Description
The product's intended functionality exposes information to certain actors in accordance with the developer's security policy, but this information is regarded as sensitive according to the intended security policies of other stakeholders such as the product's administrator, users, or others whose information is being processed.
When handling information, the developer must consider whether the information is regarded as sensitive by different stakeholders, such as users or administrators. Each stakeholder effectively has its own intended security policy that the product is expected to uphold. When a developer does not treat that information as sensitive, this can introduce a vulnerability that violates the expectations of the product's users.
Potential Impact
Confidentiality
Read Application Data
Demonstrative Examples
Social Security Number: <%= ssn %></br>Credit Card Number: <%= ccn %>Real-World CVE Examples
| CVE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CVE-2002-1725 | Script calls phpinfo() |
| CVE-2004-0033 | Script calls phpinfo() |
| CVE-2003-1181 | Script calls phpinfo() |
| CVE-2004-1422 | Script calls phpinfo() |
| CVE-2004-1590 | Script calls phpinfo() |
| CVE-2003-1038 | Product lists DLLs and full pathnames. |
| CVE-2005-1205 | Telnet protocol allows servers to obtain sensitive environment information from clients. |
| CVE-2005-0488 | Telnet protocol allows servers to obtain sensitive environment information from clients. |
Related Weaknesses
Taxonomy Mappings
- PLOVER: — Intended information leak
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CWE-213?
CWE-213 (Exposure of Sensitive Information Due to Incompatible Policies) is a software weakness identified by MITRE's Common Weakness Enumeration. It is classified as a Base-level weakness. The product's intended functionality exposes information to certain actors in accordance with the developer's security policy, but this information is regarded as sensitive according to the intended s...
How can CWE-213 be exploited?
Attackers can exploit CWE-213 (Exposure of Sensitive Information Due to Incompatible Policies) to read application data. This weakness is typically introduced during the Policy, Requirements, Architecture and Design, Implementation phase of software development.
How do I prevent CWE-213?
Follow secure coding practices, conduct code reviews, and use automated security testing tools (SAST/DAST) to detect this weakness early in the development lifecycle.
What is the severity of CWE-213?
CWE-213 is classified as a Base-level weakness (Medium abstraction). It has been observed in 8 real-world CVEs.