Some of your db passwords are belong to us

OOPS!Google opened up a new search sevice called Google Code Search today. The new search allows you to search through a huge index of code that the Google search engine has crawled over the years.

Being the curious beings we are, a friend of mine and I immediately started searching for passwords to see just how much Google was indexing. It didn’t turn up much in the way of anything “secret” until we refined our search to just wp-config files (the file that contains the database connection information for Wordpress installs).

That worked. Since Google Code Search actually indexes the contents of compressed files like ZIP and TARBALL files, we were able to find copies of people’s wp-config files and several contained usernames and passwords.

Here’s an example search.

Now, this only pulls up 50 results (after filtering out the sample config files), but we only looked for Wordpress config files. Who knows what other similar files out there are being indexed and made public. So, a lesson to webmasters– don’t put anything you don’t want seen in a zip file on your server. Perhaps obvious to most, but worth repeating.

65 Responses to “Some of your db passwords are belong to us”

  1. If you search for the following, you’ll see database connection strings within ASP.NET 2.0 applications.

    connectionstring file:web.config

  2. […] One Digger claims he found WordPress admin passwords in Google Code. […]

  3. I’m sure more security holes will be revealed as web2.0 science progresses.

  4. This is a mayor security problem… Thank you for bringing this into our attention!

  5. Google Code Search muestra resultados de bases de datos de passwords para Wordpress…

    Según explican en este blog [inglés], la nueva herramienta de Google es sin duda poderosa. Entre la ingente cantidad de código indexado, es capaz de mostrar ficheros de bases de datos conteniendo passwords reales. En este caso, se muestra como ejemp…

  6. Wait so can you search .php code? How can google see the code if its done serverside before google recieves it?

  7. OMG! This is a huge security hole! Nice find

  8. It only sees code that servers let out. This is actually kind of lame since it is only showing code that people publically put up.

  9. For MovableType:

    http://google.com/codesearch?q=file%3Amt-db-pass.cgi

    A search for “mt-load.cgi” could be interesting too.

  10. @Chris Pietschmann
    Actually searching through those results, you will see they are pretty much all example implementations or default source code listings. Nothing to see here…

  11. Default setup listings may appear to be innocuous, but you’d be surprised how many implementations of said defaults are used…Think of the whole ATM default master password fiasco we had a couple weeks ago.

  12. Nate, Google indexed php files inside tarballs, not the plain php files.

  13. […] Das habe ich gerade bei digg gefunden: “Some of your db passwords are belong to us” […]

  14. This isn’t going to find passwords for production pages. However, it is worth bringing to light because people may not be aware that files they are storing in compressed files on their server are being indexed.

    Obviously, it’s up to the developer to CYA when you post anything online. But, I can see someone, in a hurry, making a backup of their Wordpress install and possibly storing it in a ZIP file on their server. Not thinking that the db passwords are then stored in plain text inside that ZIP file.

    It’s not so much about your password getting out, it’s more about being aware of how easy it is becoming for people to find your data in places you may not have expected (like inside a ZIP file).

  15. all these results are from TAR and ZIP files containing unexecuted PHP code it seems… not from the PHP source after being pushed by the server. Just don’t backup your code on the server!

  16. It’s not showing code in active php files… just files which are compressed (zipped, tarred, etc). Many people use backup systems which will compress their core files, one of them being the config. This is a very scary issue.

  17. http://www.google.com/codesearch?q=+file:config.inc.php+%22MySQL+password%22+%22root%22+show:MEPOI3Ieh4w:JEhXJCZDFi8:hd4MbB0WDkE&sa=N&cd=10&ct=rc&cs_p=http://www.html-gruppen.nu/artiklar/server/apache/installera/del2/filer_del02_phpmyadmin.zip&cs_f=config.inc.php#a0

    or root password

  18. Any *active* PHP, ASP, CGI, etc. files should be safe from this type of search — i.e. your own wp-config.php file on your server, as long as the appropriate engine is running.

    The danger here is that sometimes people will create backup copies, and those copies won’t get parsed as PHP. Maybe it’s been been renamed to something like wp-config.php.bak, or maybe (as with several of the examples here) it’s been put in an archive like wp-backup.tar.gz. Or maybe something broke your server config and you were accidentally serving PHP files as text, and Google dropped in at exactly the wrong time.

    If those backup files are visible to the web server, and if something online points to that location — maybe they’re in a folder with indexing on and no default document, and something mistakenly links to that folder — then it could get indexed and searched.

    It’s worth noting as well that an attacker who had reason to suspect the files were there, and a way to determine the exact filename (easier if it’s in a directory with indexing enabled), wouldn’t need a link, wouldn’t even need it to show up in Google. They could just go straight to your site and download the archive.

  19. connectionstring file:web.config, does not work. All there where was example files and tutorials

  20. […] Death By Comet digg […]

  21. […] There are a lot of possibilities to circumvent rudamentary protections, and not all of them are as ovbious. One that was recently brought to my attention by this blog entry is backing up your website and leaving the compressed file accessable via the web. Not only could someone download the file, decompress it and browse through all your files (not just the configuration files with your passwords, but any other “hidden” files or information you have residing in your directory) but with new and useful services out there such as “google code” which will index compressed files (such as your config files with password inside of that backup you made) someone can now just do a search for your passwords making it easier than ever to obtain sensative information and exploit it, or you. […]

  22. […] My buddy over at Death By Comet is really gettin’ his digg on. Noah - you’re welcome!   […]

  23. A good way to prevent some of these problems is to put passwords in non-public directories. The wp config files put passwords in public directories by default, instructing you just to change the password. I always include my passwords from a non-public directory (such as ../ if my php script is in the public_html directory). This way, even if the PHP code isn’t processed for some reason, the password is not publically accessiable.

    I use to use .inc files like ‘init.inc’. Move to a server were .inc files aren’t processed as PHP and you have a security problem. But, not if they aren’t in public directories.

    Now I’ve got to go stop the convenient zip backups I make publically accessible for my clients to download. :-)

  24. It is searching tars and zips on servers

  25. […] read more | digg story […]

  26. […] Kolmas asi mida pragu just lugesin oli Death By Comet blogi postitus et näe kui huvitav on otsida wp-config failide MySQL ühenduse kasutaja nime ja paroole. Kui serveris on wp-config.php nüüd pakitult kogemata ja paroolid failis sees siis võib minna üsna pahasti. Näide ka kuidas asi on GOOGLE! sotsiaalveeb:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. […]

  27. […] In deze posting wordt als voorbeeld gegeven hoe je met de tool zeer eenvoudig op zoek kunt gaan naar database-passwords in Wordpress config files. Dus bloggers, timmer de boel goed dicht voor zover je dat nog niet gedaan hebt en stel geen files beschikbaar die de buitenwereld niet hoeft te zien. Want van dit soort resultaten zou je toch niet vrolijk moeten worden. Ik zou niet verbaasd zijn als we binnenkort nog veel meer creatieve zoekresultaten te zien krijgen. […]

  28. […] Originally from here. […]

  29. […] Nachdem mit Google Codesearch erst vor kurzem ein neuer Dienst gestartet ist, mit dem es erstmalig möglich ist, in Quellcodes und sogar in Zip- oder Tarball-Archiven auf Servern zu suchen, wird auf Digg schon die erste Sicherheitslücke entdeckt. Laut diesem Weblogeintrag lassen sich mit Codesearch auch relativ simpel Zugangsdaten zu Datenbanken etc. herausfischen. Dumme Sache das. Ich hoffe, unsere ist nicht dabei. Diese Icons führen euch zu verschiedenen Social Bookmarking Seiten. […]

  30. […] Em forma de pesquisa algumas pessoas buscaram obter acesso a senhas alheias utilizando expressões regulares no code search. No exemplo foi utilizada uma busca que retorna senhas de banco de dados de blogs do tipo wordpress. […]

  31. […] Konu ile ilgili birkaç yazı: http://shiflett.org/archive/269 http://deathbycomet.com/2006/10/05/some-of-your-db-passwords-are-belong-to-us/ http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/107/447729/30/0 […]

  32. similar searches have been around for a while

  33. […] read more | digg story No Tags 9:34 pm | Tag Cloud .NET Active Directory Adware AMD AOL Apple Backup Blogging boot disk boot up boot.ini Botnets Browsers Browsershield Case Mods cold boot command line Control Panel Copy DVDs Core 2 Duo Detailed Bookmarks DHCP digital music DLL Help drivers Education Facetime Firefox Gadgets Gaming News Gateway Google GPEDIT.MSC Group Policy Group Policy Editor hard disk Hardware HDTV hoax cloaking How To HP hybrid drive IBM AS/400 and iSeries IE7 instant messaging Intel Intel Developer Forum Internet Connection Firewall Internet Explorer internet hoaxes iPod iTunes iTV LCD TV Linux Longhorn Server News Macbooks Malware manage desktops Messenger Microsoft News Microsoft Points Mirrored Volumes MySQL Network Connections Networking Office News OpenRide operating system paging file password Pentium Piracy Plug and Play PowerPoint PRAM publisher Raid 5 RAM RC1 reboots registry reinstall Remote Assistance Reviews screen saver screensavers Security service pack services SERVICES.MSC Shutdown Problems Sidebar Skins Social Networks Software SP2 splash screen Spyware Info Startup Problems sysoc.inf System Restore taskbar TCP/IP Tech News Technorati Televisions Themes This Site Tips UI USB usb thumb drive user interface Video Conferencing Video Games Virus Info vml exploit VoIP Volume Licensing Wallop welcome screen WGA Wifi Windows 2000 Windows Genuine Advantage Windows Live Drive Windows Media Player Windows Messenger Windows Metafile Windows ReadyBoost Windows ReadyDrive Windows Update Windows Vista News Windows XP Windows XP Home Windows XP Setup Windows XP Support Tools Windows XP Themes Windows XP Tips Wireless networking X Cleaner Xbox Xbox Live Arcade XML YouTube Zango Zune […]

  34. […] 구글 코드 검색? 악용? 수 있는 언어는 컴파?? 필요 없는 소위 스?립트 언어?고 불리우는 것들입니다. 예를 들어서, PHP, JSP, ASP를 들 수 있습니다. deathbycomet.com?서 ?하는 예재를 살펴 보?? 하겠습니다. […]

  35. […] UPDATE: The Google Code Search is in reality so very effective that a small experiment by the folks at deathbycomet.com managed to get passwords from the wordpress wp-config files. [I am pretty sure that this is applicable only to wordpress powered blogs not wordpress hosted ones]. You can read all about it in their post title ‘Some of your db passwords are belong to us’ […]

  36. […] خدمة Google Code Search تسمح لك بالبحث ضمن الش?رات المصدرية التي تمت أرش?تها عن طريق Google، هذا الأمر خطير نوعاً ما ، ?قد قام أحدهم بالبحث عن كلمة “wp-config” (وهو المل? الخاص بالإعدادات لبرنامج WordPress) ?ظهرت له الأرقام السرية لقواعد بيانات بعض المواقع، اما أنا ?بحثت عن “file:config.php” ?ظهر لي عدد لا بأس به من هذه المل?ات … اللهم استرنا و استر عوراتنا .. […]

  37. […] Death By Comet » Blog Archive » Some of your db passwords are belong to us Finding database passwords with Google’s Code Search. (tags: password hacking indexing database search) […]

  38. […] http://deathbycomet.com/2006/10/05/some-of-your-db-passwords-are-belong-to-us/ […]

  39. […] [source] […]

  40. […] Guard your passwords […]

  41. […] MarcNext vond deze posting die ons WordPressgebruikers wel even aan het denken zet… […]

  42. […] Some of your db passwords are belong to us – pozor na vaše Wordpress heslá […]

  43. […] Some of your db passwords are belong to us:利用Code Search找密碼,找到的大都是程?釋出時的?設密碼,但是!! 一些??心的管?員會把網站備份檔壓?zip格?, 如果?放在 google 找的到的地方, 就… (BOOM!) […]

  44. […] Google helps hackers Indexing of zips/tarballs Reveals some passwordsread more | digg story Related Posts Employees Not Coping Well With Multiple PasswordsLook At All These Passwords!Microsoft sues over source code theftMicrosoft Grabs Some Code for its ODF Plugin… From the ODF FellowshipGoogle Checkout: very close to launching « Instant-messaging conversations can easily linger for years […]

  45. […] Konu ile ilgili birkaç yazı: http://deathbycomet.com/2006/10/05/some-of-your-db-passwords-are-belong-to-us/ http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/107/447729/30/0 http://shiflett.org/archive/269 […]

  46. […] 最早的消???于:Deathbycomet;Gseeker关于此事的报导 […]

  47. […] It’s always surprising some of the things that can be found on Google with a little digging. Personal email, intimate photos, credit card numbers, you name it, someone has had it indexed by Google. Each new search service that Google rolls out adds new ways to find some of this interesting information. And Google Code Search is no different. In fact, some have already used it to find Wordpress usernames and passwords: Being the curious beings we are, a friend of mine and I immediately started searching for passwords to see just how much Google was indexing. It didn’t turn up much in the way of anything “secret? until we refined our search to just wp-config files (the file that contains the database connection information for Wordpress installs).That worked. Since Google Code Search actually indexes the contents of compressed files like ZIP and TARBALL files, we were able to find copies of people’s wp-config files and several contained usernames and passwords. […]

  48. […] Update: zapomniałem wspomnieć o jeszcze jednym aspekcie dotyczącym Google Code Search, a mianowicie o bezpieczeństwie. Po szczegóły odsyłam do wpisu Death by comet o wiele mówiącym tytule Some of your db passwords are belong to us. […]

  49. […] [1] Some of Your DB are Belong to Us […]

  50. […] Konu ile ilgili birkaç yazı: http://deathbycomet.com/2006/10/05/some-of-your-db-passwords-are-belong-to-us/ http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/107/447729/30/0 http://shiflett.org/archive/269 […]

  51. […] O mais interessante é que o post usa como referência um outro post, em espanhol, que, por sua vez, cita um outro, em inglês, que — esse sim — explica como a “mágica” funciona. […]

  52. […] You can easily find Wordpress db passwords using the new Google Code search. Are there other vulnerable pieces of code just setting on your server waiting to be indexed?read more | digg story […]

  53. Google code search…

    Recently I heared about the new service of Google, the Google code search. My first opinion on this new service from google, is that it simply sucks….
    I am saying this because the site is actually searching in code - not in projects - which mean…

  54. […] EDIT: I just found this blogpost, which is actually pointing to some of the security holes that this new tool is displaying…. […]

  55. […] read more | digg story […]

  56. […] Here is the original blog post I found that outlines this. Filed under: General | Oct 25, 2006 | Tags: search engines. […]

  57. […] ?怕的google ?索 http://deathbycomet.com/2006/10/05/some-of-your-db-passwords-are-belong-to-us/ […]

  58. […] read more | digg story […]

  59. Google indexed php files inside tarballs, not the plain php files.

  60. […] “Some of your db passwords are belong to us,” reports Death By Comet.  The issue at hand is that Google Code will expose passwords stored in config files, such as wp-config.php and mt-db-pass.cgi, potentially resulting in headaches for site administrators.  Thankfully, the solution is just plain common sense: Don’t store your backups on your production server.  File that under: Sherlock, No Shit.  Anyway, don’t get caught with your pants around your ankles and move your backups to a secure location. Active Directory Aging Baby Bass Birthday Blogs Books Change Choices Cold Communication Computers Cool Dog Walking Education Family Feminism Flickr Food fun Gifts Government Habits Healthcare House Insomnia Instruments Internet Jinzora K2 Kerberos Law Linux Lists Love Marketing Memories Miserable movies MP3 Music musing Networking News Nintendo Not Cool Parents PenguinTV Photography Plugins Politics Pregnancy Publishing Rant Reading Recipe Reflecting RPG Samba School Search Security sendmail Server Social spam SSH Tags Tech Support Technology Thinking Ubuntu Upgrades Videogames Waiting Weather Website Windows Wordpress writing […]

  61. […] Link to Story: http://deathbycomet.com/2006/10/05/some-of-your-db-passwords-are-belong-to-us/ […]

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