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 (74823)
A vulnerability was found in iteachyou Dreamer CMS up to 4.1.3. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in ScriptAndTools eCommerce-website-in-PHP 3.0 and classified as problematic.php. 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 was found in itwanger paicoding 1.0.3. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in itwanger paicoding 1.0.3 and classified as problematic. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
There is an information disclosure vulnerability in the GoldenDB database product. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
There is an information disclosure vulnerability in the GoldenDB database product. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. No vendor patch available.
In NASA CryptoLib before 1.3.2, the key state is not checked before use, potentially leading to spacecraft hijacking. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. Public exploit code available.
NASA CryptoLib before 1.3.2 uses Extended Procedures that are a Work in Progress (not intended for use during flight), potentially leading to a keystream oracle. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. Public exploit code available.
NASA CryptoLib before 1.3.2 does not check the OTAR crypto function returned status, potentially leading to spacecraft hijacking. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
python-markdownify (aka markdownify) before 0.14.1 allows large headline prefixes such as <h9999999> in addition to <h1> through <h6>. Rated low severity (CVSS 2.9), this vulnerability is no authentication required. Public exploit code available.
Formidable (aka node-formidable) 2.1.0 through 3.x before 3.5.3 relies on hexoid to prevent guessing of filenames for untrusted executable content; however, hexoid is documented as not. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. Public exploit code available.
In Artifex Ghostscript before 10.05.0, decode_utf8 in base/gp_utf8.c mishandles overlong UTF-8 encoding. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required.
The Edumall theme for WordPress is vulnerable to Local File Inclusion in all versions up to, and including, 4.2.4 via the 'template' parameter of the 'edumall_lazy_load_template' AJAX action. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability was found in GL.iNet GL-A1300 Slate Plus, GL-AR300M16 Shadow, GL-AR300M Shadow, GL-AR750 Creta, GL-AR750S-EXT Slate, GL-AX1800 Flint, GL-AXT1800 Slate AX, GL-B1300 Convexa-B, GL-B3000. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.1), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The Jupiter X Core plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to PHP Object Injection in all versions up to, and including, 4.8.11 via deserialization of untrusted input from the 'file' parameter of the. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. This Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code through malicious serialized objects.
NETSCOUT nGeniusONE before 6.4.0 b2350 has a Sensitive File Accessible Without Proper Authentication to an endpoint. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
NETSCOUT nGeniusONE before 6.4.0 b2350 allows Technical Information Disclosure via a Stack Trace. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
NETSCOUT nGeniusONE before 6.4.0 P11 b3245 has a Weak Sudo Configuration. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
NETSCOUT nGeniusONE before 6.4.0 b2350 allows Arbitrary File Creation by authenticated users. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
HCL SX v21 is affected by usage of a weak cryptographic algorithm. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An open redirect vulnerability was reported in the FileZ client that could allow information disclosure if a crafted url is visited by a local user. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.1), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In JetBrains TeamCity before 2025.03.1 improper path validation in loggingPreset parameter was possible. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In JetBrains TeamCity before 2025.03.1 base64-encoded credentials could be exposed in build logs. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In JetBrains Rider before 2025.1.2 custom archive unpacker allowed arbitrary file overwrite during remote debug session. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A flaw has was found in Moodle where anonymous assignment submissions can be de-anonymized via search, revealing student identities. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A flaw has been identified in Moodle where, on certain sites, unauthenticated users could retrieve sensitive user data-including names, contact information, and hashed passwords-via stack traces. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The Upsell Funnel Builder for WooCommerce plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to order manipulation in all versions up to, and including, 3.0.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The Prevent Direct Access - Protect WordPress Files plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Sensitive Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 2.8.8 via the 'generate_unique_string'. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
CNCF K3s 1.32 before 1.32.4-rc1+k3s1 has a Kubernetes kubelet configuration change with the unintended consequence that, in some situations, ReadOnlyPort is set to 10255. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
React Router is a router for React. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
React Router is a router for React. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vestel AC Charger version 3.75.0 contains a vulnerability that could enable an attacker to access files containing sensitive information, such as credentials which could be used to further compromise. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
ALBEDO Telecom Net.Time - PTP/NTP clock (Serial No. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing "no cache" headers in HCL Leap permits sensitive data to be cached. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.2), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Missing "no cache" headers in HCL Leap permits user directory information to be cached. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.2), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
h11 is a Python implementation of HTTP/1.1. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Insufficient default configuration in HCL Leap allows anonymous access to directory information. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in GhozyLab Popup Builder allows PHP Local File Inclusion.1.35. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. No vendor patch available.
Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in Ashraful Sarkar Naiem License For Envato allows PHP Local File Inclusion.0.0. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in zamartz Checkout Field Visibility for WooCommerce allows PHP Local File. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in WPoperation Opstore allows PHP Local File Inclusion.4.5. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in cedcommerce Product Lister for eBay allows PHP Local File Inclusion.0.9. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in Code Work Web Xews Lite allows PHP Local File Inclusion.0.9. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in Capturly Capturly allows PHP Local File Inclusion.0.1. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in Holest Engineering Spreadsheet Price Changer for WooCommerce and WP E-commerce. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in everestthemes Grace Mag allows PHP Local File Inclusion.1.5. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in Code Work Web CWW Portfolio allows PHP Local File Inclusion.3.1. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in WPoperation Arrival allows PHP Local File Inclusion.4.5. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
A flaw was found in libsoup. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
A flaw was found in libsoup. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A bug in PSL validation logic in Apache HttpClient 5.4.x disables domain checks, affecting cookie management and host name verification. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
Due to improper JSON Web Tokens implementation an unauthenticated remote attacker can guess a valid session ID and therefore impersonate a user to gain full access. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
The Buddypress Force Password Change plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authenticated account takeover due to the plugin not properly validating a user's identity prior to updating their password. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. No vendor patch available.
An issue has been discovered in GitLab EE/CE that could allow an attacker to track users' browsing activities, potentially leading to full account take-over, affecting all versions from 16.6 before. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Use of hard-coded cryptographic key vulnerability in i-PRO Configuration Tool affects the network system for i-PRO Co., Ltd. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The-wound WordPress theme through 0.0.1 does not validate some parameters before using them to generate paths passed to include function/s, allowing unauthenticated users to perform LFI attacks and. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.6), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and 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.
Westermo WeOS 5 through 5.23.0 allows a reboot via a malformed ESP packet. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
NIH BRICS (aka Biomedical Research Informatics Computing System) through 14.0.0-67 allows users who lack the InET role to access the InET module via direct requests to known endpoints. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
IBM InfoSphere Information Server 11.7 DataStage Flow Designer transmits sensitive information via URL or query parameters that could be exposed to an unauthorized actor using man in the middle. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
IBM InfoSphere Information 11.7 Server authenticated user to obtain sensitive information when a detailed technical error message is returned in a request. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
IBM InfoSphere Information 11.7 Server does not invalidate session after logout which could allow an authenticated user to impersonate another user on the system. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
BYD QIN PLUS DM-i Dilink OS v3.0_13.1.7.2204050.1 to v3.0_13.1.7.2312290.1_0 was discovered to cend broadcasts to the manufacturer's cloud server unencrypted, allowing attackers to execute a. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
Rejected reason: ** REJECT ** DO NOT USE THIS CANDIDATE NUMBER. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in Drupal Sportsleague.*. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability in Drupal UEditor - 百度编辑器.*. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
BEC Technologies Multiple Routers Insufficiently Protected Credentials Information Disclosure Vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
BEC Technologies Multiple Routers Cleartext Password Storage Information Disclosure Vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
PostHog database_schema Server-Side Request Forgery Information Disclosure Vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. This Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability could allow attackers to make the server perform requests to unintended internal or external resources.
PostHog slack_incoming_webhook Server-Side Request Forgery Information Disclosure Vulnerability. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. This Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability could allow attackers to make the server perform requests to unintended internal or external resources.
In tar in BusyBox through 1.37.0, a TAR archive can have filenames hidden from a listing through the use of terminal escape sequences. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.2), this vulnerability is no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
pnpm is a package manager. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
In multispectral MIFF image processing in ImageMagick before 7.1.1-44, packet_size is mishandled (related to the rendering of all channels in an arbitrary order). Rated low severity (CVSS 2.9), this vulnerability is no authentication required.
In MIFF image processing in ImageMagick before 7.1.1-44, image depth is mishandled after SetQuantumFormat is used. Rated low severity (CVSS 2.9), this vulnerability is no authentication required.
This vulnerability exists in the Meon KYC solutions due to transmission of sensitive data in plain text within the response payloads of certain API endpoints. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.7), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The WordPress Simple Shopping Cart plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Sensitive Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 5.1.2 via the 'file_url' parameter. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Gee-netics, member of AXIS Camera Station Pro Bug Bounty Program, has identified an issue with a specific file that the server is using. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.1), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Gee-netics, member of AXIS Camera Station Pro Bug Bounty Program, has found that it is possible for a non-admin user to remove system files causing a boot loop by redirecting a file deletion when. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.9), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. 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.