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Shodan API Key

A Shodan API Key is a credential used to authenticate requests to the Shodan service, which is a search engine for Internet-connected devices. This API key allows users to query Shodan's vast database to gather information about devices, services, and vulnerabilities exposed on the internet. Exposure of this key is a significant security concern because it can allow unauthorized users to access sensitive data and perform actions that could lead to further security breaches.

How Does It Look​

Shodan API keys can appear in various contexts, such as:

  • Environment variables

    export SHODAN_API_KEY="SHODAN1234567890EXAMPLE"

  • Configuration files (JSON, YAML, .env)

    {
      "shodan": {
        "api_key": "SHODAN1234567890EXAMPLE"
      }
    }

  • Code snippets

    import shodan

    api = shodan.Shodan('SHODAN1234567890EXAMPLE')

  • Connection strings

    shodan://SHODAN1234567890EXAMPLE@shodan.io

Severity​

  • 🟠 High

The Shodan API key provides access to a powerful search engine that indexes internet-connected devices. Unauthorized access can lead to data exposure, as attackers can query sensitive information about devices and networks. The blast radius includes potential reconnaissance activities that could facilitate further attacks on exposed systems.

What Can an Attacker Do?​

With immediate access to a Shodan API key, an attacker can perform various reconnaissance activities:

An attacker can:

  • Query sensitive data: Retrieve information about vulnerable devices and services (if the API key has sufficient query permissions).
  • Access historical data: View past data about devices and services (if the account has access to historical data).
  • Automate searches: Conduct automated scans to identify potential targets (if rate limits are not enforced).
  • Download data: Export search results for offline analysis (if the API key allows data export).

Additionally, an attacker could use the information gathered to escalate their attack, potentially identifying weak points in a network for further exploitation or lateral movement.

Real-World Impact​

Exposure of a Shodan API key poses significant business risks, including:

The primary impact includes unauthorized access to sensitive device data.

Potential consequences include:

  • Data Exposure: Information about vulnerable devices and services (if the credential has read access to sensitive data).
  • Financial Loss: Costs associated with mitigating unauthorized access and potential breaches (if billing/resource creation is permitted).
  • Operational Disruption: Increased risk of targeted attacks on exposed devices (if the attacker has detailed device information).
  • Reputational Damage: Loss of trust if sensitive network information is exposed.

In the worst-case scenario, attackers could use the gathered information to launch targeted attacks, leading to cascading effects such as data breaches or service disruptions.

Prerequisites for Exploitation​

To exploit a Shodan API key, an attacker needs:

  • Network access: Ability to send requests to the Shodan API.
  • Additional context: Knowledge of specific endpoints or queries to maximize data retrieval.
  • Rate limits: Awareness of any rate limits or restrictions that might hinder large-scale data collection.

How to Verify If It's Active​

To verify if a Shodan API key is active, use the following command:

curl -X GET "https://api.shodan.io/api-info?key=[API_KEY]"

Valid credential response: A JSON response with account information and API usage details.

Invalid/expired credential response: An error message indicating invalid API key or access denied.

Detection Patterns​

Common Variable Names:

  • SHODAN_API_KEY
  • SHODAN_KEY
  • API_KEY_SHODAN
  • SHODAN_TOKEN
  • SHODAN_SECRET
  • SHODAN_ACCESS_KEY

File Locations:

  • config.json
  • settings.yaml
  • .env
  • shodan_config.py
  • secrets.json

Regex Pattern:

(?i)(shodan[_-]?api[_-]?key|shodan[_-]?key|api[_-]?key[_-]?shodan|shodan[_-]?token|shodan[_-]?secret|shodan[_-]?access[_-]?key)["'\s:]*[=:\s]["']?[a-zA-Z0-9]{32,45}["']?

Remediation Steps​

  1. Revoke immediately - Go to Shodan account settings and delete the compromised API key.
  2. Audit access logs - Review Shodan API logs for unauthorized queries 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 key in Shodan and update it in all dependent systems.
  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 Shodan and enforce rate limits to prevent abuse.
  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​