CWE-548: Exposure of Information Through Directory Listing

Source-backed guidance

Additional facts reviewed against primary or authoritative security sources.

Verify controls for CWE-548 with SSDF evidence

Use NIST SSDF verification and vulnerability-response practices to detect CWE-548, Exposure of Information Through Directory Listing, throughout the product lifecycle. Derive review questions, static or dynamic checks, and negative tests from the CWE's causal behavior; define the components and lifecycle stages each check covers; and retain findings with enough evidence to distinguish the root cause from symptoms and impacts. Track escapes and false negatives, then improve the verification plan after every confirmed occurrence.

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

Address Exposure of Information Through Directory Listing during Architecture and Design

MITRE associates mitigation with Architecture and Design, and System Configuration; documented detection approaches include Automated Static Analysis; recorded impacts include Read Files or Directories. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-548 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-548: Exposure of Information Through Directory Listing — MITRE CWE

Triage CWE-548 against known exploitation evidence

Use CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-548, Exposure of Information Through Directory Listing, has evidence of exploitation in the wild. Confirm the CVE-to-CWE root-cause mapping independently before attaching the example, then capture the affected product, required action, and remediation deadline. A missing KEV match is not evidence that the weakness is unexploited, and a KEV entry must not be generalized to every occurrence of this CWE.

Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog — Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Apply precise root-cause mapping to CWE-548

Apply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-548, Exposure of Information Through Directory Listing. Separate weakness language from attacker prerequisites and technical impact, check the entry's abstraction and vulnerability-mapping notes, and prefer the most specific Base or Variant supported by the evidence. Record the rejected alternatives and require an independent review before the mapping is used for remediation trends or program metrics.

CVE to CWE Root Cause Mapping Guidance — MITRE CWE

Validate CWE-548 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-548, Exposure of Information Through Directory Listing. 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

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.

Which programming languages are affected by Exposure of Information Through Directory Listing?+

CWE-548 commonly affects Not Language-Specific. Note that weaknesses are often language-agnostic patterns, so secure coding practices apply broadly.

What are real-world examples of Exposure of Information Through Directory Listing?+

MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-548, including CVE-2023-37599. You can look up the full details of each CVE, including CVSS scores and remediation guidance, on our CVE Lookup tool.

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.

CWE-548: Exposure of Information Through Directory Listing

Technical Details

Applicable To

Security Consequences

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Impact

Mitigation Strategies

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Description

Detection Methods

Code Examples & CVEs

Observed CVE Examples (1)

CWE Relationships

Parent Weaknesses