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ElevenLabs API Key

The ElevenLabs API Key is a credential used to authenticate requests to the ElevenLabs platform, which provides advanced text-to-speech and voice synthesis services. This API key allows developers to integrate ElevenLabs' capabilities into their applications, enabling features such as voice generation and audio processing. Exposure of this key is a significant security concern as it can lead to unauthorized access to the service, potentially resulting in misuse of resources and financial implications for the account holder.

How Does It Look​

An ElevenLabs API Key can appear in various contexts, such as:

  • Environment variables:

    export ELEVENLABS_API_KEY="sk_live_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"

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

    {
      "apiKey": "sk_live_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
    }
    api_key: sk_live_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
    ELEVENLABS_API_KEY=sk_live_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

  • Code snippets:

    api_key = "sk_live_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"

Severity​

  • 🔴 Critical

The severity of an ElevenLabs API Key exposure is critical because it grants full access to the ElevenLabs account. An attacker can exploit this key to consume services, potentially incurring significant costs. The blast radius includes unauthorized use of voice synthesis capabilities and potential data exposure if sensitive information is processed through the service.

What Can an Attacker Do?​

With immediate access to the ElevenLabs API, an attacker can perform several actions:

An attacker can immediately start using the ElevenLabs services, potentially leading to unauthorized consumption of resources.

Key actions an attacker can perform:

  • Generate voice content: Create and download audio files (if the API key has access to voice synthesis features)
  • Access account usage data: View usage statistics and potentially sensitive information (if the account settings allow)
  • Incur financial charges: Use the service extensively, leading to unexpected billing (if the account is not on a fixed plan)
  • Exploit service for malicious purposes: Generate misleading or harmful audio content (if the API key is not restricted)

Additionally, an attacker could leverage the API key to explore other vulnerabilities within the ElevenLabs account or use it as a foothold for further attacks on associated systems.

Real-World Impact​

The exposure of an ElevenLabs API Key poses significant business risks, including financial and reputational damage.

Potential consequences include:

  • Data Exposure: Unauthorized access to generated audio files and usage data (if the credential has access to sensitive data)
  • Financial Loss: Unexpected charges due to excessive use of the service (if billing/resource creation is permitted)
  • Operational Disruption: Service interruptions if the account exceeds usage limits (if the attacker consumes resources excessively)
  • Reputational Damage: Loss of trust if malicious audio content is generated using the service

In the worst-case scenario, the exposure could lead to cascading effects, such as compromised customer trust and long-term financial implications due to misuse of the service.

Prerequisites for Exploitation​

To exploit an ElevenLabs API Key, an attacker needs:

  • Network access: Ability to send requests to the ElevenLabs API endpoints
  • API endpoint information: Knowledge of the specific API endpoints to interact with
  • No rate limits: Exploitation is easier if the account lacks strict rate limiting or monitoring

How to Verify If It's Active​

To verify if an ElevenLabs API Key is active, use the following command:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer [API_KEY]" https://api.elevenlabs.io/v1/verify

Valid credential response: A successful response will include account details and confirmation of active status.

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

Detection Patterns​

Common Variable Names:

  • ELEVENLABS_API_KEY
  • ELEVENLABS_KEY
  • API_KEY
  • ELEVENLABS_SECRET
  • ELEVENLABS_TOKEN
  • ELEVENLABS_API_TOKEN

File Locations:

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

Regex Pattern:

sk_live_[A-Za-z0-9]{24,}

Remediation Steps​

  1. Revoke immediately - Go to ElevenLabs Dashboard > API Keys and delete the compromised key.
  2. Audit access logs - Review ElevenLabs usage logs for unauthorized requests or unusual activity 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 the ElevenLabs Dashboard 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 ElevenLabs and require additional authentication measures.
  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​