A process is invoked with sensitive command-line arguments, environment variables, or other elements that can be seen by other processes on the operating system.
Many operating systems allow a user to list information about processes that are owned by other users. Other users could see information such as command line arguments or environment variable settings. When this data contains sensitive information such as credentials, it might allow other users to launch an attack against the product or related resources.

Primary

Architecture and Design

Implementation
REALIZATION: This weakness is caused during implementation of an architectural security tactic.

Operation

Confidentiality
Read Application Data

In the example below, the password for a keystore file is read from a system property.

String keystorePass = System.getProperty("javax.net.ssl.keyStorePassword");if (keystorePass == null) {System.err.println("ERROR: Keystore password not specified.");System.exit(-1);}
...

If the property is defined on the command line when the program is invoked (using the -D... syntax), the password may be displayed in the OS process list.

CVE-2005-1387
password passed on command line
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2005-1387

CVE-2005-2291
password passed on command line
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2005-2291

CVE-2001-1565
username/password on command line allows local users to view via "ps" or other process listing programs
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2001-1565

CVE-2004-1948
Username/password on command line allows local users to view via "ps" or other process listing programs.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2004-1948

CVE-1999-1270
PGP passphrase provided as command line argument.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-1999-1270

CVE-2004-1058
Kernel race condition allows reading of environment variables of a process that is still spawning.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2004-1058

CVE-2021-32638
Code analysis product passes access tokens as a command-line parameter or through an environment variable, making them visible to other processes via the ps command.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-32638

Program Invocation

System Process

Process information infoleak to other processes

SFP23
Exposed Data

Allowed
This CWE entry is at the Base level of abstraction, which is a preferred level of abstraction for mapping to the root causes of vulnerabilities.
Carefully read both the name and description to ensure that this mapping is an appropriate fit. Do not try to 'force' a mapping to a lower-level Base/Variant simply to comply with this preferred level of abstraction.

Under-studied, especially environment variables.

PLOVER
2006-07-19
Draft 3
2006-07-19

Sean Eidemiller
Cigital
2008-07-01
added/updated demonstrative examples

Eric Dalci
Cigital
2008-07-01
updated Time_of_Introduction

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2008-09-08
updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2008-10-14
updated Description, Other_Notes

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2009-10-29
updated Other_Notes

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2011-03-29
updated Name

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2011-06-01
updated Common_Consequences

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2012-05-11
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2012-10-30
updated Potential_Mitigations

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2014-07-30
updated Demonstrative_Examples, Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2017-11-08
updated Applicable_Platforms, Modes_of_Introduction, Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2020-02-24
updated Description, Name, Relationships, Type

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-01-31
updated Description, Observed_Examples, Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-04-27
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-06-29
updated Mapping_Notes

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2025-09-09
4.18
2025-09-09
updated Functional_Areas

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2025-12-11
4.19
2025-12-11
updated Weakness_Ordinalities

Process Information Leak to Other Processes
Process Environment Information Leak
Information Exposure Through Process Environment