The product uses an environment variable to store unencrypted sensitive information.
Information stored in an environment variable can be accessible by other processes with the execution context, including child processes that dependencies are executed in, or serverless functions in cloud environments. An environment variable's contents can also be inserted into messages, headers, log files, or other outputs. Often these other dependencies have no need to use the environment variable in question. A weakness that discloses environment variables could expose this information.

Primary

Architecture and Design

Implementation

Operation

Confidentiality
Read Application Data

Automated Static Analysis
Automated static analysis, commonly referred to as Static Application Security Testing (SAST), can find some instances of this weakness by analyzing source code (or binary/compiled code) without having to execute it. Typically, this is done by building a model of data flow and control flow, then searching for potentially-vulnerable patterns that connect "sources" (origins of input) with "sinks" (destinations where the data interacts with external components, a lower layer such as the OS, etc.)
High

Architecture and Design
Encrypt information stored in the environment variable to protect it from being exposed to an unauthorized user. If encryption is not feasible or is considered too expensive for the business use of the application, then consider using a properly protected configuration file instead of an environment variable. It should be understood that unencrypted information in a config file is also not guaranteed to be protected, but it is still a better choice, because it reduces attack surface related to weaknesses such as CWE-214. In some settings, vaults might be a feasible option for safer data transfer. Users should be notified of the business choice made to not protect the sensitive information through encryption.

Implementation
If the environment variable is not necessary for the desired behavior, then remove it entirely, or clear it to an empty value.

CVE-2022-43691
CMS shows sensitive server-side information from environment variables when run in Debug mode.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-43691

CVE-2022-27195
Plugin for an automation server inserts environment variable contents into build XML files.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-27195

CVE-2022-25264
CI/CD tool logs environment variables related to passwords add Contribution to content history.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-25264

SFP23
Exposed Data

Allowed
This CWE entry is at the Variant 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.

CWE Community
2006-07-19
Draft 3
2006-07-19
Submitted by members of the CWE community to extend early CWE versions

Eric Dalci
Cigital
2008-07-01
updated Potential_Mitigations, Time_of_Introduction

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2008-09-08
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2009-03-10
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2011-03-29
updated Name

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2011-06-01
updated Common_Consequences, Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2012-05-11
updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2012-10-30
updated Potential_Mitigations

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

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

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2021-10-28
updated Relationships

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

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-04-27
updated Detection_Factors, Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-06-29
updated Mapping_Notes

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2025-12-11
4.19
2025-12-11
updated Applicable_Platforms, Relationships, Weakness_Ordinalities

Drew Buttner
MITRE
2023-01-11
Suggested improvements to name, description, relationships, and mitigations

Information Leak Through Environmental Variables
Information Exposure Through Environmental Variables
Exposure of Sensitive Information Through Environmental Variables