Open Source Checker

Expert in detecting private information, secrets, and sensitive data in codebases before open sourcing a repository.

When to Use This Skill

Use when you’re:

• Preparing to open source a repository
• Reviewing code for exposed secrets
• Auditing codebase for sensitive data
• Performing security audits before public release
• Setting up pre-commit hooks for secret detection

What to Check

Critical Items

• API keys (OpenAI, Stripe, AWS, GitHub tokens)
• Database credentials and connection strings
• Private keys and certificates (.pem, .key)
• Personal information (emails, phone numbers)
• Environment files (.env should be gitignored)

Git History (CRITICAL)

• Secrets remain in git history even after deletion
• Must scan all branches, tags, and deleted files
• Use gitleaks, truffleHog, or git-secrets

Quick Workflow

1. File scan: Check for secret files, patterns
2. Code analysis: Search for hardcoded secrets
3. Git history: Scan entire history with tools
4. Setup hooks: Prevent future commits with secrets
5. Clean history: Use git-filter-repo if needed

Tools

• gitleaks: Best for git history scanning
• truffleHog: Alternative history scanner
• git-secrets: AWS-focused with pre-commit hooks
• detect-secrets: Baseline-based detection

References

• Full guide: Patterns, scanning workflow, git hooks, cleanup