GitHub Audit: Secret Scanning Push Protection Disabled
Alerts on GitHub audit log events where secret scanning push protection is disabled for org, repo, or custom patterns.
- Product
- github
- Service
- audit
- Author
- Muhammad Faisal (@faisalusuf) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2024-03-07
- Updated
- 2026-07-31
ATT&CK techniques
Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact
What it detects
This rule flags audit events indicating secret scanning push protection has been disabled, including org, enterprise, and repository settings and for custom pattern rules. Disabling push protection reduces preventative controls and can enable secret exposure by allowing pushes that would otherwise be blocked. It relies on GitHub audit log events with the specific secret-scanning push-protection disabled action names.
Reporting behind it
- docs.github.comhttps://docs.github.com/en/enterprise-cloud@latest/code-security/secret-scanning/push-protection-for-repositories-and-organizations
- thehackernews.comhttps://thehackernews.com/2024/03/github-rolls-out-default-secret.html
- github.comhttps://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/application/github/audit/github_push_protection_disabled.yml
Changelog
v5- v5Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v4Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v3Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v2Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v1No changelog recorded for this version.2026-07-30
Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.
title: "GitHub Audit: Secret Scanning Push Protection Disabled"
id: fec59ca6-804f-41f7-9278-1e49b8076fa5
status: test
description: This rule flags audit events indicating secret scanning push protection has been disabled, including org, enterprise, and repository settings and for custom pattern rules. Disabling push protection reduces preventative controls and can enable secret exposure by allowing pushes that would otherwise be blocked. It relies on GitHub audit log events with the specific secret-scanning push-protection disabled action names.
references:
- https://docs.github.com/en/enterprise-cloud@latest/code-security/secret-scanning/push-protection-for-repositories-and-organizations
- https://thehackernews.com/2024/03/github-rolls-out-default-secret.html
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/application/github/audit/github_push_protection_disabled.yml
author: Muhammad Faisal (@faisalusuf), Huntrule Team
date: 2024-03-07
tags:
- attack.defense-impairment
- attack.t1685
logsource:
product: github
service: audit
definition: "Requirements: The audit log streaming feature must be enabled to be able to receive such logs. You can enable following the documentation here: https://docs.github.com/en/enterprise-cloud@latest/admin/monitoring-activity-in-your-enterprise/reviewing-audit-logs-for-your-enterprise/streaming-the-audit-log-for-your-enterprise#setting-up-audit-log-streaming"
detection:
selection:
action:
- business_secret_scanning_custom_pattern_push_protection.disabled
- business_secret_scanning_push_protection.disable
- business_secret_scanning_push_protection.disabled_for_new_repos
- org.secret_scanning_custom_pattern_push_protection_disabled
- org.secret_scanning_push_protection_disable
- org.secret_scanning_push_protection_new_repos_disable
- repository_secret_scanning_custom_pattern_push_protection.disabled
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Allowed administrative activities.
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
- id: ccd55945-badd-4bae-936b-823a735d37dd
type: derived