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 (13755)
Adobe Substance 3D Stager versions 2.1.3 and earlier are affected by an out-of-bounds read vulnerability that could lead to disclosure of sensitive memory. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Adobe Substance 3D Stager versions 2.1.3 and earlier are affected by an out-of-bounds read vulnerability that could lead to disclosure of sensitive memory. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Adobe Substance 3D Stager versions 2.1.3 and earlier are affected by an out-of-bounds read vulnerability that could lead to disclosure of sensitive memory. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Adobe Substance 3D Stager versions 2.1.3 and earlier are affected by an out-of-bounds read vulnerability that could lead to disclosure of sensitive memory. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Adobe Substance 3D Stager versions 2.1.3 and earlier are affected by an out-of-bounds read vulnerability that could lead to disclosure of sensitive memory. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity.
A vulnerability classified as problematic has been found in SourceCodester Engineers Online Portal 1.0. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in SourceCodester Engineers Online Portal 1.0. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in SourceCodester Engineers Online Portal 1.0. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in SourceCodester Engineers Online Portal 1.0 and classified as problematic.php. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
react-native-mmkv is a library that allows easy use of MMKV inside React Native applications. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.4), this vulnerability is low attack complexity.
Windows Themes Spoofing Vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and EPSS exploitation probability 25.6%.
Microsoft Message Queuing Information Disclosure Vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. This Out-of-bounds Read vulnerability could allow attackers to read data from memory outside the intended buffer boundaries.
Windows TCP/IP Information Disclosure Vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required.
Windows Cryptographic Services Information Disclosure Vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. This Out-of-bounds Read vulnerability could allow attackers to read data from memory outside the intended buffer boundaries.
Critical vulnerability in NETGEAR ProSAFE NMS300 network management system.
Windows Kernel-Mode Driver Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity.
Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. Epss exploitation probability 21.7%.
Windows CoreMessaging Information Disclosure Vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. This Use of Uninitialized Resource vulnerability could allow attackers to access uninitialized memory causing crashes or information disclosure.
Microsoft Local Security Authority Subsystem Service Information Disclosure Vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Windows Themes Information Disclosure Vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.7). This Out-of-bounds Read vulnerability could allow attackers to read data from memory outside the intended buffer boundaries.
Windows Nearby Sharing Spoofing Vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Microsoft AllJoyn API Denial of Service Vulnerability. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. This Out-of-bounds Read vulnerability could allow attackers to read data from memory outside the intended buffer boundaries.
Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity.
Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability. 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.
Windows Subsystem for Linux Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability. 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.
Windows Message Queuing Client (MSMQC) Information Disclosure. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Microsoft Message Queuing Information Disclosure Vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Windows Message Queuing Client (MSMQC) Information Disclosure. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Windows Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) Information Disclosure Vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. This Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type (Type Confusion) vulnerability could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code by exploiting type confusion in the application.
Microsoft Message Queuing Information Disclosure Vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. This Out-of-bounds Read vulnerability could allow attackers to read data from memory outside the intended buffer boundaries.
Microsoft Virtual Hard Disk Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. This Out-of-bounds Read vulnerability could allow attackers to read data from memory outside the intended buffer boundaries.
Visual Studio contains an elevation of privilege vulnerability that allows local attackers to escalate privileges through symlink exploitation. Successful exploitation grants elevated permissions on the development workstation, potentially compromising the software supply chain.
Microsoft Common Log File System Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. This Out-of-bounds Read vulnerability could allow attackers to read data from memory outside the intended buffer boundaries.
A vulnerability was found in vhost_new_msg in drivers/vhost/vhost.c in the Linux kernel, which does not properly initialize memory in messages passed between virtual guests and the host operating. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.4), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. This Exposure of Sensitive Information vulnerability could allow attackers to access sensitive data that should not be disclosed.
Rejected reason: This CVE ID has been rejected or withdrawn by its CVE Numbering Authority because it is a duplicate of CVE-2024-0193. No vendor patch available.
The Spreadsheet::ParseXLSX package before 0.28 for Perl can encounter an out-of-memory condition during parsing of a crafted XLSX document. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Under certain conditions the Microsoft Edge browser extension (SAP GUI connector for Microsoft Edge) - version 1.0, allows an attacker to access highly sensitive information which would otherwise be. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Under certain conditions, Internet Communication Manager (ICM) or SAP Web Dispatcher - versions KERNEL 7.22, KERNEL 7.53, KERNEL 7.54, KRNL64UC 7.22, KRNL64UC 7.22EXT, KRNL64UC 7.53, KRNL64NUC 7.22,. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.1). No vendor patch available.
XWiki Platform is a generic wiki platform offering runtime services for applications built on top of it. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.0), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
Information exposure in Coupon Referral Program WordPress plugin through 1.7.2.
Puma is a web server for Ruby/Rack applications built for parallelism. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. This HTTP Request/Response Smuggling vulnerability could allow attackers to manipulate HTTP request interpretation between frontend and backend servers.
Out-of-bounds Read in GitHub repository gpac/gpac prior to 2.3-DEV. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
A vulnerability was found in Guangzhou Yingke Electronic Technology Ncast up to 2017 and classified as problematic. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and EPSS exploitation probability 93.7%.
In default installations of Microchip maxView Storage Manager (for Adaptec Smart Storage Controllers) where Redfish server is configured for remote system management, unauthorized access can occur,. Rated critical severity (CVSS 10.0), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in SourceCodester Clinic Queuing System 1.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
A vulnerability, which was classified as problematic, was found in SourceCodester Engineers Online Portal 1.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Lotos WebServer through 0.1.1 (commit 3eb36cc) has a use-after-free in buffer_avail() at buffer.h via a long URI, because realloc is mishandled. 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.
httparty before 0.21.0 is vulnerable to an assumed-immutable web parameter vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
A race condition exists in Audited 4.0.0 to 5.3.3 that can result in an authenticated user to cause audit log entries to be attributed to another user. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable.
Improper access control vulnerability in Nearby device scanning prior version 11.1.14.7 allows local attacker to access data. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.0), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper access control vulnerability in Nearby device scanning prior version 11.1.14.7 allows local attacker to access data. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.0), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Implicit intent hijacking vulnerability in Samsung Email prior to version 6.1.90.16 allows local attacker to get sensitive information. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.3), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper access control in Notification service prior to SMR Jan-2024 Release 1 allows local attacker to access notification data. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.2), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper access control vulnerability in Samsung DeX prior to SMR Jan-2024 Release 1 allows owner to access other users' notification in a multi-user environment. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.6), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A use-after-free flaw was found in PackageKitd. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.3), 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.
HTTP3 dissector crash in Wireshark 4.2.0 allows denial of service via packet injection or crafted capture file. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Rust EVM is an Ethereum Virtual Machine interpreter. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required.
OTCLient is an alternative tibia client for otserv. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
A vulnerability was found in RRJ Nueva Ecija Engineer Online Portal 1.0. 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.
A vulnerability, which was classified as problematic, was found in RRJ Nueva Ecija Engineer Online Portal 1.0. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
A vulnerability classified as problematic has been found in HuiRan Host Reseller System up to 2.0.0. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
Critical information disclosure vulnerability in TinaCMS CLI versions 1.0.0 through 1.0.8 that exposes environment variables (including sensitive credentials) by writing them in plaintext to the index.js file. Attackers can access exposed API keys, database credentials, or other secrets without authentication, though no active exploitation has been observed (EPSS: 0.37%, not in KEV). A patch is available in version 1.0.9.
A heap corruption vulnerability exists in GStreamer media framework versions before 1.18.4 when parsing malformed Matroska (MKV) video files. An attacker can craft a malicious Matroska file that, when processed by a vulnerable GStreamer installation, triggers heap memory corruption leading to potential code execution with the privileges of the application using GStreamer. While not known to be actively exploited in the wild (not in KEV), a public proof-of-concept exploit is available and the EPSS score of 0.24% indicates moderate exploitation likelihood.
Local privilege escalation in Windows Win32k kernel-mode driver allows authenticated local users to gain SYSTEM privileges via use-after-free exploitation. Affects all Windows versions from 7 through 10 1703 and Server 2008-2016. Confirmed actively exploited (CISA KEV) with publicly available exploit code. EPSS score of 17.77% (95th percentile) indicates significant real-world exploitation probability despite local attack vector requirement. Microsoft released patches in May 2017 security bulletin.
Local privilege escalation in the Windows COM Aggregate Marshaler affects all Windows versions from Server 2008 SP2 through Windows 10 1703, allowing low-privileged authenticated users to gain SYSTEM-level privileges through a specially crafted application. This vulnerability is confirmed actively exploited (CISA KEV) with publicly available exploit code (Exploit-DB 42020) and an exceptionally high EPSS score of 92.69%, indicating near-certain real-world exploitation. Microsoft released patches in May 2017, but the widespread exploitation and broad platform impact make this a critical remediation priority for any unpatched Windows systems from this era.
Windows GDI (Graphics Device Interface) allows local privilege escalation through improper memory handling, attributed to the Zirconium APT group and exploited alongside browser zero-days in targeted campaigns.
The GStreamer multimedia framework contains an uninitialized memory vulnerability in its VMNC (VMware VNC) decoder that allows remote attackers to read sensitive information from process memory. When processing specially crafted VMNC video files (such as a single-frame movie that doesn't draw to the canvas), the decoder exposes uninitialized memory contents that may contain passwords, cryptographic keys, or other sensitive data from the application's memory space. A proof-of-concept exploit exists and has been publicly disclosed, with an EPSS score of 1.28% indicating moderate real-world exploitation likelihood.
The Win32k kernel-mode driver in Windows Vista through Windows Server 2016 allows local privilege escalation, exploited alongside CVE-2016-7256 in targeted attacks attributed to the Strontium (APT28/Fancy Bear) group.
The Win32k kernel-mode driver in Windows Vista through Windows 10 allows local privilege escalation through an unspecified vulnerability in window object handling, exploited in the wild by APT groups.
Win32k.sys in Windows Server 2003, Vista, and Server 2008 allows local privilege escalation through a kernel-mode vulnerability, exploited in the wild alongside browser zero-days in April 2015 as part of APT attack chains.
The Windows Kerberos KDC fails to properly validate PAC signatures, allowing any authenticated domain user to forge Kerberos tickets and gain domain administrator privileges. Known as MS14-068, one of the most critical Active Directory vulnerabilities ever disclosed.
Local privilege escalation in Windows afd.sys (Ancillary Function Driver) allows unauthenticated local attackers to gain SYSTEM privileges on Windows XP SP2/SP3 and Server 2003 SP2 through a crafted application requiring user interaction. CISA KEV confirms active exploitation in the wild, with EPSS score at 67.09% (99th percentile) indicating extremely high real-world exploitation likelihood. Multiple public exploit codes exist (Exploit-DB 21844, 18176), making this vulnerability trivially exploitable despite its age. Microsoft released patches via MS11-080 in October 2011, but legacy systems remain vulnerable.
The Windows kernel from NT 3.1 through Windows 7 improperly validates BIOS calls on 32-bit x86 platforms with 16-bit application support enabled, allowing local users to gain SYSTEM privileges and bypass UAC.
CVE-2007-5633 is a security vulnerability (CVSS 7.2) that allows local users. Risk factors: public PoC available.
Local privilege escalation in Microsoft Internet Information Services 5.0 allows authenticated local users to execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges by placing malicious DLLs in search path locations that IIS uses to load in-process components. Publicly available exploit code exists. EPSS score of 2.16% (84th percentile) indicates lower exploitation probability, consistent with the local attack vector requiring pre-existing system access. Addressed by Microsoft MS01-044 security bulletin in 2001.