10K Docker images spray live cloud creds across the internet

"Docker Hub has quietly become a treasure trove of live cloud keys and credentials, with more than 10,000 public container images exposing sensitive secrets from over 100 companies, including a Fortune 500 firm and a major bank. That's according to security watchers at Canadian cybersecurity firm Flare, which, in its analysis of Docker Hub images uploaded in November 2025, says it uncovered 10,456 containers leaking one or more secrets, many of which grant access to production systems, cloud services, CI/CD pipelines, and AI platforms."

"The exposed secrets aren't theoretical test tokens or placeholders: they include active credentials. The most common category detected was API keys for large language models and other AI services, with almost 4,000 model access tokens found in the wild - a sign that developers' rush to adopt AI may be outpacing their security hygiene. Flare's findings also show how easy it is for developers to ship secrets without noticing."

"Docker images don't just package code - they also capture whatever sits in the build context, from .env files to hard-coded API keys. Once published, those slips become part of the image for anyone to pull, and automated scanners scoop them up long before anyone spots the mistake. What's more, a significant chunk of this leakage stems from so-called "shadow IT" accounts - Docker Hub registeries owned by individual developers, contractors, or small teams outside of formal corporate governance."

Analysis of Docker Hub images uploaded in November 2025 uncovered 10,456 public containers leaking one or more secrets tied to over 100 companies, including a Fortune 500 firm and a major bank. Many images contained multiple exposed values, with almost half revealing five or more credentials, allowing a single pull to expose widespread access. The most common leaks were API keys for large language models and other AI services, with nearly 4,000 model access tokens found. Docker images captured build-context artifacts like .env files and hard-coded keys, and shadow IT personal or contractor accounts frequently hosted high-value credentials outside corporate monitoring.

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