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Atlassian API Token

An Atlassian API Token is a credential used to authenticate applications and scripts to access Atlassian services such as Jira, Confluence, and Bitbucket. These tokens allow users to perform actions programmatically without needing to expose their Atlassian account password. However, if an API token is exposed, it can be used by unauthorized parties to access and manipulate data within the Atlassian ecosystem, posing a significant security risk.

How Does It Look​

API tokens can appear in various contexts, such as:

  • Environment variables:

    export ATLASSIAN_API_TOKEN="abc123xyz456"

  • Configuration files (JSON, YAML, .env):

    {
      "atlassianApiToken": "abc123xyz456"
    }
    atlassian_api_token: abc123xyz456

  • Code snippets:

    headers = {"Authorization": "Bearer abc123xyz456"}

  • Connection strings:

    https://api.atlassian.com/ex/jira/[cloudid]/rest/api/3/issue?token=abc123xyz456

Severity​

  • 🟠 High

The severity of an Atlassian API Token exposure is high because it can provide access to sensitive project data, issue tracking, and potentially modify or delete information. The blast radius includes any Atlassian service the token has permissions for, which could impact project management, documentation, and code repositories.

What Can an Attacker Do?​

With immediate access to an Atlassian API Token, an attacker can interact with Atlassian services as the token's owner.

Key actions an attacker can perform:

  • Modify or delete issues (if the token has write permissions)
  • Access sensitive project data (if the token has read permissions)
  • Create or delete repositories (if the token is used with Bitbucket and has appropriate permissions)
  • Access user information (depending on permission scope)

An attacker could potentially escalate their access by exploiting other vulnerabilities within the Atlassian environment or use the token to pivot to other connected systems.

Real-World Impact​

The exposure of an Atlassian API Token poses significant business risks, including:

Primary impact includes unauthorized access to project management and documentation systems.

Potential consequences include:

  • Data Exposure: Access to project details, documentation, and code (if the token has read access to sensitive data)
  • Financial Loss: Costs associated with unauthorized resource usage or data recovery (if billing/resource creation is permitted)
  • Operational Disruption: Interruption of project workflows and potential data loss (if the attacker has delete/modify permissions)
  • Reputational Damage: Loss of trust from clients and stakeholders due to data breaches

In the worst-case scenario, an attacker could gain control over critical project management tools, leading to widespread operational chaos and significant financial and reputational damage.

Prerequisites for Exploitation​

To exploit an Atlassian API Token, an attacker needs:

  • Network access to the Atlassian API endpoints
  • Knowledge of the specific Atlassian service the token is associated with
  • Understanding of API usage to craft valid requests
  • No IP restrictions or MFA enforcement on the account

How to Verify If It's Active​

To verify if an Atlassian API Token is active, use the following command:

curl -X GET -H "Authorization: Bearer [TOKEN]" https://api.atlassian.com/ex/jira/[cloudid]/rest/api/3/myself

Valid credential response: A successful response will return user details in JSON format.

Invalid/expired credential response: An error message indicating unauthorized access or invalid token.

Detection Patterns​

Common Variable Names:

  • ATLASSIAN_API_TOKEN
  • atlassianApiToken
  • jiraApiToken
  • confluenceApiToken
  • bitbucketApiToken
  • apiToken

File Locations:

  • .env
  • config.json
  • settings.yaml
  • credentials.py
  • appsettings.json

Regex Pattern:

[a-zA-Z0-9]{24,}

Remediation Steps​

  1. Revoke immediately - Go to Atlassian Account > Security > API Tokens and delete the compromised token.
  2. Audit access logs - Review Atlassian access logs for unauthorized actions or data access during the exposure window.
  3. Assess blast radius - Identify all systems, applications, and environments that used the exposed credential.
  4. Rotate credential - Generate a new API token in Atlassian Account with least-privilege permissions.
  5. Update dependent systems - Deploy the new credential to all applications and update CI/CD pipelines securely.
  6. Harden access controls - Enable IP allowlisting and require MFA for accessing Atlassian services.
  7. Implement secrets management - Migrate credentials to a secrets manager (HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager) to prevent hardcoding.
  8. Add detection controls - Set up pre-commit hooks and repository scanning to catch credential leaks before they reach production.

Credential exposures often go undetected for extended periods, increasing the window for exploitation. As a long-term strategy, plan to establish an internal process or engage an external vendor for continuous external exposure monitoring. This helps identify leaked secrets across public repositories, paste sites, dark web forums, and other external sources before attackers can leverage them. Proactive detection and rapid response are essential to minimizing the impact of credential leaks.

References​