The product performs an operation that triggers an external diagnostic or error message that is not directly generated or controlled by the product, such as an error generated by the programming language interpreter that a software application uses. The error can contain sensitive system information.

Resultant

Architecture and Design
PHP applications are often targeted for having this issue when the PHP interpreter generates the error outside of the application's control. However, other languages/environments exhibit the same issue.

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

Operation

Confidentiality
Read Application Data

System Configuration
Configure the application's environment in a way that prevents errors from being generated. For example, in PHP, disable display_errors.

Implementation
Build and Compilation
Compilation or Build Hardening
Debugging information should not make its way into a production release.

Implementation
Build and Compilation
Environment Hardening
Debugging information should not make its way into a production release.

Implementation
Handle exceptions internally and do not display errors containing potentially sensitive information to a user. Create default error pages if necessary.

Implementation
The best way to prevent this weakness during implementation is to avoid any bugs that could trigger the external error message. This typically happens when the program encounters fatal errors, such as a divide-by-zero. You will not always be able to control the use of error pages, and you might not be using a language that handles exceptions.

The following servlet code does not catch runtime exceptions, meaning that if such an exception were to occur, the container may display potentially dangerous information (such as a full stack trace).

public void doPost(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException, IOException {
String username = request.getParameter("username");

// May cause unchecked NullPointerException.
if (username.length() < 10) {...}
}

In the following Java example the class InputFileRead enables an input file to be read using a FileReader object. In the constructor of this class a default input file path is set to some directory on the local file system and the method setInputFile must be called to set the name of the input file to be read in the default directory. The method readInputFile will create the FileReader object and will read the contents of the file. If the method setInputFile is not called prior to calling the method readInputFile then the File object will remain null when initializing the FileReader object. A Java RuntimeException will be raised, and an error message will be output to the user.

public class InputFileRead {

private File readFile = null;private FileReader reader = null;private String inputFilePath = null;private final String DEFAULT_FILE_PATH = "c:\\somedirectory\\";
public InputFileRead() {inputFilePath = DEFAULT_FILE_PATH;}
public void setInputFile(String inputFile) {

/* Assume appropriate validation / encoding is used and privileges / permissions are preserved */

}
public void readInputFile() {
try {reader = new FileReader(readFile);...} catch (RuntimeException rex) {System.err.println("Error: Cannot open input file in the directory " + inputFilePath);System.err.println("Input file has not been set, call setInputFile method before calling readInputFile");

} catch (FileNotFoundException ex) {...}

}
}

However, the error message output to the user contains information regarding the default directory on the local file system. This information can be exploited and may lead to unauthorized access or use of the system. Any Java RuntimeExceptions that are handled should not expose sensitive information to the user.

CVE-2004-1581
chain: product does not protect against direct request of an include file, leading to resultant path disclosure when the include file does not successfully execute.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2004-1581

CVE-2004-1579
Single "'" inserted into SQL query leads to invalid SQL query execution, triggering full path disclosure. Possibly resultant from more general SQL injection issue.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2004-1579

CVE-2005-0459
chain: product does not protect against direct request of a library file, leading to resultant path disclosure when the file does not successfully execute.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2005-0459

CVE-2005-0443
invalid parameter triggers a failure to find an include file, leading to infoleak in error message.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2005-0443

CVE-2005-0433
Various invalid requests lead to information leak in verbose error messages describing the failure to instantiate a class, open a configuration file, or execute an undefined function.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2005-0433

CVE-2004-1101
Improper handling of filename request with trailing "/" causes multiple consequences, including information leak in Visual Basic error message.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2004-1101

Error Handling

Product-External Error Message Infoleak

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.

This is inherently a resultant vulnerability from a weakness within the product or an interaction error.

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

Eric Dalci
Cigital
2008-07-01
updated Time_of_Introduction

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

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2008-10-14
updated Description

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2008-11-24
updated Description, Enabling_Factors_for_Exploitation, Functional_Areas, Observed_Examples, Other_Notes, Potential_Mitigations, Relationship_Notes, Weakness_Ordinalities

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2010-06-21
updated Potential_Mitigations

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2010-12-13
updated Observed_Examples

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 Name

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2014-07-30
updated Relationships

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

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

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-01-31
updated Description

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-04-27
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-06-29
updated Mapping_Notes

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2024-02-29
4.14
2024-02-29
updated Demonstrative_Examples

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

Product-External Error Message Information Leak
Information Exposure Through External Error Message
Information Exposure Through Externally-Generated Error Message