explaingit

haxxm0nkey/credshound

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

45GoAudience · ops devopsComplexity · 3/5Setup · moderate

TLDR

A Go command-line scanner that finds exposed API keys, tokens, and secrets on a local machine, with attack-path visualization in BloodHound.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((CredsHound))
    What it does
      Scans for secrets
      Checks configs and history
      Detects AI tool keys
      Exports to BloodHound
    Tech stack
      Go
      BloodHound
    Use cases
      Audit local machines
      Map attack paths
      Find leaked API keys
    Audience
      Security researchers
      Red teamers

Code map

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Audit a local machine for exposed API keys, tokens, and configuration secrets.

USE CASE 2

Export findings into BloodHound to visualize which hosts and services a leaked credential could reach.

USE CASE 3

Scan AI coding assistant and AI agent configuration files for leaked provider API keys.

What is it built with?

GoBloodHound

How does it compare?

haxxm0nkey/credshoundkelseyhightower/journal-2-logentrieskelseyhightower/pm
Stars454545
LanguageGoGoGo
Last pushed2016-10-042014-10-04
MaintenanceDormantDormant
Setup difficultymoderatemoderatemoderate
Complexity3/52/52/5
Audienceops devopsops devopsdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Requires Go to install, and a separate template download (LOLCreds data) for full detection coverage.

No license information is provided in the README.

In plain English

CredsHound is a command-line tool written in Go that scans a computer for exposed or forgotten credentials such as API keys, session tokens, and configuration secrets. It works similarly to security scanners like Nuclei, using a library of known patterns to recognize what a leaked credential from a particular service looks like, so it is not only looking for generic-looking strings. It checks a wide range of places: environment variables, process environments on Linux, configuration files, Git credential files, Docker and Kubernetes config, shell history files, private keys, and database tool configs such as DBeaver. It also pays specific attention to newer AI-related setups, including configuration for AI coding assistants and AI agent tools, since these often store API keys for services like OpenAI or Hugging Face. When run inside WSL, the Windows Subsystem for Linux, it can additionally read Windows-style profile paths so a single scan covers both Linux and Windows-style artifacts on the same machine. A standout feature is integration with BloodHound, a tool security professionals use to visualize attack paths inside a network. CredsHound can export its findings as graph data that, once imported into BloodHound, shows exactly which credentials trace back to which hosts and services, making it easier to understand the impact of a single compromised machine. The tool is installed with Go, either through go install or by building it locally, and it downloads its detection templates from a separate companion project. It offers filtering by severity, credential type, or source, and can write results as JSONL files or BloodHound-ready JSON. Findings are redacted by default so plaintext secrets are not shown unless explicitly requested. The README states this tool is meant for auditing systems you own or are authorized to test, and that scan output should be treated as confidential since it can expose real secrets.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Show me how to install and run credshound to scan my current project directory.
Prompt 2
Explain how to import credshound's BloodHound output and query it for attack paths.
Prompt 3
Help me filter credshound findings to only show high severity API keys and tokens.
Prompt 4
Walk me through downloading and updating the LOLCreds templates this tool depends on.

Frequently asked questions

What is credshound?

A Go command-line scanner that finds exposed API keys, tokens, and secrets on a local machine, with attack-path visualization in BloodHound.

What language is credshound written in?

Mainly Go. The stack also includes Go, BloodHound.

What license does credshound use?

No license information is provided in the README.

How hard is credshound to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is credshound for?

Mainly ops devops.

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