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 (68895)
An issue found in Marukyu Line v.13.4.1 allows a remote attacker to gain access to sensitive information via the channel access token in the miniapp function. 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 Rockwell Automation Enhanced HIM software contains an API that the application uses that is not protected sufficiently and uses incorrect Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) settings and, as a. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.6), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A race condition exists in the Tang server functionality for key generation and key rotation. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is no authentication required. Public exploit code available.
A vulnerability has been identified in Tecnomatix Plant Simulation V2201 (All versions < V2201.0008), Tecnomatix Plant Simulation V2302 (All versions < V2302.0002). Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A vulnerability has been identified in RUGGEDCOM ROX MX5000 (All versions < V2.16.0), RUGGEDCOM ROX MX5000RE (All versions < V2.16.0), RUGGEDCOM ROX RX1400 (All versions < V2.16.0), RUGGEDCOM ROX. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. No vendor patch available.
An issue has been discovered in GitLab CE/EE affecting all versions starting from 13.7 before 15.11.10, all versions starting from 16.0 before 16.0.6, all versions starting from 16.1 before 16.1.1,. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
While using a specific function, SAP ERP Defense Forces and Public Security - versions 600, 603, 604, 605, 616, 617, 618, 802, 803, 804, 805, 806, 807, allows an authenticated attacker with admin. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.9), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
SAP Solution Manager (Diagnostics agent) - version 7.20, allows an attacker to tamper with headers in a client request. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
In SAP Enable Now - versions WPB_MANAGER 1.0, WPB_MANAGER_CE 10, WPB_MANAGER_HANA 10, ENABLE_NOW_CONSUMP_DEL 1704, the Referrer-Policy response header is not implemented, allowing an unauthenticated. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The SAP Web Dispatcher - versions WEBDISP 7.53, WEBDISP 7.54, WEBDISP 7.77, WEBDISP 7.85, WEBDISP 7.89, WEBDISP 7.91, WEBDISP 7.92, WEBDISP 7.93, KERNEL 7.53, KERNEL 7.54 KERNEL 7.77, KERNEL 7.85,. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
When creating a journal entry template in SAP S/4HANA (Manage Journal Entry Template) - versions S4CORE 104, 105, 106, 107, an attacker could intercept the save request and change the template,. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
SAP SQL Anywhere - version 17.0, allows an attacker to prevent legitimate users from accessing the service by crashing the service. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.1), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An unauthenticated attacker in SAP Web Dispatcher - versions WEBDISP 7.49, WEBDISP 7.53, WEBDISP 7.54, WEBDISP 7.77, WEBDISP 7.81, WEBDISP 7.85, WEBDISP 7.88, WEBDISP 7.89, WEBDISP 7.90, KERNEL 7.49,. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
SAP NetWeaver AS for Java - versions ENGINEAPI 7.50, SERVERCORE 7.50, J2EE-APPS 7.50, allows an unauthenticated attacker to craft a request over the network which can result in unwarranted. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A heap buffer overflow vulnerability was found in sox, in the lsx_readbuf function at sox/src/formats_i.c:98:16. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Arbitrary file read in Citrix ADC and Citrix Gateway. 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 PHPGurukul Online Shopping Portal 1.0. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An attacker could bypass the latest Delta Electronics InfraSuite Device Master (versions prior to 1.0.7) patch, which could allow an attacker to retrieve file contents. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
A heap buffer overflow vulnerability was found in sox, in the startread function at sox/src/hcom.c:160:41. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
HCL Launch could disclose sensitive information if a manual edit of a configuration file has been performed. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper Handling of Additional Special Element in GitHub repository squidex/squidex prior to 7.4.0. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information in the SICK ICR890-4 could allow a remote attacker to gather sensitive information by intercepting network traffic that is not encrypted. 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 in the SICK ICR890-4 could allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to retrieve sensitive information about the system. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The MStore API WordPress plugin before 3.9.7 does not secure most of its AJAX actions by implementing privilege checks, nonce checks, or a combination of both. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
The MStore API WordPress plugin before 3.9.7 does not secure most of its AJAX actions by implementing privilege checks, nonce checks, or a combination of both. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Cleartext Storage on Disk in the SICK ICR890-4 could allow an unauthenticated attacker with local access to the device to disclose sensitive information by accessing a SD card. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Observable Response Discrepancy in the SICK ICR890-4 could allow a remote attacker to identify valid usernames for the FTP server from the response given during a failed login attempt. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts in the SICK ICR890-4 could allow a remote attacker to brute-force user credentials. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Unauthenticated endpoints in the SICK ICR890-4 could allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to retrieve sensitive information about the device via HTTP requests. 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 vulnerability in Apache Software Foundation Apache Camel.X through <=3.14.8, from 3.18.X through <=3.18.7, from 3.20.X through <= 3.20.5,. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.3), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's ksmbd, a high-performance in-kernel SMB server. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required.
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's ksmbd, a high-performance in-kernel SMB server. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required.
IBM Db2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows (includes Db2 Connect Server) 10.5, 11.1, and 11.5 is vulnerable to an information disclosure due to improper privilege management when certain federation features. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
IBM Cognos Analytics on Cloud Pak for Data 4.0 could allow an attacker to make system calls that might compromise the security of the containers due to misconfigured security context. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
IBM Db2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows (includes Db2 Connect Server) 11.1 and 11.5 is vulnerable to insufficient audit logging. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity.
A flaw was found in the Libreoffice package. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity.
A missing nullptr-check in handle_ra_input can cause a nullptr-deref. 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.
Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor in GitHub repository nilsteampassnet/teampass prior to 3.0.10. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output in GitHub repository nilsteampassnet/teampass prior to 3.0.10. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
The cryptographically insecure random number generator being used in TravianZ 8.3.4 and 8.3.3 in the password reset function allows an attacker to guess the password reset.parameters and to take over. 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.
Tekton Pipelines project provides k8s-style resources for declaring CI/CD-style pipelines. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
An issue in JerryscriptProject jerryscript v.3.0.0 allows an attacker to obtain sensitive information via a crafted script to the arrays. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
IBM WebSphere Application Server 8.5 and 9.0 could provide weaker than expected security, caused by the improper encoding in a local configuration file. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Memory management and protection issues in Bitcoin Core v22 allows attackers to modify the stored sending address within the app's memory, potentially allowing them to redirect Bitcoin transactions. 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.
PiiGAB M-Bus stores credentials in a plaintext file, which could allow a low-level user to gain admin credentials. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
There are no requirements for setting a complex password for PiiGAB M-Bus, which could contribute to a successful brute force attack if the password is inline with recommended password guidelines. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
PiiGAB M-Bus stores passwords using a weak hash algorithm. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
The number of login attempts is not limited. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
PiiGAB M-Bus transmits credentials in plaintext format. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
A use-after-free issue was discovered in Py_FindObjects() function in SciPy versions prior to 1.8.0. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
Mastodon is a free, open-source social network server based on ActivityPub. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.4), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
yt-dlp is a command-line program to download videos from video sites. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.2), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. This Exposure of Sensitive Information vulnerability could allow attackers to access sensitive data that should not be disclosed.
A vulnerability classified as problematic has been found in Rotem Dynamics Rotem CRM up to 20230729. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
An issue was discovered in the Linux kernel through 6.4.2. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
An issue was discovered in the USB subsystem in the Linux kernel through 6.4.2. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.6), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
league/oauth2-server is an implementation of an OAuth 2.0 authorization server written in PHP. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity.
A misconfiguration vulnerability exists in the urvpn_client functionality of Milesight UR32L v32.3.0.5. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.
Vulnerability of kernel raw address leakage in the hang detector module. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Input verification vulnerability in the WMS API. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability of missing input length verification in the distributed file system. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Format string vulnerability in the distributed file system. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability of apps' permission to access a certain API being incompletely verified in the wireless projection module. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.3), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability of failures to capture exceptions in the communication framework. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Vulnerability of failures to capture exceptions in the communication framework. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Out-of-bounds Read in GitHub repository gpac/gpac prior to 2.2.2. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.1), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
Improper access control vulnerability in Samsung Pass prior to version 4.2.03.1 allows physical attackers to access data of Samsung Pass on a certain state of an unlocked device. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.6), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper access control vulnerability in Samsung Pass prior to version 4.2.03.1 allows physical attackers to access data of Samsung Pass. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.6), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper validation of integrity check vulnerability in Smart Switch PC prior to version 4.3.23052_1 allows local attackers to delete arbitrary directory using directory junction. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper privilege management vulnerability in Samsung Smart Switch for Windows Installer prior to version 4.3.23043_3 allows attackers to cause permanent DoS via directory junction. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Logic error in package installation via adb command prior to SMR Jul-2023 Release 1 allows local attackers to downgrade installed application. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper access control in Audio system service prior to SMR Jul-2023 Release 1 allows attacker to send broadcast with system privilege. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.3), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper input validation vulnerability in OnOemServiceMode in libsec-ril prior to SMR Jul-2023 Release 1 allows local attackers to cause an Out-Of-Bounds read. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.4), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper input validation vulnerability in RegisteredMSISDN prior to SMR Jul-2023 Release 1 allows local attackers to launch privileged activities. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Exposure of Sensitive Information vulnerability in getChipIds in UwbAospAdapterService prior to SMR Jul-2023 Release 1 allows local attackers to access the UWB chipset Identifier. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Exposure of Sensitive Information vulnerability in getChipInfos in UwbAospAdapterService prior to SMR Jul-2023 Release 1 allows local attackers to access the UWB chipset Identifier. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Exposure of Sensitive Information vulnerability in getDefaultChipId in UwbAospAdapterService prior to SMR Jul-2023 Release 1 allows local attackers to access the UWB chipset Identifier. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper input validation vulnerability in Transaction prior to SMR Jul-2023 Release 1 allows local attackers to launch privileged activities. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper input validation vulnerability in DataProfile prior to SMR Jul-2023 Release 1 allows local attackers to launch privileged activities. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper input validation vulnerability in EnhancedAttestationResult prior to SMR Jul-2023 Release 1 allows local attackers to launch privileged activities. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper input validation vulnerability in LSOItemData prior to SMR Jul-2023 Release 1 allows attackers to launch certain activities. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper input validation vulnerability in SCEPProfile prior to SMR Jul-2023 Release 1 allows local attackers to launch privileged activities. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper access control vulnerability in Settings prior to SMR Jul-2023 Release 1 allows physical attacker to use restricted user profile to access device owner's google account data. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.3), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Improper access control vulnerability in PersonaManagerService prior to SMR Jul-2023 Release 1 allows local attackers to change confiugration. Rated low severity (CVSS 3.3), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
Sensitive Cookie in HTTPS Session Without 'Secure' Attribute in GitHub repository it-novum/openitcockpit prior to 4.6.6. Rated medium severity (CVSS 4.6), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
MechanicalSoup is a Python library for automating interaction with websites. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. Public exploit code available.
PAX A930 device with PayDroid_7.1.1_Virgo_V04.5.02_20220722 can allow an attacker to gain root access by running a crafted binary leveraging an exported function from a shared library. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.7), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
AMI SPx contains a vulnerability in the BMC where an Attacker may cause an improper neutralization of CRLF sequences in HTTP Headers. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
AMI SPx contains a vulnerability in the BMC where a user may cause a missing cryptographic step by generating a hash-based message authentication code (HMAC). Rated high severity (CVSS 8.1), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
AMI SPx contains a vulnerability in the BMC where an Attacker may cause a use of hard-coded cryptographic key by a hard-coded certificate. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authentication required, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.
AMI SPx contains a vulnerability in the BMC where a user may cause an inadequate encryption strength by hash-based message authentication code (HMAC). Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, low attack complexity. No vendor patch available.