or distributing them across several platforms, they must encrypt that data to keep it safe from malicious actors.
Require strong authentication: Best password practices are critical; threat actors count on easy to guess and reused passwords when attempting to force their way into your network.
Harden your infrastructure: Sometimes a leak happens, despite the best preparation. To mitigate harm, strengthen your infrastructure, so that attackers can’t find vulnerabilities to exploit.
Scan to identify leaks: It’s critical to look for leaked code before a breach or an attack. Scan software for malicious or harmful code that may have been inserted. Search public GitHub repositories for accidentally or maliciously leaked code. Continuous scanning of sites like Pastebin and monitoring the dark web can also help to quickly identify leaks and suspicious activity.

Why do you need to source code leak monitoring in today’s cybersecurity environment?

What is a source code vulnerability?

A source code vulnerability is a flaw in code that creates a potential security risk. These flaws can serve as entry points for malicious actors to extract data, tamper with your code, or launch attacks.

How do threat actors steal source code?

There are several ways for a threat actor to steal code; the simplest is by looking for accidentally leaked source code. This can happen on a platform like GitHub, if secrets are hardcoded, or accidentally committed and pushed to a public repository. It can also happen if developers are sharing unencrypted code with one another, or if code is used in other unsafe ways. Disgruntled employees or other parties may also leak source code. However, threat actors don’t just scan for leaks, they also use malware, stolen credentials, and other attacks to steal source code themselves.

How do threat actors use source code?

Source code can be sold to rival companies who want to reverse-engineer software, used for blackmail purposes, and used to find and exploit vulnerabilities in an app. Sensitive information can be extracted from it, such as passwords, 0Auth tokens, encryption keys, and users’ personal data. All of this can provide fodder for further attacks on you or your users.