552
Nature Type ID Name Page
ChildOf 200 Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor 504
CanFollow 489 Active Debug Code 1171
Relevant to the view "Software Development" (CWE-699)
Nature Type ID Name Page
MemberOf 199 Information Management Errors 2312
Applicable Platforms
Language : Not Language-Specific (Prevalence = Undetermined)
Common Consequences
Scope Impact Likelihood
Confidentiality Read Application Data
Detection Methods
Automated Static Analysis
Automated static analysis, commonly referred to as Static Application Security Testing (SAST),
can find some instances of this weakness by analyzing source code (or binary/compiled code)
without having to execute it. Typically, this is done by building a model of data flow and control
flow, then searching for potentially-vulnerable patterns that connect "sources" (origins of input)
with "sinks" (destinations where the data interacts with external components, a lower layer such
as the OS, etc.)
Effectiveness = High
Potential Mitigations
Phase: Implementation
Do not leave debug statements that could be executed in the source code. Ensure that all debug
information is eradicated before releasing the software.
Phase: Architecture and Design
Strategy = Separation of Privilege
Compartmentalize the system to have "safe" areas where trust boundaries can be
unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always
be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area. Ensure that appropriate
compartmentalization is built into the system design, and the compartmentalization allows for and
reinforces privilege separation functionality. Architects and designers should rely on the principle
of least privilege to decide the appropriate time to use privileges and the time to drop privileges.
Demonstrative Examples
Example 1:
The following program changes its behavior based on a debug flag.
Example Language: JSP (Bad)
<% if (Boolean.getBoolean("debugEnabled")) {
%>
User account number: <%= acctNo %>
<%
} %>
The code writes sensitive debug information to the client browser if the "debugEnabled" flag is set
to true .
Observed Examples
CWE Version 4.14
CWE-219: Storage of File with Sensitive Data Under Web Root
CWE-219: Storage of File with Sensitive Data Under Web Root