CWE-779: Logging of Excessive Data

BaseDraftExploit Likelihood: Low

The product logs too much information, making log files hard to process and possibly hindering recovery efforts or forensic analysis after an attack.

View on MITRE
Back to CWE Lookup

Extended Description

While logging is a good practice in general, and very high levels of logging are appropriate for debugging stages of development, too much logging in a production environment might hinder a system administrator's ability to detect anomalous conditions. This can provide cover for an attacker while attempting to penetrate a system, clutter the audit trail for forensic analysis, or make it more difficult to debug problems in a production environment.

Technical Details

Structure
Simple
Vulnerability Mapping
ALLOWED

Applicable To

Languages
Not Language-Specific
Platforms

Source-backed guidance

Additional facts reviewed against primary or authoritative security sources.

Verify controls for CWE-779 with SSDF evidence

Use NIST SSDF verification and vulnerability-response practices to detect CWE-779, Logging of Excessive Data, 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 Logging of Excessive Data during Architecture and Design

MITRE associates mitigation with Architecture and Design, and Implementation; documented detection approaches include Automated Static Analysis; recorded impacts include DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU), DoS: Resource Consumption (Other), and Hide Activities. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-779 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-779: Logging of Excessive Data — MITRE CWE

Triage CWE-779 against known exploitation evidence

Use CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-779, Logging of Excessive Data, 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-779

Apply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-779, Logging of Excessive Data. 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-779 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-779, Logging of Excessive Data. 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-779: Logging of Excessive Data?+

CWE-779: Logging of Excessive Data is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product logs too much information, making log files hard to process and possibly hindering recovery efforts or forensic analysis after an attack. While logging is a good practice in general, and very high levels of logging are appropriate for debugging stages of development, too much logging in a production environment might hinder a system administrator's ability to detect anomalous conditions. This can provide cover for an attacker while attempting to penetrate a system, clutter the audit trail for forensic analysis, or make it more difficult to debug problems in a production environment.

What are the security consequences of Logging of Excessive Data?+

If exploited, CWE-779 (Logging of Excessive Data) it can compromise Availability and Non-Repudiation, leading to outcomes such as DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU), DoS: Resource Consumption (Other) and Hide Activities.

How do you prevent or mitigate Logging of Excessive Data?+

Recommended mitigations for CWE-779 include: Suppress large numbers of duplicate log messages and replace them with periodic summaries. For example, syslog may include an entry that states "last message repeated X times" when recording repeated events. Support a maximum size for the log file that can be controlled by the administrator. If the maximum size is reached, the admin should be notified. Also, consider reducing functionality of the product. This may result in a denial-of-service to legitimate product users, but it will prevent the product from adversely impacting the entire system. Adjust configurations appropriately when the product is transitioned from a debug state to production.

Which programming languages are affected by Logging of Excessive Data?+

CWE-779 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 Logging of Excessive Data?+

MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-779, including CVE-2007-0421 and CVE-2002-1154. 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-779 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.

Learn More

Find Related CVEs

Search for vulnerabilities that exploit CWE-779

CVE vs CWE: What's the Difference?

Understanding vulnerabilities vs weaknesses

Understanding CVSS Scoring

How vulnerability severity is measured

View Full MITRE Entry

Complete technical details and references

Advertisement