Unveiling Hidden Git Repositories: A Deep Dive into the Git Source Code Disclosure Scanner

Maor Dayan - מאור דיין
4 min readJul 28, 2024

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In the vast landscape of cybersecurity, one often overlooked vulnerability can expose an entire organization's codebase to potential attackers. Git source code disclosure, a seemingly innocuous misconfiguration, can lead to catastrophic consequences. Today, we're exploring a powerful tool designed to detect this vulnerability across multiple websites simultaneously: the Git Source Code Disclosure Scanner.

The Hidden Danger of Exposed Git Repositories

Before we delve into the tool itself, let's understand the risk. When developers use Git for version control (and who doesn't these days?), they sometimes accidentally leave the `.git` directory accessible on their web servers. This innocent mistake can expose the entire source code history, including sensitive information like API keys, database credentials, and internal comments.

Imagine a scenario where a competitor or a malicious actor stumbles upon your exposed `.git` directory. They could potentially:

1. Access your entire codebase
2. View your development history
3. Find hardcoded credentials
4. Understand your application's architecture and potential vulnerabilities

The consequences could range from intellectual property theft to full-scale data breaches. This is where our Git Source Code Disclosure Scanner comes into play.

Introducing the Git Source Code Disclosure Scanner — GitScanner

The Git Source Code Disclosure Scanner is a Python-based tool designed to quickly and efficiently scan multiple URLs for exposed Git repositories. It’s built with speed, accuracy, and user-friendliness in mind.

Screenshot of the tool’s GitHub repository

Key features include:

  • Concurrent scanning of multiple URLs for improved speed
  • Detection of common Git repository paths
  • Real-time progress updates with color-coded output
  • CSV export of vulnerable URLs
  • Flexible command-line options

Setting Up the Scanner

Before we start hunting for exposed repositories, let’s set up the tool. Here’s how:

  1. Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/MaorDayanOfficial/GitScanner
cd GitScanner

2. Install the required Python packages:

pip install -r requirements.txt

That’s it! You’re now ready to start scanning.

Using the Git Source Code Disclosure Scanner

Using the scanner is straightforward. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Create a text file with the URLs you want to scan, one per line. Let’s call it urls_to_scan.txtor use the existing DomainsToScan.txt

https://example.com
https://anotherexample.com
http://testsite.net
testsite2.net

2. Run the scanner:

python git_scanner.py urls_to_scan.txt
Terminal screenshot showing the start of the scan

The scanner will start working its magic, providing real-time updates as it progresses.

Terminal screenshot showing scan progress

If the scanner finds any vulnerable sites, it will highlight them in red:

Terminal screenshot showing a vulnerable site detected

Once the scan is complete, you’ll see a summary of the results:

Interpreting the Results

The scanner saves any found vulnerabilities to a CSV file (default name: vulnerable_urls.csv). This file contains two columns:

  • URL: The base URL of the vulnerable site
  • Vulnerable_Path: The specific Git-related path that was accessible

You can open this CSV file in any spreadsheet software for further analysis or to share with your team.

Advanced Usage

The Git Source Code Disclosure Scanner offers some advanced options for power users:

Specify a custom output file:

python git_scanner.py urls_to_scan.txt --output custom_results.csv

Adjust the number of concurrent scans:

python git_scanner.py urls_to_scan.txt --workers 20

Ethical Considerations and Best Practices

While this tool is powerful, it’s crucial to use it ethically and responsibly. Here are some guidelines:

  1. Always obtain permission before scanning websites you don’t own or operate.
  2. Use the tool for educational purposes or to audit your own websites.
  3. If you discover a vulnerability on a third-party website, report it responsibly to the site owner.
  4. Regular scans of your own web properties can help ensure you haven’t accidentally exposed your Git repositories.

Conclusion

The Git Source Code Disclosure Scanner is a valuable addition to any cybersecurity professional’s toolkit. By quickly identifying exposed Git repositories, it helps prevent potentially catastrophic data leaks before they happen.

Remember, security is an ongoing process. Regular scans, responsible disclosure, and continuous learning are key to maintaining a robust security posture in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Happy scanning, and here’s to a more secure internet for all!

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Have you tried the Git Source Code Disclosure Scanner? What other tools do you use to keep your web properties secure? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below!

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