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Exposed Credentials Check rule set

Exposed Credentials Check rule set

The Exposed Credentials Check rule set (part of Managed Rules) is a set of pre-configured rules for content management system applications that check against a public database of stolen credentials. When enabled in a rule, exposed credentials checking occurs when the rule expression evaluates to true.

The WAF checks the username and password pair in the request against a public database of known stolen credentials. When both the rule expression and the exposed credentials check are true, the rule match triggers the action that is configured in the rule.

The WAF can perform one of the following actions when it detects exposed credentials.

  • Exposed-Credential-Check Header: Adds a HTTP header to HTTP requests with exposed credentials. Your application at the origin can then force a password reset, start a two-factor authentication process, or any other action. The Exposed-Credential-Check HTTP header is added with a value of 1.
  • Managed Challenge: Helps reduce the lifetimes of human time spent solving CAPTCHAs across the internet. Depending on the characteristics of a request, CIS dynamically chooses the appropriate type of challenge.
  • Block: Blocks HTTP requests containing exposed credentials.
  • JS Challenge: Presents a noninteractive challenge to the clients who are making HTTP requests with exposed credentials.
  • Log: (Enterprise only) Logs requests with exposed credentials in the logs. Logging is recommended for validating a rule before you commit to a more severe action.
  • Interactive Challenge: Presents an interactive challenge to the clients who are making HTTP requests with exposed credentials.

The default action for the rules in the Exposed Credentials Check managed rule set is Exposed-Credential-Check Header (named rewrite in the API).

The best practice is to use only the Exposed-Credential-Check Header (rewrite in the API) and Log (log).