Skip to main content

Snyk API Key

A Snyk API Key is a credential used to authenticate requests to the Snyk API, which provides services for identifying and fixing vulnerabilities in code, open source dependencies, containers, and infrastructure as code. Exposure of this API key is a significant security concern because it can allow unauthorized access to your Snyk account, potentially leading to unauthorized vulnerability scans, data exfiltration, or manipulation of security settings.

How Does It Look​

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

  • Environment variables:

    export SNYK_API_KEY="snyk-1234567890abcdef"

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

    {
      "snykApiKey": "snyk-1234567890abcdef"
    }
    snyk_api_key: snyk-1234567890abcdef

  • Code snippets:

    const snykApiKey = "snyk-1234567890abcdef";

Severity​

  • 🟠 High

This severity level is due to the potential access the API key provides to sensitive security data and the ability to perform actions within the Snyk platform. An attacker could exploit this access to manipulate vulnerability data or disrupt security operations, impacting the security posture of the organization.

What Can an Attacker Do?​

With immediate access to a Snyk API key, an attacker can perform several actions that compromise security:

An attacker can immediately:

  • Access vulnerability data: Retrieve detailed reports on vulnerabilities in your projects (if the credential has read permissions).
  • Modify security settings: Change configurations or ignore certain vulnerabilities (if write access is enabled).
  • Initiate unauthorized scans: Run scans on projects to gather sensitive information (if scanning permissions are granted).
  • Exfiltrate sensitive data: Export vulnerability reports and project details (if export permissions are available).

Additionally, an attacker could leverage this access to escalate their privileges or move laterally within the organization’s security infrastructure, potentially compromising other systems or data.

Real-World Impact​

The exposure of a Snyk API key poses significant business risks, including:

The primary impact includes unauthorized access to security data and potential manipulation of security settings.

Potential consequences include:

  • Data Exposure: Access to vulnerability reports and project configurations (if the credential has read access to sensitive data).
  • Financial Loss: Costs associated with unauthorized scans and potential data breaches (if billing/resource creation is permitted).
  • Operational Disruption: Altered security settings leading to unaddressed vulnerabilities (if the attacker has modify permissions).
  • Reputational Damage: Loss of trust from clients and partners due to compromised security posture.

In a worst-case scenario, the exposure could lead to cascading effects, such as widespread data breaches or regulatory scrutiny due to inadequate security measures.

Prerequisites for Exploitation​

To exploit a Snyk API key, an attacker needs:

  • Network access: Ability to send requests to the Snyk API endpoint.
  • Additional context: Knowledge of the specific projects or organizations associated with the API key.
  • No rate limits: If rate limits are not enforced, the attacker can perform extensive operations without detection.

How to Verify If It's Active​

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

curl -H "Authorization: token [API_KEY]" https://snyk.io/api/v1/orgs

Valid credential response: A successful response will return a list of organizations associated with the API key.

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

Detection Patterns​

Common Variable Names:

  • SNYK_API_KEY
  • snykApiKey
  • SnykToken
  • SNYK_TOKEN
  • snyk_key
  • snyk_secret

File Locations:

  • .env
  • config.json
  • settings.yaml
  • credentials.js
  • snyk-config.yml

Regex Pattern:

snyk-[a-f0-9]{16}

Remediation Steps​

  1. Revoke immediately - Go to Snyk > Account Settings > API Tokens and delete the compromised API key.
  2. Audit access logs - Review Snyk audit logs for unauthorized scans or configuration 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 Snyk and ensure it has 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 Snyk and require multi-factor authentication for account 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​