Docker Hub Personal Access Token Detection Scanner

Docker is widely used for building, shipping, and running distributed applications by developers and IT teams. It enables users to manage and deploy applications in lightweight containers, facilitating ease of configuration and portability across environments. Primarily used in DevOps for deploying microservices architectures, Docker is instrumental in enhancing productivity and collaboration. The software is popular in continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, providing a consistent environment for testing and scaling applications. Big tech companies and enterprises use Docker to optimize computing resources and software delivery processes. Its integration with cloud platforms ensures seamless deployment across diverse infrastructures.

The detected vulnerability involves the exposure of personal access tokens in Docker, allowing unauthorized access. These tokens serve as keys to access various functionalities and services in Docker. If exposed, they might enable attackers to authenticate and perform actions on behalf of the legitimate user. This vulnerability compromises the secure handling of sensitive access credentials, posing a risk to protected resources. The exposure can occur if personal access tokens are inadvertently leaked in source code or other public domains. Addressing this vulnerability is crucial to ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of Docker applications and data.

Technical details reveal that the vulnerability arises when Docker personal access tokens are captured through regex patterns in HTTP responses. The vulnerable endpoint involves URLs where these access tokens might be present in the response body inadvertently. The pattern identifies tokens beginning with 'dckr_pat_' followed by a sequence of alphanumeric characters and dashes. This exposure suggests inadequate protection measures around token handling, potentially leading to unauthorized access. It's critical to sanitize and secure any logs, configurations, or files that might inadvertently capture these tokens to mitigate risks.

When exploited, the vulnerability can lead to unauthorized actions executed within Docker systems. Attackers can gain control over Docker services, manipulate container configurations, and compromise the integrity of applications. Credential exposure may result in unauthorized data access, information leakage, and service disruptions. The security breach can further escalate to the exploitation of connected networks and infrastructures. Such unauthorized access could undermine trust, suffer financial losses, and disrupt business operations. The ramifications necessitate prompt assessment and mitigation to prevent exploitation.

REFERENCES

• https://github.com/praetorian-inc/noseyparker/blob/main/crates/noseyparker/data/default/builtin/rules/dockerhub.yml
• https://docs.docker.com/security/for-developers/access-tokens/