# Referenced secret

A same-file secret-like variable or parameter default used through a reference.

Area: Security

## What you need to supply

The variable or parameter Default and the resource, module argument, or property that references it, in the same file.

## If it reports a finding

High severity. The suggested next step is to pass the value from a secret store and leave the default empty.

## What this does not prove

An unknown name stays quiet. The same secret value is reported once. A secret that appears only in a comment is not this finding.

## Reference that this check is written to notice

```
variable "password" {
  default = "hunter2"
}
resource "aws_db_instance" "db" {
  password = var.password
}
```

Reading this page does not submit infrastructure. The HTML page is https://skaleagents.com/checks/referenced-secret.