When Private Information Becomes Public on Google.

A. Unprotected .git Repository Exposure

Sometimes developers leave .git/ folders open on websites. This can allow anyone to access the site’s source code, view commit history, and even find sensitive credentials. Exposed repositories like this pose a serious security risk. Attackers can use this information to compromise the website or its users.

inurl:"/.git" site:example.com -github
inurl:"/.git/config" site:example.com -github
inurl:"/.git/index" site:example.com -github
inurl:"/.git/HEAD" site:example.com -github
inurl:"/.git/logs" site:example.com -github
inurl:"/.git/objects" site:example.com -github
inurl:"/.git/refs" site:example.com -github
inurl:"/.git/info" site:example.com -github
inurl:"/.git/hooks" site:example.com -github
inurl:"/.git/packed-refs" site:example.com -github

These are all educational OSINT / penetration testing queries for locating exposed .git folders.

B. Publicly Accessible Backup Files

Old backups are often left behind without any protection. Files like .bak, .old, or .backup can contain sensitive data you wouldn’t expect to be publicly accessible. These forgotten files can easily expose confidential information if not cleaned up.

site:example.com ext:tmp
site:example.com ext:swp
site:example.com ext:swo
site:example.com ext:orig
site:example.com ext:save
site:example.com ext:copy
site:example.com ext:backup.zip
site:example.com ext:backup.sql
site:example.com inurl:backup
site:example.com inurl:backups
site:example.com inurl:dump
site:example.com ext:dump
site:example.com ext:log
site:example.com ext:conf.bak
site:example.com ext:env.bak

These are all educational OSINT and penetration testing queries shared for learning and research purposes only. Use them only on systems you own or have explicit permission to test. I am not responsible for any misuse or illegal activity carried out using this information.

C. Publicly Accessible Documents

If you search carefully, you can uncover presentations, PDFs, spreadsheets, and in some cases even exposed SSH keys. These files often contain internal details, credentials, or sensitive business information. What was meant to stay private can become publicly accessible if proper controls aren’t in place.

site:example.com ext:pdf
site:example.com ext:doc | ext:docx
site:example.com ext:xls | ext:xlsx
site:example.com ext:csv
site:example.com ext:txt
site:example.com ext:sql
site:example.com ext:conf
site:example.com ext:key
site:example.com ext:crt
site:example.com ext:pfx
site:example.com ext:py
site:example.com ext:sh
site:example.com ext:html
site:example.com ext:ini
site:example.com ext:log

These are all educational OSINT and penetration testing queries shared for learning and research purposes only. Use them only on systems you own or have explicit permission to test. I am not responsible for any misuse or illegal activity carried out using this information.

D. Sensitive Organizational Files

Sometimes internal documents are accidentally indexed by search engines. By looking for keywords commonly used in internal files, you can identify materials that were never meant to be public. This often happens due to misconfigurations or improper access controls.

site:example.com "confidential" filetype:pdf
site:example.com "internal use only" filetype:pdf
site:example.com "not for public release" filetype:pdf
site:example.com "employee only" filetype:xls OR filetype:xlsx
site:example.com "do not distribute" filetype:doc OR filetype:docx
site:example.com "company internal" filetype:pdf
site:example.com "restricted access" filetype:pdf
site:example.com "private and confidential" filetype:pdf
site:example.com "proprietary information" filetype:pdf
site:example.com "internal memo" filetype:pdf
site:example.com "management only" filetype:ppt OR filetype:pptx
site:example.com "staff only" filetype:pdf
site:example.com "for internal review" filetype:pdf
site:example.com "internal report" filetype:pdf
site:example.com "classified" filetype:pdf

These are all educational OSINT and penetration testing queries shared strictly for learning and research purposes. Use them only on systems you own or have explicit authorization to test. I am not responsible for any misuse or illegal activity resulting from this information.

E. Misconfigured Config Files

Configuration files often contain sensitive details such as database connection strings, API keys, and internal service URLs. If these files are left exposed, they can give attackers a clear view of how an application is set up. Even a small configuration leak can lead to deeper system compromise if it isn’t properly secured.

site:example.com ext:yaml | ext:yml
site:example.com ext:properties
site:example.com ext:config
site:example.com ext:cnf
site:example.com ext:toml
site:example.com ext:json
site:example.com ext:env
site:example.com inurl:.env
site:example.com inurl:config
site:example.com inurl:settings
site:example.com ext:secrets
site:example.com ext:credentials
site:example.com ext:keytab
site:example.com ext:plist
site:example.com ext:service

These are all educational OSINT and penetration testing queries provided for learning and research purposes only. Use them only on systems you own or have explicit permission to test. I am not responsible for any misuse or illegal activity carried out using this information.

F. Exposed Database Files

There’s no need to guess passwords when complete database dumps such as .sql or .mdb files are sometimes left exposed online. These files can reveal entire databases in one place, including sensitive records and internal data. A single exposed dump can offer more insight than hours of active attacks.

site:example.com ext:sqlite
site:example.com ext:sqlite3
site:example.com ext:db
site:example.com ext:dump
site:example.com ext:backup.sql
site:example.com ext:sql.gz
site:example.com ext:tar.sql
site:example.com ext:rar.sql
site:example.com ext:zip.sql
site:example.com ext:bson
site:example.com ext:accdb
site:example.com ext:fdb
site:example.com ext:frm
site:example.com ext:myd
site:example.com ext:myi

These are all educational OSINT and penetration testing queries shared for learning and research purposes only. Use them only on systems you own or have explicit permission to test. I am not responsible for any misuse or illegal activity carried out using this information.

G. Additional High‑Risk Files

Index pages, log files, hidden backdoors, PHP shells, and even password files can sometimes be found publicly accessible. These files often reveal how a system works behind the scenes or expose sensitive information. If left unchecked, they can give attackers an easy entry point without much effort.

site:example.com intitle:"index of /logs"
site:example.com intitle:"index of /admin"
site:example.com ext:error.log
site:example.com ext:access.log
site:example.com inurl:debug
site:example.com inurl:test
site:example.com inurl:upload
site:example.com inurl:webshell
site:example.com inurl:cmd.php
site:example.com inurl:shell.php
site:example.com inurl:c99
site:example.com inurl:upload.php
site:example.com ext:pwd
site:example.com ext:htpasswd
site:example.com ext:htaccess

These are all educational OSINT and penetration testing queries shared strictly for learning and research purposes. Use them only on systems you own or have explicit permission to test. I am not responsible for any misuse or illegal activity resulting from this information.

H. Verbose SQL Error Responses

You can often spot potential SQL injection points by finding pages where database error messages are openly displayed. These errors can reveal how queries are handled and hint at weak input validation. When error details are visible, they make it much easier to map the application’s backend structure.

site:example.com intext:"You have an error in your SQL syntax"
site:example.com intext:"mysql_fetch_array()"
site:example.com intext:"mysql_num_rows()"
site:example.com intext:"Warning: mysql_query()"
site:example.com intext:"ODBC SQL Server Driver"
site:example.com intext:"Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server"
site:example.com intext:"Unclosed quotation mark after the character string"
site:example.com intext:"PDOException"
site:example.com intext:"pg_query()"
site:example.com intext:"supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result"
site:example.com intext:"Fatal error" intext:"SQL"
site:example.com intext:"Warning: pg_connect()"
site:example.com intext:"ORA-01756"
site:example.com intext:"SQLSTATE["
site:example.com intext:"DB Error" "SQL"

These are all educational OSINT and penetration testing queries shared for learning and research purposes only. Use them only on systems you own or have explicit permission to test. I am not responsible for any misuse or illegal activity carried out using this information.

How is this possible ?

Because many web admins forget to tell search engines which files are sensitive. Google crawls everything it can reach, and if there’s no proper restriction, even private files can end up searchable.

This is why it’s so important for companies to check their own sites with these queries. If you can find it, so can anyone else.

Never tried it ?

Test one of these searches on your own domain or a safe lab environment. It’s surprising and a little eye-opening just how much information can be unintentionally exposed.

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