CWE-1230

Base Abstraction Level
Pillar — Highest-level weakness category
Class — Abstract, language-independent
Base — Specific enough to detect
Variant — Tied to specific technology
Compound — Requires multiple weaknesses
Incomplete MITRE CWE Status
Stable — Fully reviewed and complete
Draft — Under development, may change
Incomplete — Partially defined by MITRE
Deprecated — No longer recommended
Obsolete — Replaced by another CWE
Exposure of Sensitive Information Through Metadata

Description

The product prevents direct access to a resource containing sensitive information, but it does not sufficiently limit access to metadata that is derived from the original, sensitive information.

Developers might correctly prevent unauthorized access to a database or other resource containing sensitive information, but they might not consider that portions of the original information might also be recorded in metadata, search indices, statistical reports, or other resources. If these resources are not also restricted, then attackers might be able to extract some or all of the original information, or otherwise infer some details. For example, an attacker could specify search terms that are known to be unique to a particular person, or view metadata such as activity or creation dates in order to identify usage patterns.

Consequences

Confidentiality — Read Application Data