AWS Key Hunter: An Open-Source Tool for Detecting AWS Keys

Today, the widespread use of cloud technologies increases security threats. The accidental exposure of AWS (Amazon Web Services) access keys poses a significant risk.

To mitigate such risks, cybersecurity engineer Anmol Singh Yadav developed an open-source tool called AWS Key Hunter. This tool automatically scans public GitHub repositories to detect exposed AWS keys.

AWS Key Hunter operates using continuous monitoring, real-time Discord alerts, and precise detectors to identify accidentally exposed keys in version control systems.

The exposure of AWS keys can lead to the following consequences:

  • Unauthorized system access – Hackers may bypass security mechanisms and attack AWS resources.
  • Data theft – Confidential information could fall into the hands of malicious actors.
  • Service disruption – AWS servers may be compromised, causing business operations to halt.

This tool employs a multi-step approach to search for and verify AWS access keys within GitHub commits:

  1. Commit Processing – Monitors repository activity via the GitHub API.
  2. Content Analysis – Examines file changes and detects AWS key patterns using regular expressions (regex).
  3. Validation – Detected keys are verified via AWS STS GetCallerIdentity API.

AWS Key Hunter integrates with the Discord Webhook API to send automatic alerts. If a valid AWS key is found, the system notifies the security team with the following details:

  • Repository name
  • Commit ID
  • Partially masked exposed key

Additionally, the security team can use these alerts to automate key rotation or deletion processes.

How does AWS Key Hunter outperform other solutions?

✅ Detection of Base64-Encoded Keys – Decodes encrypted environment variables in YAML and JSON files.
✅ Contextual Analysis – Compares detected keys with IAM permission levels to assess their risk.
✅ Docker Compatibility – AWS Key Hunter runs in Docker containers, optimizing system resource usage.

Deploying this tool is straightforward:

  1. Create a GitHub Personal Access Token – Generate a token with repo permissions to access the GitHub API.
  2. Configure Discord Webhook URL – Add the webhook URL to the .env file.
  3. Build and Run the Docker Image – Execute AWS Key Hunter using Docker:

For maximum security, use AWS Key Hunter alongside the following measures:
🔹 Enable AWS CloudTrail – Monitor API activity continuously.
🔹 Minimize IAM Permissions – Grant users only the necessary privileges.
🔹 Automate Key Rotation Using AWS Secrets Manager.

AWS Key Hunter is a powerful tool for automatically detecting and monitoring exposed AWS keys in GitHub repositories. Its Docker compatibility, real-time monitoring, and key validation make it more effective than similar tools.

Organizations can integrate AWS Key Hunter with CloudTrail, IAM, and Secrets Manager to enhance AWS security. This tool provides a critical solution for preventing credential leaks and securing AWS access keys.

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