# Researchers report thousands of publicly exposed AWS keys remain active

_Published Friday, August 21, 2026 at 1:07 PM EDT · Security · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![Researchers report thousands of publicly exposed AWS keys remain active — Primary](https://www.bleepstatic.com/content/hl-images/2026/08/21/awskey.jpg)

Truffle Security reported that more than 9,300 AWS access keys publicly exposed from August 2022 through August 2026 remain active and valid. It said 817 were linked to companies, including 526 root keys, while 242 IAM users had AdministratorAccess. Among the subset with complete credentials, the researchers said 88% of 10,616 keys continued to authenticate as of August 10. The company said it used read-only metadata and notified identifiable owners.

## Sources

- [BleepingComputer](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hundreds-of-leaked-aws-keys-give-full-control-over-corporate-accounts/)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/jnsBWAE2rxOogLhMMqHZXD
Published: 2026-08-21T17:07:34.556Z
Story chronology: 2026-08-21T15:55:15.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-05T22:06:09.482Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)