Environment Variables Security: .env File Limits
The limits of .env files, how secrets leak through logs and process lists, and safer alternatives for production deployments.
Published:
Tags: security, best-practices, devops
Environment Variable Security: What Can Go Wrong Environment variables are widely accepted as the secure way to manage application secrets. They're better than hardcoding credentials, but they come with their own security risks that are frequently overlooked. Understanding these risks helps you avoid common mistakes that expose secrets in production. Why Environment Variables Are Better Than Hardcoded Secrets The baseline comparison: environment variables vs. hardcoded values in source code. With hardcoded secrets, the credential exists in every copy of your codebase, every developer's laptop, every commit in version control. Once committed, it's permanently in the git history even if you remove it in the next commit. With environment variables, the credential lives outside the codebase.…
All articles · theproductguy.in