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Fill telemetry and Query coverage, strengthen thin review domains, correct audited content defects, and add deterministic cheap-model evaluation and reference-integrity safeguards. Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> Copilot-Session: 9825b012-e653-496a-9310-c1f4b6f8ac27
22 lines
1.9 KiB
Markdown
22 lines
1.9 KiB
Markdown
---
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bc-version: [23..]
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domain: security
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keywords: [secrettext, credentials, api-key, token, debugger, unwrap]
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technologies: [al]
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countries: [w1]
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application-area: [all]
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---
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# Use SecretText for credentials, API keys, and tokens
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## Description
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`SecretText` is the AL data type for values that should never appear in a debugger session, in a log, or in a variable watch. The compiler enforces two guarantees: a string literal cannot be assigned directly to a `SecretText` variable, and a `SecretText` cannot be assigned back to a `Text` or `Code` without an explicit `Unwrap` call. Together these prevent the two common accidents — embedding a secret in source code, and quietly converting a secret to plain text where the debugger can read it. Use `SecretText` for parameters, return values, and local variables that carry API keys, tokens, passwords, connection strings, or any other value an attacker with debugger access should not see.
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## Best Practice
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Declare credential-carrying parameters and variables as `SecretText` from the call site that retrieves the secret all the way to the call site that consumes it (typically an HTTP header or URI). Never round-trip through `Text`. On BC 24 and later, use the `SecretText` overload of `IsolatedStorage.Get` when retrieving stored secrets. See sample: `secrettext-for-credentials.good.al`.
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## Anti Pattern
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Holding a credential in a `Text` variable (`BearerToken: Text`) makes it visible in the debugger and in any error that prints the variable, and the compiler offers no help because the type was wrong from the start. Reviewers should flag any local or parameter named like a secret (`ApiKey`, `Token`, `Password`, `ClientSecret`) whose type is `Text` or `Code`. When the same value is visibly sent through an HTTP URI, header, or body, `secrettext-with-httpclient.md` is the more specific primary rule. See sample: `secrettext-for-credentials.bad.al`.
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