CWE-211: Externally-Generated Error Message Containing Sensitive Information
Weakness ID: 211
Abstraction: Base Structure: Simple
Status: Incomplete
Presentation Filter:
Description
The application performs an operation that triggers an external diagnostic or error message that is not directly generated or controlled by the application, such as an error generated by the programming language interpreter that the software uses. The error can contain sensitive system information.
Relationships
The table(s) below shows the weaknesses and high level categories that are related to this weakness. These relationships are defined as ChildOf, ParentOf, MemberOf and give insight to similar items that may exist at higher and lower levels of abstraction. In addition, relationships such as PeerOf and CanAlsoBe are defined to show similar weaknesses that the user may want to explore.
Relevant to the view "Research Concepts" (CWE-1000)
Nature
Type
ID
Name
ChildOf
Base - a weakness
that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource.
Variant - a weakness
that is linked to a certain type of product, typically involving a specific language or technology. More specific than a Base weakness. Variant level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 3 to 5 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource.
Variant - a weakness
that is linked to a certain type of product, typically involving a specific language or technology. More specific than a Base weakness. Variant level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 3 to 5 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource.
Variant - a weakness
that is linked to a certain type of product, typically involving a specific language or technology. More specific than a Base weakness. Variant level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 3 to 5 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource.
The different Modes of Introduction provide information about how and when this weakness may be introduced. The Phase identifies a point in the life cycle at which introduction may occur, while the Note provides a typical scenario related to introduction during the given phase.
Phase
Note
Architecture and Design
PHP applications are often targeted for having this issue when the PHP interpreter generates the error outside of the application's control. However, other languages/environments exhibit the same issue.
Implementation
REALIZATION: This weakness is caused during implementation of an architectural security tactic.
Operation
Applicable Platforms
The listings below show possible areas for which the given weakness could appear. These may be for specific named Languages, Operating Systems, Architectures, Paradigms, Technologies, or a class of such platforms. The platform is listed along with how frequently the given weakness appears for that instance.
The table below specifies different individual consequences associated with the weakness. The Scope identifies the application security area that is violated, while the Impact describes the negative technical impact that arises if an adversary succeeds in exploiting this weakness. The Likelihood provides information about how likely the specific consequence is expected to be seen relative to the other consequences in the list. For example, there may be high likelihood that a weakness will be exploited to achieve a certain impact, but a low likelihood that it will be exploited to achieve a different impact.
chain: product does not protect against direct request of an include file, leading to resultant path disclosure when the include file does not successfully execute.
Single "'" inserted into SQL query leads to invalid SQL query execution, triggering full path disclosure. Possibly resultant from more general SQL injection issue.
chain: product does not protect against direct request of a library file, leading to resultant path disclosure when the file does not successfully execute.
Various invalid requests lead to information leak in verbose error messages describing the failure to instantiate a class, open a configuration file, or execute an undefined function.
Improper handling of filename request with trailing "/" causes multiple consequences, including information leak in Visual Basic error message.
Potential Mitigations
Phase: System Configuration
Configure the application's environment in a way that prevents errors from being generated. For example, in PHP, disable display_errors.
Phases: Implementation; Build and Compilation
Strategy: Compilation or Build Hardening
Debugging information should not make its way into a production release.
Phases: Implementation; Build and Compilation
Strategy: Environment Hardening
Debugging information should not make its way into a production release.
Phase: Implementation
Handle exceptions internally and do not display errors containing potentially sensitive information to a user. Create default error pages if necessary.
Phase: Implementation
The best way to prevent this weakness during implementation is to avoid any bugs that could trigger the external error message. This typically happens when the program encounters fatal errors, such as a divide-by-zero. You will not always be able to control the use of error pages, and you might not be using a language that handles exceptions.
Weakness Ordinalities
Ordinality
Description
Resultant
(where the weakness is typically related to the presence of some other weaknesses)
Functional Areas
Error Handling
Memberships
This MemberOf Relationships table shows additional CWE Categories and Views that reference this weakness as a member. This information is often useful in understanding where a weakness fits within the context of external information sources.
Nature
Type
ID
Name
MemberOf
Category - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic.
Description
Relevant to the view "Architectural Concepts" (CWE-1008)
