CWE-527: Exposure of Version-Control Repository to an Unauthorized Control Sphere

CWE-527: Exposure of Version-Control Repository to an Unauthorized Control Sphere is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product stores a CVS, git, or other repository in a directory, archive, or other resource that is stored, transferred, or otherwise made accessible to unauthorized actors. Version control repositories such as CVS or git store version-specific metadata and other details within subdirectories. If these subdirectories are stored on a web server or added to an archive, then these could be used by an attacker. This information may include usernames, filenames, path root, IP addresses, and detailed "diff" data about how files have been changed - which could reveal source code snippets that were never intended to be made public.

If exploited, CWE-527 (Exposure of Version-Control Repository to an Unauthorized Control Sphere) it can compromise Confidentiality, leading to outcomes such as Read Application Data and Read Files or Directories.

Recommended mitigations for CWE-527 include: Recommendations include removing any CVS directories and repositories from the production server, disabling the use of remote CVS repositories, and ensuring that the latest CVS patches and version updates have been performed.

A CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) like CWE-527 describes a category of software weakness — the underlying flaw type. A CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) identifies a specific, real-world vulnerability in a particular product. In short, a CWE is the kind of mistake, and a CVE is an instance of that mistake being found in software.