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Freshdesk API Token

A Freshdesk API Token is a credential used to authenticate API requests to the Freshdesk platform, which is a customer support software that helps businesses manage customer interactions and support tickets. This token allows applications to interact with Freshdesk's API to perform actions such as creating, updating, or retrieving support tickets. Exposure of this token is a significant security concern because it can grant unauthorized access to sensitive customer data and support operations.

How Does It Look​

Freshdesk API Tokens can appear in various contexts, such as:

  • Environment variables:

    export FRESHDESK_API_TOKEN="fdp_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

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

    {
      "freshdeskApiToken": "fdp_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
    }
    freshdesk_api_token: fdp_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  • Code snippets:

    headers = {
        "Authorization": "Token token=fdp_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
    }

  • Connection strings (if applicable):

    https://api.freshdesk.com/v2/tickets?api_key=fdp_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Severity​

  • 🟠 High

The Freshdesk API Token is classified as high severity because it provides access to customer support data and operations. An attacker with this token can potentially read, modify, or delete support tickets, leading to data breaches and operational disruptions. The blast radius includes unauthorized access to customer interactions and sensitive information.

What Can an Attacker Do?​

With immediate access to a Freshdesk API Token, an attacker can interact with the Freshdesk API as if they were an authorized user.

Key actions an attacker can perform:

  • Read customer data: Access sensitive customer information and support tickets (if the token has read permissions).
  • Modify support tickets: Alter or delete existing tickets, potentially disrupting support operations (if write access is enabled).
  • Create fraudulent tickets: Generate fake support requests to manipulate customer service metrics (if the token allows ticket creation).
  • Access internal notes: View internal comments and notes on support tickets (if the token has appropriate permissions).

An attacker could also use the token to escalate privileges or move laterally within the organization's support infrastructure, potentially compromising other systems connected to Freshdesk.

Real-World Impact​

Exposure of a Freshdesk API Token poses significant business risks, including:

Primary impact includes unauthorized access to customer support data.

Potential consequences include:

  • Data Exposure: Unauthorized access to customer support tickets and personal information (if the token has read access to sensitive data).
  • Financial Loss: Costs associated with data breaches and potential fines (if billing/resource creation is permitted).
  • Operational Disruption: Interruption of customer support services due to unauthorized ticket modifications (if the attacker has delete/modify permissions).
  • Reputational Damage: Loss of customer trust and brand reputation due to mishandling of customer data.

In worst-case scenarios, the exposure could lead to cascading effects, such as compromised customer relationships and long-term financial repercussions.

Prerequisites for Exploitation​

To exploit a Freshdesk API Token, an attacker needs:

  • Network access: Ability to send requests to the Freshdesk API endpoint.
  • Additional context: Knowledge of the Freshdesk account domain or specific API endpoints.
  • Rate limits: Awareness of any rate limiting or IP restrictions that might hinder exploitation.

How to Verify If It's Active​

To verify if a Freshdesk API Token is active, use the following command:

curl -H "Authorization: Token token=[TOKEN]" https://[YOUR_DOMAIN].freshdesk.com/api/v2/tickets

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

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

Detection Patterns​

Common Variable Names:

  • FRESHDESK_API_TOKEN
  • freshdeskApiToken
  • FRESHDESK_TOKEN
  • freshdesk_token
  • API_TOKEN
  • freshdeskApiKey

File Locations:

  • .env
  • config.json
  • settings.yaml
  • app-config.js
  • credentials.txt

Regex Pattern:

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

Remediation Steps​

  1. Revoke immediately - Go to Freshdesk Admin > Security > API Tokens and delete the compromised token.
  2. Audit access logs - Review Freshdesk audit logs for unauthorized API requests or data exports 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 Freshdesk 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 Freshdesk and require two-factor authentication for API access.
  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​