Hard-coding credentials in source code or binaries makes it easy for attackers to extract sensitive information, especially in distributed or open-source applications. This practice exposes your application to significant security risks.
This rule flags instances of hard-coded credentials used in database and LDAP connections. It looks for hard-coded credentials in connection strings, and for variable names that match any of the patterns from the provided list.
In the past, it has led to the following vulnerabilities:
Credentials should be stored in a configuration file that is not committed to the code repository, in a database, or managed by your cloud provider’s secrets management service. If a password is exposed in the source code, it must be changed immediately.
val password = "xxxx" // Noncompliant
val password = retrievePassword()