Password in Query Parameter Scanner

This scanner is a diagnostic tool designed to check web applications for the insecure practice of transmitting sensitive information via URL query strings. While not tied to a specific commercial product, it's used by security professionals and developers across all web application types (e.g., e-commerce, content management systems, custom applications). The purpose of the tool is to identify configurations that could lead to the exposure of confidential data. It is primarily used during security assessments, penetration testing, and development phases to enforce secure coding practices. Any organization handling user authentication or private data should utilize such a check.

The detected vulnerability is the presence of passwords within a URL's query parameters, which typically results from using an HTTP GET request for form submission. Using HTTP GET for sensitive data transmission is a form of configuration exposure or information disclosure. The data is inherently less secure when passed in the URL compared to the request body (POST request) or headers. This exposure can happen because URLs are often logged by web servers, proxies, and network devices. Furthermore, a user's browser history will contain the sensitive information.

This scanner specifically checks for common sensitive keywords like "password," "pass," "pwd," and others within the query string of a target URL. The vulnerable endpoint is the entire URL, as the sensitive information is exposed directly in the query parameters (e.g., http://example.com/login?username=user&password=value). The vulnerable parameter is any query parameter containing one of the predefined sensitive keywords whose value is non-empty. The detection logic parses the URL and iterates through the query parameters, confirming the existence of a sensitive keyword. Successful detection indicates a clear violation of data protection best practices, even if the data is merely a placeholder or an empty string.

Exploiting this configuration can lead to significant data breaches and unauthorized account access. Server administrators, network eavesdroppers, or systems logging network traffic can easily view the exposed password. If the exposed data is a password, an attacker can directly compromise user accounts, leading to identity theft and loss of confidential information. Exposure can severely damage the organization's reputation, lead to regulatory non-compliance fines (like GDPR or HIPAA), and result in financial losses due to cleanup and recovery efforts.