CWE-548: Exposure of Information Through Directory Listing
The product inappropriately exposes a directory listing with an index of all the resources located inside of the directory.
View on MITRETechnical Details
- Structure
- Simple
Applicable To
Security Consequences
Scope
Impact
Exposing the contents of a directory can lead to an attacker gaining access to source code or providing useful information for the attacker to devise exploits, such as creation times of files or any information that may be encoded in file names. The directory listing may also compromise private or confidential data.
Mitigation Strategies
Phase
Description
Recommendations include restricting access to important directories or files by adopting a need to know requirement for both the document and server root, and turning off features such as Automatic Directory Listings that could expose private files and provide information that could be utilized by an attacker when formulating or conducting an attack.
Detection Methods
No detection method information available for this CWE.
Code Examples & CVEs
No examples or observed CVEs available for this CWE.
CWE Relationships
No relationship information available for this CWE.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CWE-548: Exposure of Information Through Directory Listing?+
CWE-548: Exposure of Information Through Directory Listing is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product inappropriately exposes a directory listing with an index of all the resources located inside of the directory.
What are the security consequences of Exposure of Information Through Directory Listing?+
If exploited, CWE-548 (Exposure of Information Through Directory Listing) it can compromise Confidentiality, leading to outcomes such as Read Files or Directories.
How do you prevent or mitigate Exposure of Information Through Directory Listing?+
Recommended mitigations for CWE-548 include: Recommendations include restricting access to important directories or files by adopting a need to know requirement for both the document and server root, and turning off features such as Automatic Directory Listings that could expose private files and provide information that could be utilized by an attacker when formulating or conducting an attack.
What is the difference between a CWE and a CVE?+
A CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) like CWE-548 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.