Information Disclosure
Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.
How It Works
Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security. This happens through multiple channels: verbose error messages that display stack traces revealing internal paths and frameworks, improperly secured debug endpoints left active in production, and misconfigured servers that expose directory listings or version control artifacts like .git folders. APIs often leak excessive data in responses—returning full user objects when only a name is needed, or revealing system internals through metadata fields.
Attackers exploit these exposures systematically. They probe for common sensitive files (.env, config.php, backup archives), trigger error conditions to extract framework details, and analyze response timing or content differences to enumerate valid usernames or resources. Even subtle variations—like "invalid password" versus "user not found"—enable account enumeration. Exposed configuration files frequently contain database credentials, API keys, or internal service URLs that unlock further attack vectors.
The attack flow typically starts with passive reconnaissance: examining HTTP headers, JavaScript bundles, and public endpoints for version information and architecture clues. Active probing follows—testing predictable paths, manipulating parameters to trigger exceptions, and comparing responses across similar requests to identify information leakage patterns.
Impact
- Credential compromise: Exposed configuration files, hardcoded secrets in source code, or API keys enable direct authentication bypass
- Attack surface mapping: Stack traces, framework versions, and internal paths help attackers craft targeted exploits for known vulnerabilities
- Data breach: Direct exposure of user data, payment information, or proprietary business logic through oversharing APIs or accessible backups
- Privilege escalation pathway: Internal URLs, service discovery information, and architecture details facilitate lateral movement and SSRF attacks
- Compliance violations: GDPR, PCI-DSS, and HIPAA penalties for exposing regulated data through preventable disclosures
Real-World Examples
A major Git repository exposure affected thousands of websites when .git folders remained accessible on production servers, allowing attackers to reconstruct entire source code histories including deleted commits containing credentials. Tools like GitDumper automated mass exploitation of this misconfiguration.
Cloud storage misconfigurations have repeatedly exposed sensitive data when companies left S3 buckets or Azure Blob containers publicly readable. One incident exposed 150 million voter records because verbose API error messages revealed the storage URL structure, and no authentication was required.
Framework debug modes left enabled in production have caused numerous breaches. Django's DEBUG=True setting exposed complete stack traces with database queries and environment variables, while Laravel's debug pages revealed encryption keys through the APP_KEY variable in environment dumps.
Mitigation
- Generic error pages: Return uniform error messages to users; log detailed exceptions server-side only
- Disable debug modes: Enforce production configurations that suppress stack traces, verbose logging, and debug endpoints through deployment automation
- Access control audits: Restrict or remove development artifacts (
.git, backup files,phpinfo()) and internal endpoints before deployment - Response minimization: API responses should return only necessary fields; implement allowlists rather than blocklists for data exposure
- Security headers: Deploy
X-Content-Type-Options, remove server version banners, and disable directory indexing - Timing consistency: Ensure authentication and validation responses take uniform time regardless of input validity
Recent CVEs (13333)
A vulnerability classified as problematic has been found in y_project RuoYi 4.8.0. Rated low severity (CVSS 2.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
The CSV Mass Importer WordPress plugin through 1.2 does not properly validate uploaded files, allowing high privilege users such as admin to upload arbitrary files on the server even when they should. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Software installed and run as a non-privileged user may conduct improper GPU system calls to trigger use-after-free kernel exceptions. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Kernel software installed and running inside a Guest VM may exploit memory shared with the GPU Firmware to read and/or write data outside the Guest's virtualised GPU memory. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
libpspp-core.a in GNU PSPP through 2.0.1 has an incorrect call from fill_buffer (in data/encrypted-file.c) to the Gnulib rijndaelDecrypt function, leading to a heap-based buffer over-read. Rated low severity (CVSS 2.9), this vulnerability is no authentication required. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Samsung Internet for Galaxy Watch version 5.0.9, available up until Samsung Galaxy Watch 3, does not properly validate TLS certificates, allowing for an attacker to impersonate any and all websites. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
A vulnerability, which was classified as problematic, was found in SourceCodester Online Student Clearance System 1.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Untrusted LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable vulnerability in the GNU C Library version 2.27 to 2.38 allows attacker controlled loading of dynamically shared library in statically compiled setuid. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
Exposure of Sensitive System Information to an Unauthorized Control Sphere vulnerability in Themovation QuickCal allows Retrieve Embedded Sensitive Data.0.15. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Exposure of Sensitive System Information to an Unauthorized Control Sphere vulnerability in redqteam Wishlist allows Retrieve Embedded Sensitive Data.1.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A request smuggling vulnerability existed in the Google Cloud Classic Application Load Balancer due to improper handling of chunked-encoded HTTP requests. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net_sched: hfsc: Fix a UAF vulnerability in class with netem as child qdisc As described in Gerrard's report [1], we have a UAF. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. This Use After Free vulnerability could allow attackers to access freed memory to execute arbitrary code or crash the application.
A vulnerability classified as critical was found in CBEWIN Anytxt Searcher 1.3.1128.0. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.3). No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in defog-ai introspect up to 0.1.4. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability in Synology Active Backup for Microsoft 365 allows remote authenticated attackers to obtain sensitive information via unspecified vectors. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Ericsson Packet Core Controller (PCC) contains a vulnerability where an attacker sending a large volume of specially crafted messages may cause service degradation. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in D-Link DI-7003GV2 24.04.18D1 R(68125) and classified as problematic. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Authentication credentials leakage vulnerability in Hitachi Ops Center Analyzer viewpoint.0.0-00 before 11.0.4-00. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Cross-Site WebSocket Hijacking vulnerability in Hitachi Ops Center Analyzer (RAID Agent component).8.0-00 before 11.0.4-00; Hitachi Ops Center Analyzer: from 10.9.0-00 before 11.0.4-00. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability has been found in D-Link DI-7003GV2 24.04.18D1 R(68125) and classified as problematic. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
A vulnerability, which was classified as problematic, was found in D-Link DI-7003GV2 24.04.18D1 R(68125). Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
A vulnerability, which was classified as problematic, has been found in D-Link DI-7003GV2 24.04.18D1 R(68125).data of the component Configuration Handler. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Rejected reason: This CVE ID has been rejected or withdrawn by its CVE Numbering Authority. No vendor patch available.
IBM InfoSphere Information Server 11.7 could disclose sensitive information to an authenticated user that could aid in further attacks against the system through a directory listing. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Spotipy is a Python library for the Spotify Web API. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The EKC Tournament Manager WordPress plugin before 2.2.2 allows a logged in admin to download system files outside of the WordPress directory. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
The Event Calendar WordPress plugin through 1.0.4 does not check for authorization on delete actions, allowing unauthenticated users to delete arbitrary calendars. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
The Z-Downloads WordPress plugin before 1.11.5 does not properly validate files uploaded, allowing high privilege users such as admin to upload arbitrary files on the server even when they should not. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
The Z-Downloads WordPress plugin before 1.11.7 does not properly validate uploaded files allowing for the uploading of SVGs containing malicious JavaScript. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
The Secure Downloads WordPress plugin before 1.2.3 is vulnerable does not properly restrict which files can be downloaded. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
The Sensei LMS WordPress plugin before 4.20.0 disclose all users of the blog including their email address to teachers on the students page. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
The Simple Job Board WordPress plugin before 2.12.6 does not prevent uploaded files from being listed, allowing unauthenticated users to access and download uploaded resumes. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
The EventPrime WordPress plugin before 3.5.0 does not properly validate permissions when updating bookings, allowing users to change/cancel bookings for other users. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
The ApplyOnline WordPress plugin before 2.6.3 does not protect uploaded files during the application process, allowing unauthenticated users to access them and any private information they contain. Rated low severity (CVSS 2.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
This User Activity Tracking and Log WordPress plugin before 4.1.4 retrieves client IP addresses from potentially untrusted headers, allowing an attacker to manipulate its value. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Vyper is the Pythonic Programming Language for the Ethereum Virtual Machine. Rated low severity (CVSS 2.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vyper is the Pythonic Programming Language for the Ethereum Virtual Machine. Rated low severity (CVSS 2.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Undici is an HTTP/1.1 client for Node.js. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. No vendor patch available.
The WebAssembly Micro Runtime's (WAMR) iwasm package is the executable binary built with WAMR VMcore which supports WebAssembly System Interface (WASI) and command line interface. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.0), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
There is a memory corruption vulnerability due to a stack-based buffer overflow in DrObjectStorage::XML_Serialize() when using the SymbolEditor in NI Circuit Design Suite. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
There is a memory corruption vulnerability due to an out of bounds read in Bitmap::InternalDraw() when using the SymbolEditor in NI Circuit Design Suite. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
There is a memory corruption vulnerability due to an out of bounds read in GetSymbolBorderRectSize() when using the SymbolEditor in NI Circuit Design Suite. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
There is a memory corruption vulnerability due to an out of bounds write in CheckPins() when using the SymbolEditor in NI Circuit Design Suite. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
There is a memory corruption vulnerability due to an out of bounds write in Library!DecodeBase64() when using the SymbolEditor in NI Circuit Design Suite. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In DOMPurify through 3.2.5 before 6bc6d60, scripts/server.js does not ensure that a pathname is located under the current working directory. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
An issue was discovered in Insyde InsydeH2O kernel 5.2 before version 05.29.50, kernel 5.3 before version 05.38.50, kernel 5.4 before version 05.46.50, kernel 5.5 before version 05.54.50, kernel 5.6. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.9), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A SQL Injection vulnerability in WebERP v4.15.2 allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands and extract sensitive data by injecting a crafted payload into the ReportID and ReplaceReportID. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.1), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
There is an issue in CPython when using `bytes.decode("unicode_escape", error="ignore|replace")`. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.9), this vulnerability is no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
An error-based SQL Injection (SQLi) vulnerability in WebERP v4.15.2 allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL command and extract sensitive data by injecting a crafted payload into the DEL form field. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) vulnerability in the eSignaViewer component in eSigna product versions 1.0 to 1.5 on all platforms allow an unauthenticated attacker to access arbitrary files. Rated low severity (CVSS 2.0), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. No vendor patch available.
Mattermost versions 10.6.x <= 10.6.1, 10.5.x <= 10.5.2, 10.4.x <= 10.4.4, 9.11.x <= 9.11.11 fail to lockout LDAP users following repeated login failures, which allows attackers to lock external LDAP. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Insufficient encryption vulnerability in the mobile application (com.transsion.aivoiceassistant) may lead to the risk of sensitive information leakage. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.2), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Information Exposure vulnerability in Hitachi JP1/IT Desktop Management 2 - Smart Device Manager on Windows. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.9). No vendor patch available.
Weak encryption vulnerability in Hitachi JP1/IT Desktop Management 2 - Smart Device Manager on Windows. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The File Manager Advanced Shortcode plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Local File Inclusion in all versions up to, and including, 2.5.4 (file-manager-advanced-shortcode) and 2.5.6. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In BlueWave Checkmate before 2.1, an authenticated regular user can access sensitive application secrets via the /api/v1/settings endpoint. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.0), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Next.js is a React framework for building full-stack web applications. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
Jenkins DingTalk Plugin 2.7.3 and earlier unconditionally disables SSL/TLS certificate and hostname validation for connections to the configured DingTalk webhooks. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. No vendor patch available.
An issue was discovered in Samsung Mobile Processor, Wearable Processor, and Modem Exynos 980, 990, 850, 1080, 2100, 1280, 2200, 1330, 1380, 1480, 2400, W920, W930, W1000, Modem 5123, Modem 5300,. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An issue was discovered in Samsung Mobile Processor and Wearable Processor Exynos 980, 990, 850, 1080, 2100, 1280, 2200, 1330, 1380, 1480, 2400, 9110, W920, W930, W1000, Modem 5123, Modem 5300, Modem. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An issue in realme GT 2 (RMX3311) running Android 14 with realme UI 5.0 allows a physically proximate attacker to obtain sensitive information via the show app only setting function. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.6), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An issue in wps office before v.19302 allows a local attacker to obtain sensitive information via a crafted file. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An improper input neutralization vulnerability in the management web interface of the Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS® software enables a malicious authenticated read-write administrator to impersonate. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Using the AES-128-CCM algorithm for IPSec on certain Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS® firewalls (PA-7500, PA-5400, PA-5400f, PA-3400, PA-1600, PA-1400, and PA-400 Series) leads to unencrypted data transfer. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An incorrect privilege assignment vulnerability in the Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect™ App on macOS devices enables a locally authenticated non administrative user to disable the app. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.2), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Insufficient policy enforcement in Loader in Google Chrome prior to 136.0.7103.113 allowed a remote attacker to leak cross-origin data via a crafted HTML page. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A missing exception check in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS® software with the web proxy feature enabled allows an unauthenticated attacker to send a burst of maliciously crafted packets that causes the. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
It was possible to craft an email that showed a tracking link as an attachment. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Thunderbird's handling of the X-Mozilla-External-Attachment-URL header can be exploited to execute JavaScript in the file:/// context. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Rejected reason: This CVE was marked as fixed, but due to other code landing - was not actually fixed. No vendor patch available.
Rallly is an open-source scheduling and collaboration tool. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Rejected reason: This CVE ID has been rejected or withdrawn by its CVE Numbering Authority. No vendor patch available.
Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor, Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File vulnerability in the OpenIdAuthorizer of Apache IoTDB.10.0 through 1.3.3, from 2.0.1-beta. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor, Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File vulnerability in Apache IoTDB JDBC driver.10.0 through 1.3.3, from 2.0.1-beta before. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
cause a loss of confidentiality when an unauthenticated attacker manipulates controller’s webserver URL to access resources. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Rejected reason: “This CVE ID is Rejected and will not be used. No vendor patch available.
Rejected reason: Not used. No vendor patch available.
Rejected reason: Not used. No vendor patch available.
Rejected reason: Not used. No vendor patch available.
Rejected reason: Not used. No vendor patch available.
Rejected reason: Not used. No vendor patch available.
Rejected reason: Not used. No vendor patch available.
Rejected reason: Not used. No vendor patch available.
Rejected reason: Not used. No vendor patch available.
Rejected reason: Not used. No vendor patch available.
Varnish Cache before 7.6.3 and 7.7 before 7.7.1, and Varnish Enterprise before 6.0.13r14, allow client-side desync via HTTP/1 requests, because the product incorrectly permits CRLF to be skipped to. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
External control of file name or path in .NET, Visual Studio, and Build Tools for Visual Studio allows an authorized attacker to perform spoofing over a network. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.0), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Rejected reason: ** REJECT ** DO NOT USE THIS CANDIDATE NUMBER. No vendor patch available.
ColdFusion versions 2025.1, 2023.13, 2021.19 and earlier are affected by an Improper Access Control vulnerability that could result in arbitrary file system read. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
ColdFusion versions 2025.1, 2023.13, 2021.19 and earlier are affected by an Improper Access Control vulnerability that could result in arbitrary file system read. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.