What is the difference between a CWE and a CVE?

A CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) like CWE-542 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.

CWE-542: DEPRECATED: Information Exposure Through Cleanup Log Files

Detect imprecise mappings involving CWE-542

Review mappings to CWE-542, DEPRECATED: Information Exposure Through Cleanup Log Files, with MITRE's mapping and navigation criteria. Flag any selection that points to a View or Category, remains at a higher abstraction than the available evidence supports, or ignores relevant parent, child, peer, and alternative entries. Treat those findings as mapping-quality defects, correct them before publication, and retain the comparison trail for repeatable audits.

CWE Mapping and Navigation Guidance — MITRE CWE

Prevent CWE-542 through an SSDF control plan

Use NIST SSDF practices to make prevention of CWE-542, DEPRECATED: Information Exposure Through Cleanup Log Files, an explicit development outcome. Translate the CWE definition into security requirements and design constraints, choose safer implementation patterns and toolchain checks, and define acceptance evidence before release. Feed every confirmed occurrence back into the requirements, design review, and coding rules so the same root cause is removed across the product rather than patched in one location.

NIST SP 800-218 Secure Software Development Framework — National Institute of Standards and Technology

Preserve historical context for deprecated CWE-542

Treat CWE-542, DEPRECATED: Information Exposure Through Cleanup Log Files, as a historical identifier only. When reviewing CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, preserve this deprecated ID only if an original historical record used it; do not create a new mapping to it. Re-evaluate the vulnerability evidence against active CWE entries, document the replacement and rationale, and use KEV status to prioritize the affected product—not to revive or generalize the deprecated weakness.

Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog — Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Preserve CWE-542 only for deprecated historical mappings

MITRE marks CWE-542 as deprecated and prohibits using it for new vulnerability mappings. This entry has been deprecated because its abstraction was too low-level. See CWE-532. Keep this page for historical lookup, but follow MITRE's replacement guidance and select a current weakness identifier for new findings, metrics, and remediation work.

CWE-542: DEPRECATED: Information Exposure Through Cleanup Log Files — MITRE CWE

Validate CWE-542 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-542, DEPRECATED: Information Exposure Through Cleanup Log Files. Confirm the finding describes the causal weakness rather than an impact or attack pattern, compare the abstraction and mapping notes with plausible alternatives, and have a second reviewer challenge the selection. Preserve the evidence and reasoning so recurring defects can be measured against one consistent identifier.

CVE to CWE Root Cause Mapping Quick Tips — MITRE CWE

CWE-542: DEPRECATED: Information Exposure Through Cleanup Log Files

Technical Details

Applicable To

Security Consequences

Mitigation Strategies

Detection Methods

Code Examples & CVEs

CWE Relationships

Source-backed guidance

Detect imprecise mappings involving CWE-542

Prevent CWE-542 through an SSDF control plan

Preserve historical context for deprecated CWE-542

Preserve CWE-542 only for deprecated historical mappings

Validate CWE-542 with root-cause mapping checks

Frequently Asked Questions

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