Public Repository Discovery

Public Repository Discovery is a critical sub-technique within the Reconnaissance phase, specifically under Public Source Code and Artifacts Analysis, where threat actors search for and identify publicly accessible code repositories associated with target organizations. Adversaries systematically locate repositories on platforms such as GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and other code hosting services to gather valuable intelligence about the target's development practices, technology stack, and potential security vulnerabilities. These repositories often contain sensitive information including API keys, credentials, internal endpoints, proprietary algorithms, and architectural details that can be leveraged in subsequent attack phases. Sophisticated attackers employ automated tools to identify repositories not only by organization name but also by examining contributor accounts, commit histories, and even searching for specific code patterns that may indicate connections to the target organization. This reconnaissance activity typically leaves minimal footprints as it leverages legitimately public interfaces, making it difficult to detect. The information gleaned during Public Repository Discovery enables adversaries to develop more targeted and effective attack strategies against the organization's digital assets.