
Secrets Scan
- 275 installs
- 133 repo stars
- Updated February 24, 2026
- jwynia/agent-skills
secrets-scan is a security utility skill that scans repositories and changes for exposed API keys, passwords, tokens, and other credentials before merge or release so secrets do not reach production or public history.
About
secrets-scan is version 1.0 MIT utility skill by jwynia that performs deep detection of hardcoded credentials and sensitive data in source code. The SKILL.md documents CLI-style invocations such as `/secrets-scan`, `/secrets-scan --scope src/`, `/secrets-scan --entropy` for high-entropy strings, and `/secrets-scan --git-history` to inspect commits. It classifies high-confidence secret patterns including API keys, passwords, and tokens, and supports scoped directory scans for monorepos. Developers run it before pull request merge, release tagging, or after refactors that touch config files and `.env` examples. The evaluative mode fits CI pre-commit hooks and agent-assisted reviews where humans want a structured pass beyond ad hoc regex searches. It reduces incident risk from accidental credential commits without replacing dedicated secret managers or vault rotation workflows.
- Detects tokens and API keys in code
- Supports pre-merge and pre-release checks
- Reduces credential leak incident risk
- Fits agent-assisted repo review workflows
- Encourages fast remediation of exposed secrets
Secrets Scan by the numbers
- 275 all-time installs (skills.sh)
- +2 installs in the week ending Aug 2, 2026 (Skillselion tracking)
- Ranked #646 of 2,203 Security skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
- Data as of Aug 5, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
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| Installs | 275 |
|---|---|
| repo stars | ★ 133 |
| Last updated | February 24, 2026 |
| Repository | jwynia/agent-skills ↗ |
How do you scan a repo for hardcoded secrets before merge?
Scan repositories and changes for exposed API keys, tokens, and credentials before merge or release so secrets do not reach production or public history.
Who is it for?
Developers and release engineers who need a fast pre-merge credential scan with optional git-history and entropy checks.
Skip if: Teams that only need vault rotation, live secret revocation, or cloud IAM policy design without repository scanning.
When should I use this skill?
A pull request, release candidate, or refactor touches config, env samples, or credentials and needs a secrets scan before merge.
What you get
Secrets scan report, flagged file paths, entropy hits, and git-history credential findings for remediation.
- secrets findings report
- remediation file list
By the numbers
- Published skill metadata version 1.0 in jwynia/agent-skills
- Documents 4 scan modes: default, --scope, --entropy, and --git-history
Files
Secrets Scan
Deep detection of hardcoded credentials and sensitive data in source code.
Quick Start
/secrets-scan # Scan current directory
/secrets-scan --scope src/ # Scan specific path
/secrets-scan --entropy # Include high-entropy detection
/secrets-scan --git-history # Check git commit historyWhat This Skill Detects
High-Confidence Patterns
Patterns with very low false positive rates:
| Type | Pattern Example | Provider |
|---|---|---|
| AWS Access Key | AKIA... (20 chars) | AWS |
| AWS Secret Key | 40 char base64 | AWS |
| GitHub Token | ghp_, gho_, ghu_, ghs_, ghr_ | GitHub |
| GitLab Token | glpat-... | GitLab |
| Slack Token | xoxb-, xoxp-, xoxa- | Slack |
| Stripe Key | sk_live_, rk_live_ | Stripe |
| Twilio | SK... (34 chars) | Twilio |
| SendGrid | SG. followed by base64 | SendGrid |
| Private Key | `-----BEGIN (RSA\ | EC\ |
| Google API Key | AIza... (39 chars) |
Medium-Confidence Patterns
May require context validation:
| Type | Pattern | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Generic API Key | api[_-]?key.*=.*['"][a-zA-Z0-9]{16,} | Variable names |
| Generic Secret | secret.*=.*['"][^'"]+ | Context needed |
| Password | password.*=.*['"][^'"]+ | May be config |
| Connection String | ://[^:]+:[^@]+@ | DB credentials |
| Bearer Token | Bearer [a-zA-Z0-9_-]+ | In headers/code |
High-Entropy Detection
Finds potential secrets via entropy analysis:
/secrets-scan --entropyDetects strings with high randomness that may be:
- Base64-encoded secrets
- Hex-encoded tokens
- Custom API key formats
Detection Patterns
Cloud Provider Keys
# AWS
AKIA[0-9A-Z]{16} # Access Key ID
[A-Za-z0-9/+=]{40} # Secret Access Key (context needed)
# Azure
[a-zA-Z0-9+/=]{88} # Storage Account Key
# GCP
AIza[0-9A-Za-z_-]{35} # API Key
[0-9]+-[a-z0-9]{32}\.apps\.googleusercontent\.com # OAuth ClientVersion Control Tokens
# GitHub
gh[pousr]_[A-Za-z0-9]{36,} # Personal/OAuth/User/Repo/App
github_pat_[A-Za-z0-9]{22}_[A-Za-z0-9]{59} # Fine-grained PAT
# GitLab
glpat-[A-Za-z0-9-_]{20,} # Personal Access Token
# Bitbucket
[a-zA-Z0-9]{24} # App Password (context needed)Payment & Finance
# Stripe
sk_live_[a-zA-Z0-9]{24,} # Secret Key
rk_live_[a-zA-Z0-9]{24,} # Restricted Key
pk_live_[a-zA-Z0-9]{24,} # Publishable Key
# Square
sq0[a-z]{3}-[A-Za-z0-9_-]{22,} # Access Token
# PayPal
access_token\$[a-zA-Z0-9-_.]+ # OAuth TokenCommunication Services
# Slack
xox[bpas]-[0-9]{10,}-[a-zA-Z0-9]{24,} # Bot/User/App Token
# Twilio
SK[a-f0-9]{32} # API Key SID
[a-f0-9]{32} # Auth Token (context)
# SendGrid
SG\.[a-zA-Z0-9_-]{22}\.[a-zA-Z0-9_-]{43} # API KeyDatabase Connection Strings
# PostgreSQL/MySQL
(postgres|mysql|mariadb)://[^:]+:[^@]+@[^/]+/\w+
# MongoDB
mongodb(\+srv)?://[^:]+:[^@]+@
# Redis
redis://:[^@]+@Private Keys
-----BEGIN (RSA |EC |DSA |OPENSSH )?PRIVATE KEY-----
-----BEGIN PGP PRIVATE KEY BLOCK-----JWT & Session
eyJ[A-Za-z0-9_-]+\.eyJ[A-Za-z0-9_-]+\.[A-Za-z0-9_-]+ # JWTScan Options
Basic Scan
/secrets-scanScans for high-confidence patterns only.
With Entropy Analysis
/secrets-scan --entropyAdds high-entropy string detection (more findings, some false positives).
Specific Scope
/secrets-scan --scope src/api/
/secrets-scan --scope "*.ts"Git History Scan
/secrets-scan --git-history
/secrets-scan --git-history --since "2024-01-01"Scans commit history for secrets that were committed and later removed.
Exclude Patterns
/secrets-scan --exclude "*.test.ts" --exclude "fixtures/"Output Format
Finding Report
SECRETS SCAN RESULTS
====================
High-Confidence Findings: 2
Medium-Confidence Findings: 5
Entropy Findings: 3
[!] CRITICAL: AWS Access Key
File: src/config/aws.ts:15
Pattern: AKIAIOSFODNN7EXAMPLE
Action: Rotate immediately, check CloudTrail
[!] CRITICAL: GitHub Token
File: .env.example:8
Pattern: ghp_xxxx...xxxx (redacted)
Action: Revoke token, remove from history
[H] HIGH: Database Password
File: docker-compose.yml:23
Pattern: password: supersecret
Action: Use environment variable
[M] MEDIUM: Possible API Key
File: src/services/api.ts:44
Pattern: apiKey = "a1b2c3..."
Context: May be test valueSummary Statistics
Files scanned: 342
Patterns checked: 127
Time elapsed: 2.3s
By Severity:
Critical: 2
High: 5
Medium: 8
By Type:
Cloud credentials: 2
API keys: 4
Passwords: 3
Private keys: 1
Other: 5False Positive Handling
Common False Positives
1. Example/placeholder values
AKIAIOSFODNN7EXAMPLE(AWS example)sk_test_...(Stripe test key)your-api-key-here
2. Test fixtures
- Mock credentials in test files
- Fixture data
3. Documentation
- README examples
- API documentation
Ignore File
Create .secrets-scan-ignore:
# Ignore test fixtures
**/fixtures/**
**/__mocks__/**
*.test.ts
*.spec.js
# Ignore documentation
docs/**
*.md
# Ignore specific false positives
src/constants.ts:EXAMPLE_KEY
# Inline ignore comment
# secrets-scan-ignore: test fixtureInline Ignore
// secrets-scan-ignore: example value
const EXAMPLE_KEY = "AKIAIOSFODNN7EXAMPLE";Remediation Steps
When Secrets Are Found
1. Immediate Actions
- Rotate the credential immediately
- Check access logs for unauthorized use
- Remove from code/config
2. Clean Git History
# Remove secret from history
git filter-branch --force --index-filter \
'git rm --cached --ignore-unmatch path/to/file' \
--prune-empty --tag-name-filter cat -- --all
# Or use BFG Repo Cleaner
bfg --replace-text secrets.txt repo.git3. Prevent Future Commits
- Add pre-commit hooks
- Configure secret scanning in CI
Prevention
# Install pre-commit hook
npx husky add .husky/pre-commit "npx secrets-scan --staged"Integration
CI/CD Pipeline
# GitHub Actions
- name: Secrets Scan
run: |
/secrets-scan --fail-on-findings
exit $?
# Exit codes:
# 0 = No findings
# 1 = Findings detected
# 2 = Error during scanPre-Commit Hook
#!/bin/sh
# .husky/pre-commit
files=$(git diff --cached --name-only)
/secrets-scan --files "$files"Related Skills
/security-scan- Full security analysis/config-scan- Configuration security/dependency-scan- Package vulnerabilities
Related skills
FAQ
What commands does secrets-scan support?
secrets-scan supports `/secrets-scan` for the current directory, `--scope` for path-limited scans, `--entropy` for high-entropy detection, and `--git-history` to inspect commits. The published skill metadata lists version 1.0.
Does secrets-scan replace a secrets manager?
secrets-scan does not replace Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, or rotation tooling. It finds hardcoded credentials in source and git history so developers can remove them before merge or release.