"…Hundreds of Private Home Depot Source Code Repositories" Exposed, Home Depot Stock (NYSE:HD)

Home improvement giant Home Depot (HD) recently discovered a very serious problem lurking in its internal systems. It was the kind of problem that could sink an entire operation under the right circumstances. The problem was addressed, eventually, and the harm seems to be minimal, at least for now. Still, investors registered a mild displeasure, and sent shares slipping fractionally in Tuesday morning's trading.Claim 50% Off TipRanks Premium and Invest with Confidence Unlock hedge-fund level data and powerful investing tools designed to help you make smarter, sharper decisions Stay ahead of the market with the latest news and analysis so your portfolio is always positioned for maximum potential Reports note that Home Depot left a GitHub token exposed for well over a year, which would have allowed access to a range of key internal systems, assuming those involved knew where to find it. The reports suggested that the access was likely "by mistake," and had been open since early 2024. One security researcher, Ben Zimmerman, discovered that the token gave him access to "…hundreds of private Home Depot source code repositories," and also gave him the ability to modify that code. Zimmerman found that the token allowed access to cloud infrastructure, inventory management and order fulfillment systems. Though Zimmerman reached out on several occasions, it was only after Zimmerman reported the bug to the media that anyone made a move on addressing the outstanding token. Another Theft Ring Meanwhile, Home Depot recently shut down a more conventional threat: another theft ring that took on a range of Home Depot locations across several states. The theft ring reportedly managed to land $2.2 million in merchandise from a total of 128 different stores. The ring had 13 members total, and one of them currently remains at large. Police have recovered $1.5 million in stolen goods, reports noted, though this number is likely to increase as officials continue to examine recovered products. In perhaps the most brazen aspect of this, the group would reportedly hit the same location as many as four times a day, and would take breaks for lunch and dinner. Is Home Depot a Good Long-Term Buy? Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating on HD stock based on 18 Buys, five Holds and one Sell assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 12.6% loss in its share price over the past year, the average HD price target of $406.75 per share implies 14.97% upside potential.