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Bonus: Encrypted Secrets in Rails 5.1+

This bonus section explains how modern Rails applications manage sensitive information such as secret keys, API tokens, and credentials.

RailsGoat intentionally does NOT follow these practices by default, because it is designed to demonstrate insecure patterns for educational purposes. However, real-world applications should always protect secrets properly.

What Are Application Secrets?

Application secrets include:

  • secret_key_base
  • API keys
  • OAuth client secrets
  • Encryption keys
  • Database credentials

If these values are exposed, attackers may be able to:

  • Hijack user sessions
  • Forge cookies
  • Access third-party services
  • Decrypt sensitive data

The Problem with Hardcoded Secrets

Hardcoding secrets directly in source code is dangerous because:

  • Source code is often shared publicly
  • Secrets can be leaked via Git history
  • Compromised secrets are difficult to rotate

Example of an insecure approach:

SECRET_KEY_BASE = "hardcoded_secret_value"

Once committed, this secret is effectively public forever.

Rails 5.1: Encrypted Secrets

Rails 5.1 introduced encrypted secrets using config/secrets.yml.

A typical secure configuration looks like this:

production:
  secret_key_base: <%= ENV["SECRET_KEY_BASE"] %>

In this approach:

  • Secrets are stored outside the codebase
  • Environment variables are injected at runtime
  • Different environments can use different secrets

This pattern is commonly used in:

  • Docker
  • CI/CD pipelines
  • Cloud platforms

Rails 5.2+: Encrypted Credentials

Rails 5.2 introduced encrypted credentials, which are now the recommended approach.

Credentials are stored in:

  • config/credentials.yml.enc

They are encrypted using a master key stored in:

  • config/master.key

Credentials are edited using:

rails credentials:edit

Example usage in application code:

 Rails.application.credentials.secret_key_base

Important Rules

  • master.key must NEVER be committed to version control
  • credentials.yml.enc is safe to commit
  • Secrets can be rotated without changing application code

Why RailsGoat Is Different

RailsGoat intentionally avoids secure secret management in order to:

  • Demonstrate insecure patterns
  • Teach developers how vulnerabilities arise
  • Provide hands-on security training

This is a deliberate design choice and should NOT be copied into real applications.

Recommended Best Practices

For real-world Rails applications:

  • Never hardcode secrets
  • Use environment variables or encrypted credentials
  • Never commit master.key
  • Rotate secrets regularly
  • Restrict access to production secrets