CWE-550: Server-generated Error Message Containing Sensitive Information
Certain conditions, such as network failure, will cause a server error message to be displayed.
How it's found
Server-generated Error Message Containing Sensitive Information is a specific, narrowly defined instance of a broader pattern. Testers confirm it with targeted code review and a proof-of-concept input that exercises the exact code path this weakness describes.
While error messages in and of themselves are not dangerous, per se, it is what an attacker can glean from them that might cause eventual problems.
Consequences
- Read Application Data
Mitigations
- Architecture and Design/System Configuration: Recommendations include designing and adding consistent error handling mechanisms which are capable of handling any user input to your web application, providing meaningful detail to end-users, and preventing error messages that might provide information useful to an attacker from being displayed.
Where this fits in a TurboPentest engagement
TurboPentest's agentic pentest is powerful and covers a broad range of issues automatically. This particular class is best confirmed in a manual IntegSec engagement, where human pentesters apply deeper methodology and a larger context window than any automated pass.
Frequently asked questions
What is CWE-550?
Certain conditions, such as network failure, will cause a server error message to be displayed.
How do you find Server-generated Error Message Containing Sensitive Information?
Server-generated Error Message Containing Sensitive Information is a specific, narrowly defined instance of a broader pattern. Testers confirm it with targeted code review and a proof-of-concept input that exercises the exact code path this weakness describes.
What is the impact of CWE-550?
Read Application Data
Does TurboPentest test for Server-generated Error Message Containing Sensitive Information?
TurboPentest's agentic pentest is powerful and covers a broad range of issues automatically. This particular class is best confirmed in a manual IntegSec engagement, where human pentesters apply deeper methodology and a larger context window than any automated pass.
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