US cyber agency CISA exposed reams of passwords and cloud keys to the open web | TechCrunch

"Valadon found reams of exposed plaintext credentials listed in spreadsheets, which had been made publicly accessible in a GitHub repository by an employee working for a CISA contractor. Valadon told Krebs that the exposed credentials were used for accessing systems belonging to CISA and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security. Valadon said the credentials included access tokens, cloud keys, and other sensitive files. Valadon told Krebs that he tested some of the keys to verify that they were valid."

"He then reported the lapse to Krebs because the CISA contractor who maintained the GitHub environment did not respond to their alerts. The security lapse is particularly embarrassing for CISA because the U.S. government agency is responsible for cybersecurity across the civilian federal network. The organization also advises on best cybersecurity practices, which includes storing passwords in secured password managers and not in unprotected spreadsheets."

"It's not clear if anyone found or used the credentials other than Valadon. When reached by TechCrunch, a CISA spokesperson did not immediately comment or say if the agency has any evidence of a breach stemming from this exposure. TechCrunch asked if the agency has revoked and replaced the exposed credentials following the incident."

"While the incident was traced back to an employee working for a CISA contractor, CISA is ultimately responsible for the security of its own network and systems, including contractors who work for the agency. CISA has been without a permanent director since January 20, 2025, when then-CISA director Jen Easterly stepped down ahead of the start of the"

A security researcher identified plaintext credentials exposed in spreadsheets hosted in a GitHub repository maintained by a contractor employee. The credentials were publicly accessible and included access tokens, cloud keys, and other sensitive files. The researcher tested some keys to confirm they were valid and then reported the exposure because the contractor did not respond to alerts. The exposed credentials were associated with systems belonging to CISA and the Department of Homeland Security. The incident is notable because CISA is responsible for cybersecurity across the civilian federal network and promotes secure password storage practices. It remains unclear whether anyone else accessed the credentials, and CISA had not provided immediate confirmation of whether a breach occurred or whether credentials were revoked and replaced.

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