In the wake of the Salesloft breach, concerns are mounting over the security of Salesforce integrations. Hackers exploited OAuth tokens through Salesloft's Drift-Salesforce connection, leading to the exfiltration of sensitive data. This incident, linked to the notorious ShinyHunters group, highlights vulnerabilities not only within Salesloft but also across other major platforms like Google and Cisco. If you're using Salesforce, understanding the implications of this breach and knowing how to protect your data is crucial.
What Datapoints Were Leaked?
The Salesloft breach wasn’t just a minor hiccup. Attackers managed to gain access to OAuth and refresh tokens through Salesloft’s integration with Salesforce. Why does this matter? OAuth tokens act like digital keys—once in the wrong hands, they open doors to everything the integration can reach.
Let’s break down what was actually leaked:
OAuth and Refresh Tokens: These tokens, designed to let apps talk to each other without your password, were stolen via the Salesloft-Drift-Salesforce connection.
AWS Access Keys: Attackers found and exfiltrated access keys that can let them into Amazon Web Services environments, which often hold business-critical data and infrastructure.
Snowflake Tokens: These provide access to data warehouses—think customer records, analytics, and more.
Passwords and Secrets: Some environments had passwords and authentication secrets stored in Salesforce fields. With SOQL queries (Salesforce’s query language), the attackers pulled those out too.
Here’s the kicker: the attackers used SOQL to search for and extract anything that looked like a secret or key. They weren’t guessing—they knew exactly what to look for. If your Salesforce instance stored any API tokens, passwords, or sensitive strings in custom fields, those could have been swept up in the breach.
This breach is a wake-up call for anyone storing secrets or sensitive credentials in Salesforce, even in fields that seem harmless. It’s a reminder that integrations, while convenient, can become a weak link if not locked down tightly.
Should You Be Worried?
When headlines start dropping names like Google, Cisco, and Farmers Insurance as affected parties in the Salesloft breach, it’s hard not to feel a knot in your stomach. This isn’t some small-scale incident tucked away in a corner of the internet. It’s big, and it’s real.
What’s at Stake?
The most pressing risk: unauthorized access to Salesforce environments. For many businesses, Salesforce isn’t just a CRM—it’s the nerve center for sensitive customer data, financial details, and internal communications. With this breach, attackers might have had a window into:
Customer records: Names, emails, phone numbers—potentially everything your sales team knows about your clients.
Business intelligence: Notes, deal values, and contract details.
Internal communications: Anything logged or shared within your Salesforce instance.
And it’s not just theoretical. Even a brief exposure can be enough for attackers to copy or misuse data.
Who’s Affected?
Major enterprises: Companies like Google, Cisco, and Farmers Insurance have confirmed their involvement. If you use Salesloft or integrate with Salesforce, don’t assume you’re too small to be on the radar.
Downstream partners: If your business relies on third-party vendors who use these platforms, your data might have been swept up, too.
What Should You Do Immediately?
Acting quickly can make all the difference. Here’s what you should focus on, without delay:
Review Access Logs
Scrutinize who logged in, from where, and when. Look for odd patterns—logins from unfamiliar locations, or at strange hours.
Check for Data Exfiltration
Analyze any unusual downloads, data exports, or API calls. If you spot a spike in activity you can’t explain, treat it seriously.
Assess Data Exposure
Map out what information could have been accessed. Be honest with yourself—better to overestimate the risk than brush it aside.
Notify Internal Teams
Security, legal, and communications teams should be looped in early. Transparency (internally and externally) helps prevent panic and missteps.
Don’t Ignore the Human Factor
It’s easy to get caught up in the technical side, but breaches hit hardest when they impact real people—your customers, your colleagues. A cautious, proactive response shows you take their trust seriously.
Keeping Your Data Safer
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by log files and suspicious alerts, consider tools like Cloaked, which help automate anomaly detection and alert you to suspicious access in real time. It won’t replace human judgment, but it gives you a fighting chance to catch trouble early—before small issues turn into nightmares.
Bottom line: Don’t panic, but don’t brush this off either. The stakes are high, and the sooner you act, the better you can protect what matters.
What Should Be Your Next Steps?
A breach can feel like an ice bucket to the system—shocking and urgent. Acting quickly and methodically is your best move. Here’s how you take back control and close those open doors.
1. Revoke Compromised Integrations and Reauthenticate with Salesforce
If you suspect or confirm an integration has been compromised, immediately revoke access for all affected integrations in Salesforce. Here’s how to tackle it:
Identify all integrations: List every app, service, or user with API access.
Revoke tokens: In Salesforce, go to “Connected Apps OAuth Usage” to view active tokens. Revoke those associated with suspicious or compromised integrations.
Reauthenticate integrations: After revocation, reset connections by reauthorizing only trusted apps with fresh credentials.
Tip: Keep a log of all changes for audit purposes. If you use tools like Cloaked, leverage its access monitoring features to get real-time alerts on suspicious integration activity.
2. Rotate Credentials Like AWS Keys and Snowflake Tokens
Credentials are your keys to the kingdom. If they’ve been exposed, change them—no exceptions.
Rotate API keys and tokens: For platforms like AWS and Snowflake, generate new keys and invalidate old ones right away.
Update references: Make sure any application or process using these credentials is updated with the new keys.
Audit credential usage: Check logs for unusual activity before and after the breach.
Using a secrets management tool (like those integrated with Cloaked) helps automate credential rotation and monitoring, making it harder for attackers to reuse old keys.
3. Implement Stronger MFA and Review App Permissions
A breach is a loud wake-up call to strengthen your defenses.
Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Require MFA for all users, admins, and integrations. This one step blocks many attacks dead in their tracks.
Review app permissions: Audit all connected apps and integrations. Remove unnecessary permissions—stick to the principle of least privilege.
Regular permission checks: Schedule periodic reviews to catch permission creep and revoke unnecessary access.
Proactive monitoring—like that offered by Cloaked—helps spot over-permissioned apps before they become an entry point.
Staying calm and methodical after a breach makes all the difference. Each action above helps close security gaps and restores trust in your systems.
Cloaked FAQs Accordion
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Definitely. Use Cloaked aliases to avoid spam and limit exposure to companies that may mishandle or leak your data.
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