CWE-212 Base Incomplete

Improper Removal of Sensitive Information Before Storage or Transfer

This vulnerability occurs when an application stores or transmits a resource containing sensitive data without properly cleaning it first, potentially exposing that information to unauthorized…

Definition

What is CWE-212?

This vulnerability occurs when an application stores or transmits a resource containing sensitive data without properly cleaning it first, potentially exposing that information to unauthorized parties.
Many resources like documents, database entries, or network packets contain sensitive information—such as internal comments, file paths, or IP addresses—that is only relevant to a specific user or a trusted group. Before sharing that resource more broadly (e.g., exporting a document or forwarding a network request), this private data must be systematically removed, a process often called data cleansing or scrubbing. For developers, this means actively identifying and stripping sensitive metadata or embedded content. Common oversights include leaving reviewer comments in a final document draft or failing to remove internal server headers from outgoing HTTP requests. Without these checks, seemingly innocuous data sharing can inadvertently leak confidential details.
Auswirkungen in der Praxis

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-212

  • CVE-2019-3733

    Cryptography library does not clear heap memory before release

  • CVE-2005-0406

    Some image editors modify a JPEG image, but the original EXIF thumbnail image is left intact within the JPEG. (Also an interaction error).

  • CVE-2002-0704

    NAT feature in firewall leaks internal IP addresses in ICMP error messages.

Wie Angreifer es ausnutzen

Angreiferpfad Schritt für Schritt

  1. 1

    Identifiziere einen Codepfad, der nicht vertrauenswürdige Eingaben ohne Validierung verarbeitet.

  2. 2

    Erzeuge eine Payload, die das unsichere Verhalten auslöst — Injection, Traversal, Overflow oder Logik-Missbrauch.

  3. 3

    Liefere die Payload über einen normalen Request aus und beobachte die Reaktion der Anwendung.

  4. 4

    Iteriere, bis die Antwort Daten preisgibt, Angreifer-Code ausführt oder Berechtigungen eskaliert.

Verwundbares Codebeispiel

Vulnerable PHP

This code either generates a public HTML user information page or a JSON response containing the same user information.

Verwundbar PHP 
```
// API flag, output JSON if set* 
  $json = $_GET['json']
  $username = $_GET['user']
  if(!$json)
  {
  ```
  		$record = getUserRecord($username);
  		foreach($record as $fieldName => $fieldValue)
  		{
  				if($fieldName == "email_address") {
```
// skip displaying user emails* 
  						continue;}
  				else{
  				```
  					writeToHtmlPage($fieldName,$fieldValue);
  				}
  		}
  }
  else
  {
  	$record = getUserRecord($username);
  	echo json_encode($record);
  }
Sicheres Codebeispiel

Secure pseudo

Sicher pseudo 
// Validate, sanitize, or use a safe API before reaching the sink.
function handleRequest(input) {
  const safe = validateAndEscape(input);
  return executeWithGuards(safe);
}
What changed: the unsafe sink is replaced (or the input is validated/escaped) so the same payload no longer triggers the weakness.
Präventions-Checkliste

How to prevent CWE-212

  • Requirements Clearly specify which information should be regarded as private or sensitive, and require that the product offers functionality that allows the user to cleanse the sensitive information from the resource before it is published or exported to other parties.
  • Architecture and Design Compartmentalize the system to have "safe" areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area. Ensure that appropriate compartmentalization is built into the system design, and the compartmentalization allows for and reinforces privilege separation functionality. Architects and designers should rely on the principle of least privilege to decide the appropriate time to use privileges and the time to drop privileges.
  • Implementation Use naming conventions and strong types to make it easier to spot when sensitive data is being used. When creating structures, objects, or other complex entities, separate the sensitive and non-sensitive data as much as possible.
  • Implementation Avoid errors related to improper resource shutdown or release (CWE-404), which may leave the sensitive data within the resource if it is in an incomplete state.
Erkennungssignale

How to detect CWE-212

SAST High

Führe statische Analyse (SAST) auf der Codebasis aus und suche im Datenfluss nach dem unsicheren Muster.

DAST Moderate

Führe dynamische Application-Security-Tests gegen den Live-Endpoint aus.

Runtime Moderate

Beobachte Runtime-Logs auf ungewöhnliche Exception-Traces, fehlerhafte Eingaben oder Versuche, Autorisierung zu umgehen.

Code review Moderate

Code Review: Markiere jeden neuen Code, der Eingaben von dieser Oberfläche ohne validierte Framework-Helper verarbeitet.

Plexicus Auto-Fix

Plexicus erkennt CWE-212 automatisch und öffnet in unter 60 Sekunden einen Fix-PR.

Codex Remedium scannt jeden Commit, identifiziert genau diese Schwachstelle und liefert einen reviewer-ready Pull Request mit dem Patch. Keine Tickets. Keine Hand-offs.

Demo anfordern Plexicus kostenlos testen
Häufig gestellte Fragen

Frequently asked questions

Was ist CWE-212?

This vulnerability occurs when an application stores or transmits a resource containing sensitive data without properly cleaning it first, potentially exposing that information to unauthorized parties.

Wie gravierend ist CWE-212?

MITRE hat für diese Schwachstelle keine Exploit-Wahrscheinlichkeit veröffentlicht. Behandle sie als mittlere Auswirkung, bis dein Threat Model anderes belegt.

Welche Sprachen oder Plattformen sind von CWE-212 betroffen?

MITRE hat für diese CWE keine betroffenen Plattformen spezifiziert — sie kann in den meisten Anwendungs-Stacks auftreten.

Wie kann ich CWE-212 verhindern?

Clearly specify which information should be regarded as private or sensitive, and require that the product offers functionality that allows the user to cleanse the sensitive information from the resource before it is published or exported to other parties. Compartmentalize the system to have "safe" areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe…

Wie erkennt und behebt Plexicus CWE-212?

Die SAST-Engine von Plexicus erkennt die Datenfluss-Signatur von CWE-212 bei jedem Commit. Bei einem Treffer öffnet unser Codex-Remedium-Agent einen Fix-PR mit korrigiertem Code, Tests und einer einzeiligen Zusammenfassung für den Reviewer.

Wo erfahre ich mehr über CWE-212?

MITRE veröffentlicht die kanonische Definition unter https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/212.html. Für ergänzende Hinweise kannst du auch die OWASP- und NIST-Dokumentation heranziehen.

Verwandte Schwachstellen

Weaknesses related to CWE-212

CWE-669 Parent

Incorrect Resource Transfer Between Spheres

This vulnerability occurs when an application incorrectly moves or shares a resource (like data, permissions, or functionality) between…

CWE-1420 Sibling

Exposure of Sensitive Information during Transient Execution

Transient execution vulnerabilities occur when a processor speculatively runs operations that don't officially commit, potentially leaking…

CWE-243 Sibling

Creation of chroot Jail Without Changing Working Directory

This vulnerability occurs when a program creates a chroot jail but fails to change its current working directory afterward. Because the…

CWE-434 Sibling

Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type

This vulnerability occurs when an application accepts file uploads without properly restricting the file types, allowing attackers to…

CWE-494 Sibling

Download of Code Without Integrity Check

This vulnerability occurs when an application fetches and runs code from an external source—like a remote server or CDN—without properly…

CWE-565 Sibling

Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking

This vulnerability occurs when an application uses cookies to make security decisions—like granting access or changing settings—but fails…

CWE-829 Sibling

Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere

This weakness occurs when an application integrates executable code, like a library or plugin, from a source it does not fully control or…

CWE-201 Kann vorausgehen

Insertion of Sensitive Information Into Sent Data

This vulnerability occurs when an application sends data to an external party, but accidentally includes sensitive information—like…

CWE-1258 Child

Exposure of Sensitive System Information Due to Uncleared Debug Information

This vulnerability occurs when hardware fails to erase sensitive data like cryptographic keys and intermediate values before entering…

Ressourcen

Further reading

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