Is an exposed API key always a vulnerability?

Short answer: no. Some exposed keys are harmless public identifiers, while others can create real abuse or cost risk. The surrounding context is what matters.

What context matters

• Whether the key is meant to be public
• What permissions or scopes it has
• Whether domain or referer restrictions exist
• Whether usage can trigger cost, data access, or abuse

Why evidence review matters

A string alone is rarely enough. You need file origin, usage pattern, and surrounding implementation context to judge whether a finding is actionable.

How Source Detector helps

Source Detector helps surface suspicious API key patterns in client-side assets and preserves surrounding evidence for manual validation.