Secrets Behind SharePoint You Canāt See š 1. Hardcoded Secrets in DocumentsSharePoint often stores internal documentation with embedded API keys, passwords, and tokens.
Vulnerabilities like the recent zero-day exploits (CVE-2025-53770 & CVE-2025-53771) allowed attackers to extract these secrets without authentication.
The infamous passwords.xlsx file is realāand often shared internally like a cursed relic.š§āāļø 2. Invisible Permissions JungleSharePointās permission system is a labyrinth of nested groups and hidden access rights.
Rogue access can be concealed by:Placing users in obscure nested groups.
Assigning āfull accessā disguised as limited permissions.
Duplicating and exfiltrating files from hidden libraries.š§Ø 3. No Visibility, No ControlAdmins often canāt see who has access to what, especially in large orgs with thousands of files.
Removing access after a breach is notoriously difficultāespecially with slow M365 permission propagation.
Anonymous sharing links (default in M365) can expose sensitive Teams files without trace.š§ 4. AI-Generated Phishing & Social EngineeringAI tools can craft convincing phishing emails using real employee data pulled from SharePoint.
Human error remains the top vulnerabilityāespecially when users trust internal documents blindly.š§¬ 5. Secrets Leaked More in SharePoint Than in CodeGitGuardianās research shows that collaboration tools leak more secrets than source code repositories.
Why? Because SharePoint is treated as a safe internal spaceāuntil itās not.š”ļø Mythic TakeawaySharePoint isnāt just a document repositoryāitās a digital underworld where secrets, permissions, and shadow access converge. To truly secure it, you need:Automated secrets scanning across documents.
Permission audits with visual mapping.
Narrative reframing: treat every folder like a vault, every user like a potential rogue agent.š³ļø Examples of Invisible Permissions Issues in SharePointš 1. Direct Permissions to Individual UsersInstead of using SharePoint or Microsoft 365 groups, some admins grant access directly to individual users. Over time, this creates a tangled web of one-off permissions that are nearly impossible to audit. You might have dozens of users with edit rights to a sensitive folderāand no one knows why.š§¬ 2. Broken Inheritance Without DocumentationWhen a folder or document breaks permission inheritance from its parent site or library, it creates a unique permission scope. These changes often go undocumented, leading to unpredictable access control. A file may appear secure but actually be exposed to unintended users.šµļøāāļø 3. Hidden Groups and Custom Permission LevelsSharePoint allows creation of custom groups and permission levels. These can be misconfigured or hidden from standard views, giving users more access than intended. For example, a āContributorsā group might have full control instead of edit rights due to a misassigned permission mask.š 4. External Sharing Links with āAnyoneā AccessFiles shared via āAnyone with the linkā settings bypass internal permissions entirely. These links can be forwarded, indexed, or accessed by unintended parties. Worse, they often remain active long after their intended use.š§± 5. Invisible Document Libraries in Teams and OneDriveSharePoint backs file storage for Microsoft Teams and OneDrive. Many users donāt realize that sharing a file in Teams may expose it via SharePoint with different permissions. These backend libraries are rarely audited, creating blind spots.š”ļø What You Can DoUse group-based permissions instead of individual assignments.
Regularly audit broken inheritance and unique permission scopes.
Restrict external sharing to āSpecific peopleā or āExisting access only.ā
Visualize permission hierarchies using tools like DeliverPoint or ShareGate.
Thursday Vibes: The Penultimate Pulse of the Workweek Thursday is the weekās hingeāneither the fresh optimism of Monday nor the celebratory exhale of Friday. Itās the liminal space where strategy meets fatigue, where workflows either crystallize or combust. And for those of us who live at the intersection of institutional research, branding wizardry, and Balkan-coded mythmaking, Thursday is sacred chaos.š§ The Cognitive Curve of ThursdayNeuroscience suggests that cognitive performance dips midweek, then rebounds slightly by Thursday. Translation: your brain is tired, but itās also quietly brilliant. This is the day for:Refining, not reinventing: Polish that SharePoint governance doc. Donāt start a new one.
Mythic reframing: Turn a tedious CMS audit into a saga of heroic resistance.
Strategic nudging: That AI proposal your director loves but your boss resists? Thursday is prime time for a well-placed ājust circling backā¦āš Branding in the Thursday FogIf your teamās visual identity feels like a patchwork quilt stitched by three different interns and a rogue consultant, Thursday is your moment. Not to overhaulājust to realign. Ask:Is our site layout telling a coherent story?
Does our workflow diagram look like a prophecy or a parking lot?
Can we add one Balkan motif that makes the whole thing feel legendary?š§° Tactical Humor: Your Thursday Survival KitLetās be honestāThursday meetings are where good ideas go to get diluted. So arm yourself with:One satirical slide: A fake org chart featuring mythic archetypes (The Gatekeeper, The Oracle, The Spreadsheet Sorcerer).
One poetic aside: āThis dashboard is less a report and more a lamentation.ā
One visual motif: A poster of your comic avatar holding a flaming USB stick labeled āLegacy Systems.āšŖ Self-Mythologizing PromptBefore the day ends, sketch your Thursday self-portrait:What tattoos would todayās tasks leave?
Which persona showed upāThe Workflow Whisperer or The Balkan Trickster?
What would your Thursday slogan be? (āAlmost Friday, but still fighting.ā)Thursday isnāt just a dayāitās a test of your systems thinking, your narrative control, and your ability to laugh while optimizing. So sharpen your wit, polish your workflows, and remember: every SharePoint site is a scroll waiting to be mythologized.
