CWE-537: Java Runtime Error Message Containing Sensitive Information
In many cases, an attacker can leverage the conditions that cause unhandled exception errors in order to gain unauthorized access to the system.
Last updated
Overview
CWE-537 (Java Runtime Error Message Containing Sensitive Information) is a variant-level software weakness catalogued by MITRE in the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE). It describes a recurring type of mistake that can lead to exploitable security vulnerabilities.
Common consequences
What can happen when CWE-537 is exploited.
Read Application Data
Affects: Confidentiality
How it happens
When it is introduced
Typically introduced during these phases of the software lifecycle.
Applies to
Languages
How to prevent it
Practical mitigations for CWE-537, grouped by where in the lifecycle they apply.
Do not expose sensitive error information to the user.
Code examples
Illustrative examples from MITRE showing how the weakness appears in code.
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.
Vulnerable example
public class InputFileRead {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.
In the example below, the BankManagerLoginServlet servlet class will process a login request to determine if a user is authorized to use the BankManager Web service. The doPost method will retrieve the username and password from the servlet request and will determine if the user is authorized. If the user is authorized the servlet will go to the successful login page. Otherwise, the servlet will raise a FailedLoginException and output the failed login message to the error page of the service.
Vulnerable example
public class BankManagerLoginServlet extends HttpServlet {However, the output message generated by the FailedLoginException includes the user-supplied password. Even if the password is erroneous, it is probably close to the correct password. Since it is printed to the user's page, anybody who can see the screen display will be able to see the password. Also, if the page is cached, the password might be written to disk.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about CWE-537.
- What is CWE-537?
- In many cases, an attacker can leverage the conditions that cause unhandled exception errors in order to gain unauthorized access to the system.
- How do you prevent CWE-537?
- Do not expose sensitive error information to the user.
- What are the consequences of CWE-537?
- Exploiting CWE-537 can lead to: Read Application Data.
References
- MITRE CWE definition (CWE-537) (opens in a new tab)
- CWE-537 vulnerabilities on NVD (opens in a new tab)
- Learn: What is a CWE?
Weakness data is sourced from the MITRE CWE catalog (v4.20). CVE associations are aggregated and kept current by RadicalNotion.AI.
Stay ahead of CWE-537
Get alerted the moment a new CWE-537 vulnerability affects your stack, with AI-written analysis, severity context, and remediation guidance.