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Dependency-Track API Key

A Dependency-Track API Key is a credential used to authenticate and authorize access to the Dependency-Track platform, a tool designed for managing and analyzing software dependencies. This API key allows users to interact programmatically with Dependency-Track's services, such as retrieving vulnerability data, managing projects, and automating security workflows. Exposure of this key can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive project data and potentially compromise the security posture of the organization.

How Does It Look​

An API key can appear in various contexts, such as:

  • Environment variables:

    export DEPENDENCY_TRACK_API_KEY="dtrack_1234567890abcdef"

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

    {
      "apiKey": "dtrack_1234567890abcdef"
    }
    apiKey: dtrack_1234567890abcdef

  • Code snippets:

    api_key = "dtrack_1234567890abcdef"

  • Connection strings (if applicable):

    https://api.dependencytrack.org?apiKey=dtrack_1234567890abcdef

Severity​

  • 🟠 High

This API key provides access to Dependency-Track's functionalities, which may include sensitive project data and vulnerability information. Unauthorized access can lead to data breaches and manipulation of security settings, impacting the organization's security posture.

What Can an Attacker Do?​

With immediate access to a Dependency-Track API key, an attacker can interact with the platform's API to perform unauthorized actions.

Key actions an attacker can perform:

  • Retrieve sensitive data: Access project and vulnerability data (if the credential has read permissions).
  • Modify project settings: Change configurations or project details (if write access is enabled).
  • Delete projects: Remove critical project data (if delete permissions are granted).
  • Access security reports: View detailed security assessments (if the account has reporting scope).

An attacker could potentially escalate their access by exploiting other vulnerabilities within the Dependency-Track platform or use the information obtained to target other systems within the organization.

Real-World Impact​

Exposure of a Dependency-Track API key poses significant business risks, including:

Primary impact includes unauthorized access to sensitive data and potential manipulation of security settings.

Potential consequences include:

  • Data Exposure: Access to project and vulnerability data (if the credential has read access to sensitive data).
  • Financial Loss: Costs associated with data breaches and incident response (if billing/resource creation is permitted).
  • Operational Disruption: Interruption of security workflows and project management (if the attacker has delete/modify permissions).
  • Reputational Damage: Loss of trust from clients and partners due to compromised security.

In a worst-case scenario, the exposure could lead to cascading effects, such as further exploitation of other systems and prolonged operational disruptions.

Prerequisites for Exploitation​

To exploit a Dependency-Track API key, an attacker needs:

  • Network access: Ability to reach the Dependency-Track API endpoint.
  • Additional context: Knowledge of specific project IDs or endpoints to target.
  • Rate limits: Awareness of any API rate limits or restrictions that might hinder exploitation.

How to Verify If It's Active​

To verify if a Dependency-Track API key is active, use the following command:

curl -X GET "https://api.dependencytrack.org/api/v1/project" -H "Authorization: Bearer [API_KEY]"

Valid credential response: A successful response will return a list of projects in JSON format.

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

Detection Patterns​

Common Variable Names:

  • DEPENDENCY_TRACK_API_KEY
  • DTRACK_API_KEY
  • API_KEY
  • DEPENDENCY_API_KEY
  • TRACK_API_KEY
  • DTRACK_KEY

File Locations:

  • .env
  • config.json
  • settings.yaml
  • application.properties
  • credentials.txt

Regex Pattern:

dtrack_[a-zA-Z0-9]{16,}

Remediation Steps​

  1. Revoke immediately - Go to Dependency-Track > Administration > API Keys and delete the compromised key.
  2. Audit access logs - Review Dependency-Track audit logs for unauthorized access or changes 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 key in Dependency-Track 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 in Dependency-Track and require TLS connections.
  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​