Sunday afternoon, everything seemed very calm. The market was lukewarm, chat groups were lively, and our automated trading program was running as usual—fetching data, placing small orders, writing logs. Suddenly, a trade record flashed on the trading interface, coming from our account, but we hadn’t made any operation. Although the amount was small, that feeling was like hearing unfamiliar footsteps at night at home—immediately tense up all over.



A few people immediately exploded. Some thought the API key had been leaked, others suspected a problem with the exchange system. After a heated discussion, no conclusion was reached. Just as the argument was ongoing, a newcomer quietly asked: "We've been using this set of keys for over a month, why haven't we changed them?"

Instantly, everyone fell silent.

In the world of digital asset trading, we often regard API keys as the keys to the door—if kept hidden, we think they are foolproof. But in reality, simply hiding them is far from enough. Especially when using mainstream trading interfaces, sessions are actually temporary credentials with a limited validity period, like a valid pass that confirms your bot has permission to trade. If this credential is set to last too long, once stolen or leaked, the consequences are hard to imagine. That inexplicable trade was like a warning signal; we were lucky this time, with only minor losses. But next time? Relying on luck is a gamble we can't afford.

Since that day, I decided to eliminate this hidden danger completely. At first, I didn’t understand why it was necessary, then I got a bit angry, and finally I took matters into my own hands to improve the system. Since traders can take shifts, why can't the permissions in the code be refreshed in rotation? Our team decided to add an automatic session rotation mechanism into the system—simply put, to regularly update the interface credentials, each time with a new temporary pass, so even if hackers get the old one, it’s useless.
View Original
This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.
  • Reward
  • 6
  • Repost
  • Share
Comment
0/400
SerumSquirrelvip
· 9h ago
Damn, this story is so real. Not changing the keys for over a month is indeed ridiculous. I need to learn about regular key rotation; I feel like I'm just gambling with luck. The new guy's one sentence made everyone shut up—that's the real game-changer. The automatic session rotation mechanism sounds good, but in practice, does it still require some tinkering to deploy? Having a lucky mindset really kills, and if that mysterious transaction had been bigger, we really couldn't afford to play.
View OriginalReply0
CodeSmellHuntervip
· 9h ago
Damn, haven't changed the keys in a month? How unprofessional is that, no wonder you got exploited Really, keys are just like passwords; regular rotation is the right way. Leaving them untouched is basically asking for trouble The automatic rotation mechanism is indeed awesome, saving the hassle of manual updates. Letting the system refresh permissions automatically is much more comfortable Learned a lot from this move. Looks like we can't slack off on security, everyone By the way, how many teams are still using expired credentials? Sigh
View OriginalReply0
SigmaBrainvip
· 9h ago
Oh no, I've seen similar situations before. Not changing the keys is like not changing the door lock's key for a month—eventually, something will go wrong. That broken API really is a problem. Most people just set the keys and leave them for half a year... I've made that mistake too. My younger brother hit the nail on the head with one sentence, no wonder the whole group went silent haha. This automatic rotation mechanism idea is good, but implementing it requires changing quite a bit of code, which is a bit annoying. Fortunately, the amount is small; otherwise, the lesson would be costly. Key management is easy to talk about but really hard to do properly. I'm now also scared of making mistakes. Having such inexplicable transaction records pop up once is enough to be annoying. Stay alert.
View OriginalReply0
AlphaWhisperervip
· 9h ago
Damn, haven't changed the keys in over a month? How much trouble does that cause? Damn, this is why I never believe in exchanges' "security" promises. The guy's one sentence hit the nail on the head, that's true understanding. Regularly rotating session credentials is indeed a clever idea, directly sealing off the old keys' way out. If you ask me, most people are just riding on luck, only regretting when something goes wrong. Speaking of which, how many teams really dare to do system upgrades like this? Put yourself in their shoes—if hackers get hold of expired credentials, they become worthless, that's pretty harsh. This time, luck was on our side and we didn't lose much, but next time? Can't even imagine. Actually, this automatic rotation mechanism should have been implemented long ago. Why wait until something happens?
View OriginalReply0
RugResistantvip
· 9h ago
Damn, you haven't changed your keys for over a month? How reckless is that? No wonder you're scared. Automatic rotation is a brilliant move, much better than most people just holding onto a single key. Honestly, that ghost transaction was frightening—what if the amount had been larger? Key management is definitely the most overlooked part; everyone thinks it's fine once it's encrypted. Regularly refreshing permissions is a strategy that should have been promoted long ago. Laziness kills.
View OriginalReply0
TokenStormvip
· 9h ago
Damn it, not changing the keys for a month? Are you just waiting to die? On-chain data has long shown that this kind of vulnerability causes incidents year after year, and we're still sleepwalking. Honestly, I've long recommended the session rotation mechanism, but some people always find it troublesome. Now, I guess they've been educated. That strange transaction record is actually a signal. The storm is right in front of us. Most teams choose to ignore it and then get caught off guard. If the automation permission refresh is done well, at least it can reduce the risk factor. Otherwise, every time feels like playing a probability game.
View OriginalReply0
  • Pin

Trade Crypto Anywhere Anytime
qrCode
Scan to download Gate App
Community
  • 简体中文
  • English
  • Tiếng Việt
  • 繁體中文
  • Español
  • Русский
  • Français (Afrique)
  • Português (Portugal)
  • Bahasa Indonesia
  • 日本語
  • بالعربية
  • Українська
  • Português (Brasil)