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 (12817)
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: RDMA/core: Check for the presence of LS_NLA_TYPE_DGID correctly The netlink response for RDMA_NL_LS_OP_IP_RESOLVE should always have a LS_NLA_TYPE_DGID attribute, it is invalid if it does not.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: usb: asix: validate PHY address before use The ASIX driver reads the PHY address from the USB device via asix_read_phy_addr().
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: e1000: fix OOB in e1000_tbi_should_accept() In e1000_tbi_should_accept() we read the last byte of the frame via 'data[length - 1]' to evaluate the TBI workaround.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: team: fix check for port enabled in team_queue_override_port_prio_changed() There has been a syzkaller bug reported recently with the following trace: list_del corruption, ffff888058bea080->prev is LIST_POISON2 (dead000000000122) ------------[ cut here ]------------ kernel BUG at lib/list_debug.c:59!
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nfsd: fix nfsd_file reference leak in nfsd4_add_rdaccess_to_wrdeleg() nfsd4_add_rdaccess_to_wrdeleg() unconditionally overwrites fp->fi_fds[O_RDONLY] with a newly acquired nfsd_file.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipv6: BUG() in pskb_expand_head() as part of calipso_skbuff_setattr() There exists a kernel oops caused by a BUG_ON(nhead < 0) at net/core/skbuff.c:2232 in pskb_expand_head().
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: RDMA/cm: Fix leaking the multicast GID table reference If the CM ID is destroyed while the CM event for multicast creating is still queued the cancel_work_sync() will prevent the work from running which also prevents destroying the ah_attr.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Bluetooth: btusb: revert use of devm_kzalloc in btusb This reverts commit 98921dbd00c4e ("Bluetooth: Use devm_kzalloc in btusb.c file"). In btusb_probe(), we use devm_kzalloc() to allocate the btusb data.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ASoC: stm32: sai: fix OF node leak on probe The reference taken to the sync provider OF node when probing the platform device is currently only dropped if the set_sync() callback fails during DAI probe.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipv6: fix a BUG in rt6_get_pcpu_route() under PREEMPT_RT On PREEMPT_RT kernels, after rt6_get_pcpu_route() returns NULL, the current task can be preempted.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: nfc: fix deadlock between nfc_unregister_device and rfkill_fop_write A deadlock can occur between nfc_unregister_device() and rfkill_fop_write() due to lock ordering inversion between device_lock and rfkill_global_mutex.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: powerpc/64s/slb: Fix SLB multihit issue during SLB preload On systems using the hash MMU, there is a software SLB preload cache that mirrors the entries loaded into the hardware SLB buffer.
CVE-2025-71077 is a security vulnerability (CVSS 5.5). Remediation should follow standard vulnerability management procedures. Vendor patch is available.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drm/xe/oa: Limit num_syncs to prevent oversized allocations The OA open parameters did not validate num_syncs, allowing userspace to pass arbitrarily large values, potentially leading to excessive allocations.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: scsi: aic94xx: fix use-after-free in device removal path The asd_pci_remove() function fails to synchronize with pending tasklets before freeing the asd_ha structure, leading to a potential use-after-free vulnerability.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: functionfs: fix the open/removal races ffs_epfile_open() can race with removal, ending up with file->private_data pointing to freed object.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Input: lkkbd - disable pending work before freeing device lkkbd_interrupt() schedules lk->tq via schedule_work(), and the work handler lkkbd_reinit() dereferences the lkkbd structure and its serio/input_dev fields.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: shmem: fix recovery on rename failures maple_tree insertions can fail if we are seriously short on memory; simple_offset_rename() does not recover well if it runs into that. The same goes for simple_offset_rename_exchange().
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: iommu/mediatek: fix use-after-free on probe deferral The driver is dropping the references taken to the larb devices during probe after successful lookup as well as on errors.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: svcrdma: bound check rq_pages index in inline path svc_rdma_copy_inline_range indexed rqstp->rq_pages[rc_curpage] without verifying rc_curpage stays within the allocated page array.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: caif: fix integer underflow in cffrml_receive() The cffrml_receive() function extracts a length field from the packet header and, when FCS is disabled, subtracts 2 from this length without validating that len >= 2.
Rejected reason: This CVE ID has been rejected or withdrawn by its CVE Numbering Authority. No vendor patch available.
A CORS misconfiguration in Eramba Community and Enterprise Editions v3.26.0 allows an attacker-controlled Origin header to be reflected in the Access-Control-Allow-Origin response along with Access-Control-Allow-Credentials: true. [CVSS 6.5 MEDIUM]
Firefox and Thunderbird versions before 147 contain an information disclosure vulnerability in their XML processing component that allows unauthenticated attackers to access sensitive data over the network with minimal attack complexity. The vulnerability requires no user interaction and affects the confidentiality of information without impacting system integrity or availability. No security patch is currently available.
The PDF Viewer component in Firefox and Thunderbird is vulnerable to clickjacking attacks that enable information disclosure through UI redressing techniques. Attackers can manipulate user interactions to trick victims into unintentionally revealing sensitive information, affecting Firefox versions below 147, Firefox ESR below 140.7, Thunderbird below 147, and Thunderbird ESR below 140.7. No patch is currently available for this vulnerability.
Memory corruption in Firefox and Thunderbird's JavaScript garbage collection engine allows remote attackers to crash the application or potentially leak sensitive information without user interaction. The vulnerability affects Firefox versions below 147, Firefox ESR below 140.7, Thunderbird below 147, and Thunderbird ESR below 140.7, with no patch currently available.
Firefox JavaScript engine has a use-after-free vulnerability. Affects Firefox < 147, Firefox ESR < 140.7, Thunderbird < 147 and < 140.7.
The Networking component in Firefox and Thunderbird discloses sensitive information to unauthenticated remote attackers over the network. Affected versions include Firefox below 147, Firefox ESR below 140.7, Thunderbird below 147, and Thunderbird ESR below 140.7. No patch is currently available to remediate this vulnerability.
A use-after-free vulnerability in the IPC component of Firefox (versions below 147 and ESR versions below 115.32/140.7) and Thunderbird (versions below 147 and 140.7) enables remote code execution when users interact with malicious content. The flaw requires user interaction and network access, allowing attackers to achieve full system compromise with high integrity and confidentiality impact. No patch is currently available for this vulnerability.
Incorrect boundary condition validation in Firefox and Thunderbird's WebGL graphics component allows attackers to escape the sandbox and potentially execute arbitrary code through a crafted web page or malicious content. The vulnerability affects Firefox versions below 147, Firefox ESR below 140.7, Thunderbird below 147, and Thunderbird ESR below 140.7, and requires user interaction to exploit. No patch is currently available.
The EventPrime - Events Calendar, Bookings and Tickets plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Sensitive Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 4.2.7.0 via the REST API. [CVSS 5.3 MEDIUM]
Remote code execution in Emlog v2.6.1 and earlier allows authenticated attackers to upload arbitrary files through an insufficiently validated REST API endpoint (/index.php?rest-api=upload), enabling malicious PHP execution on the server. Attackers can exploit this by obtaining valid API credentials through administrator access or information disclosure flaws, then uploading executable scripts to achieve full system compromise. Public exploit code exists for this vulnerability, and affected administrators should apply available patches immediately.
Hermes versions up to 0.9.1 is affected by insertion of sensitive information into log file (CVSS 5.9).
DFIR-IRIS incident response platform before 2.4.24 allows authenticated users to delete arbitrary filesystem paths through mass assignment of the file_local_name field combined with path trust in the delete operation. Scope change with high integrity/availability impact. Patch available.
Rejected reason: ** REJECT ** DO NOT USE THIS CANDIDATE NUMBER. No vendor patch available.
Wlc versions prior to 1.17.0 fail to restrict unscoped API keys, allowing them to be transmitted to unintended Weblate servers and potentially leaked to attackers with local access or through compromised credentials. A local attacker with user privileges could exploit this information disclosure to gain unauthorized access to Weblate instances across multiple servers. A patch is available in version 1.17.0 and later.
Espressif ESP-IDF USB Host HID (Human Interface Device) Driver allows access to HID devices. Prior to 1.1.0, calls to hid_host_device_close() can free the same usb_transfer_t twice. [CVSS 6.4 MEDIUM]
D3D Wi-Fi Home Security System ZX-G12 v2.1.1 is vulnerable to RF replay attacks on its 433 MHz sensor channel. No rolling codes, authentication, or anti-replay protection – attackers can record and replay alarm/control frames to trigger false alarms or disable sensors.
Broadcom DX NetOps Spectrum (24.3.8 and earlier) exposes session tokens in URL query strings, enabling session hijacking through browser history, referer headers, or proxy logs.
A-Plus Video Technologies NVR devices expose an unauthenticated debug page that allows remote attackers to retrieve sensitive device status information without authentication. The vulnerability requires no user interaction and can be exploited over the network, enabling reconnaissance attacks against affected systems. No patch is currently available to remediate this exposure.
which provide authentication of data using public-key cryptography. versions up to 0.1.0 contains a security vulnerability (CVSS 6.4).
The Blog2Social: Social Media Auto Post & Scheduler plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Sensitive Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 8.7.2. [CVSS 4.3 MEDIUM]
SM2 elliptic curve implementations in RustCrypto versions 0.14.0-pre.0 and 0.14.0-rc.0 suffer from a critical entropy reduction flaw where ephemeral nonce generation requests only 32 bits instead of 256 bits of randomness, degrading encryption security from 128-bit to 16-bit strength. Public exploit code exists, allowing attackers to recover the nonce and decrypt ciphertexts using only the public key and encrypted message. A patch is available for affected deployments.
XWiki Full Calendar Macro displays objects from the wiki on the calendar. Prior to version 2.4.6, users with the rights to view the Calendar.JSONService page (including guest users) can exploit the data leak vulnerability by accessing database info, with the exception of passwords. [CVSS 5.3 MEDIUM]
OpenProject is an open-source, web-based project management software. [CVSS 5.3 MEDIUM]
OpenProject is an open-source, web-based project management software. Prior to version 16.6.2, a low‑privileged logged-in user can view the full names of other users. [CVSS 3.5 LOW]
OpenProject (before 16.6.4) has a local file read vulnerability through SVG-based ImageMagick exploitation in the PDF export feature. Authenticated users can read server files by uploading malicious SVGs disguised as PNGs. Patch available.
CryptoLib versions prior to 1.4.3 contain an out-of-bounds heap read in the cryptography_aead_encrypt() function, affecting spacecraft communications secured via the SDLS-EP protocol. Public exploit code exists for this vulnerability, allowing remote attackers to trigger a denial of service condition without authentication. The vulnerability impacts systems using CryptoLib for ground-to-spacecraft communications and has been patched in version 1.4.3.
CryptoLib versions prior to 1.4.3 suffer from an out-of-bounds heap read in the cryptography_encrypt() function when processing malformed JSON metadata from KMC servers, allowing remote attackers to trigger a denial of service condition. The vulnerability stems from improper buffer boundary checking during string parsing in spacecraft-ground station communications secured by the SDLS-EP protocol. Public exploit code exists for this medium-severity flaw, though a patch is available.
CryptoLib versions prior to 1.4.3 contain an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in the Crypto_AOS_ProcessSecurity function that allows remote attackers to crash spacecraft communications systems when parsing malformed AOS frame hashes. Public exploit code exists for this vulnerability affecting cFS deployments that rely on SDLS-EP for spacecraft-to-ground station security. The vulnerability has high severity due to its denial of service impact on critical space communications infrastructure, and no patch is currently available.
In Area9 Rhapsode 1.47.3, an authenticated attacker can exploit the operation, url, and filename parameters via POST request to read arbitrary files from the server filesystem. Fixed in 1.47.4 (#7254) and further versions. [CVSS 6.5 MEDIUM]
** Disputed ** An Information Disclosure vulnerability in CouchCMS 2.4 allow an Admin user to read arbitrary files via traversing directories back after back. It can Disclosure the source code or any other confidential information if weaponize accordingly. [CVSS 6.5 MEDIUM]
In TIM BPM Suite/ TIM FLOW through 9.1.2 multiple Hibernate Query Language injection vulnerabilities exist which allow a low privileged user to extract passwords of other users and access sensitive data of another user. [CVSS 5.4 MEDIUM]
Dell PowerProtect Data Domain with Data Domain Operating System (DD OS) of Feature Release versions 7.7.1.0 through 8.4.0.0, LTS2025 release version 8.3.1.10, LTS2024 release versions 7.13.1.0 through 7.13.1.40, LTS 2023 release versions 7.10.1.0 through 7.10.1.70, contain an Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerability. [CVSS 2.7 LOW]
This vulnerability exists in Tenda wireless routers (300Mbps Wireless Router F3 and N300 Easy Setup Router) due to the use of login credentials as the session ID through its web-based administrative interface.
This vulnerability exists in Tenda wireless routers (300Mbps Wireless Router F3 and N300 Easy Setup Router) due to the missing HTTPOnly flag for session cookies associated with the web-based administrative interface.
Vivotek IP7137 camera with firmware version 0200a is vulnerable to an information disclosure issue where live camera footage can be accessed through the RTSP protocol on port 8554 without requiring authentication. This allows unauthorized users with network access to view the camera's feed, potentially compromising user privacy and security. The vendor has not replied to the CNA. Possibly all firmware versions are affected. Since the product has met End-Of-Life phase, a fix is not expected t...
This vulnerability exists in Tenda wireless routers (300Mbps Wireless Router F3 and N300 Easy Setup Router) due to the transmission of credentials encoded using reversible Base64 encoding through the web-based administrative interface.
This vulnerability exists in Tenda wireless routers (300Mbps Wireless Router F3 and N300 Easy Setup Router) due to the plaintext transmission of login credentials during the initial login or post-factory reset setup through the web-based administrative interface.
The Booking Calendar plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Sensitive Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 10.14.10 via the `WPBC_FLEXTIMELINE_NAV` AJAX action. This is due to the nonce verification being conditionally disabled by default (`booking_is_nonce_at_front_end` option is `'Off'` by default). When the `booking_is_show_popover_in_timeline_front_end` option is enabled (which is the default in demo installations and can be enabled by administrators), it is possible ...
libimagecodec.quram.so in Android devices prior to the January 2026 Security Maintenance Release 1 contains an out-of-bounds read vulnerability that allows remote attackers to access sensitive memory without authentication. The vulnerability has a network attack vector with low complexity, enabling potential information disclosure through specially crafted input. No patch is currently available.
Android versions up to 13.0 contains a vulnerability that allows attackers to access file with system privilege (CVSS 5.5).
The BetterDocs plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Sensitive Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 4.3.3 via the scripts() function. [CVSS 6.5 MEDIUM]
The weDocs plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Sensitive Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 2.1.15 via the `/wp-json/wp/v2/docs/settings` REST API endpoint. [CVSS 5.3 MEDIUM]
KAYSUS KS-WR3600 routers with firmware 1.0.5.9.1 mishandle configuration management. Once any user is logged in and maintains an active session, an attacker can directly query the backup endpoint and download a full configuration archive. [CVSS 8.8 HIGH]
The ECDSA implementation of the Elliptic package generates incorrect signatures if an interim value of 'k' (as computed based on step 3.2 of RFC 6979 https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6979 ) has leading zeros and is susceptible to cryptanalysis, which can lead to secret key exposure. [CVSS 5.6 MEDIUM]
Veeam allows Backup or Tape Operators to write files as root on the server. An operator-level role achieving root file write is a severe privilege escalation with scope change.
A Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters vulnerability in Foomuuri can lead to integrity loss of the firewall configuration or further unspecified impact by manipulating the JSON configuration passed to `nft`. This issue affects Foomuuri: from ? before 0.31.
An External Control of File Name or Path vulnerability in smb4k allowsl ocal users to perform a local root exploit via smb4k mounthelper if they can access and control the contents of a Samba shareThis issue affects smb4k: from ? before 4.0.5.
OWASP Core Rule Set (CRS) before 4.22.0 and 3.3.8 has a bug in rule 922110 that allows WAF bypass on multipart requests. The rule's capture variables get overwritten when processing multiple parts, allowing SQL injection and other attacks to slip through. PoC available, patch available.
Asseco InfoMedica is a comprehensive solution used to manage both administrative and medical tasks in the healthcare sector. Passwords of all users are stored in a database in an encoded format.
A flaw was found in Ansible Automation Platform (AAP). Read-only scoped OAuth2 API Tokens in AAP, are enforced at the Gateway level for Gateway-specific operations. [CVSS 8.5 HIGH]
Insertion of Sensitive Information Into Sent Data vulnerability in AITpro BulletProof Security bulletproof-security allows Retrieve Embedded Sensitive Data.This issue affects BulletProof Security: from n/a through <= 6.9. [CVSS 7.5 HIGH]
When doing SSH-based transfers using either SCP or SFTP, and setting the known_hosts file, libcurl could still mistakenly accept connecting to hosts *not present* in the specified file if they were added as recognized in the libssh *global* known_hosts file. [CVSS 5.3 MEDIUM]
Brook WordPress theme (through 2.8.9) allows PHP Local File Inclusion via improper filename control in PHP include statements.
Keycloak's Authorization header parser improperly tolerates non-RFC 6750 compliant formatting, including tabs and case variations in Bearer token authentication. This lax validation could enable attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms or manipulate token validation logic in applications relying on strict Bearer token parsing. No patch is currently available for this medium-severity vulnerability.
n8n workflow automation (1.65.0 to 1.121.0) allows unauthenticated file access through form-based workflows. A critical CVSS 10.0 vulnerability enabling remote attackers to read sensitive files from the server, with potential for further compromise. PoC available.
Facesentry Access Control System Firmware versions up to 5.7.0 is affected by cleartext transmission of sensitive information (CVSS 5.9).
FLIR Thermal Camera F/FC/PT/D firmware version 8.0.0.64 contains an information disclosure vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to read arbitrary files through unverified input parameters. [CVSS 6.2 MEDIUM]
An unused webshell in MicroServer allows unlimited login attempts, with sudo rights on certain files and directories. [CVSS 8.0 HIGH]
MicroServer copies parts of the system firmware to an unencrypted external SD card on boot, which contains user and vendor secrets. An attacker can utilize these plaintext secrets to modify the vendor firmware, or gain admin access to the web portal. [CVSS 6.5 MEDIUM]
As the service interaction is performed without authentication, an attacker with some knowledge of the protocol could obtain information about the charger via OCPP v1.6.
An attacker with a network connection could detect credentials in clear text.
The credentials required to access the device's web server are sent in base64 within the HTTP headers. Since base64 is not considered a strong cipher, an attacker could intercept the web request handling the login and obtain the credentials
The lack of hardening of the system allows the user used to manage and maintain the charger to consult different files containing clear-text credentials or valuable information for an attacker.
A stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in Perch CMS version 3.2. An authenticated attacker with administrative privileges can inject malicious JavaScript code into the “Help button url” setting within the admin panel. [CVSS 6.1 MEDIUM]
Undertow HTTP server (used in WildFly, JBoss EAP) fails to validate Host headers, enabling cache poisoning, internal network scanning, and session hijacking. Affects a widely-used Java application server component.
Information disclosure when a weak hashed value is returned to userland code in response to a IOCTL call to obtain a session ID. [CVSS 5.5 MEDIUM]
Cryptographic issue may occur while encrypting license data. [CVSS 8.4 HIGH]
Information disclosure while processing a firmware event. [CVSS 6.1 MEDIUM]