Information disclosure
The purpose of using web applications is to allow users access to information and to perform tasks. However, not every user should be able to access all data, and there are pieces of information about the application, operating system, and users, of which an attacker can take advantage to gain knowledge and eventually access the authenticated functions of the application.
In an effort to make the interaction between user and application friendlier, developers may sometimes release too much information. Also, in their default installations, web development frameworks are preconfigured to display and highlight their features, not to be secure. This is why many times some of these default configuration options are kept active right up to the framework's production release, exposing the information and functionality that may be a security risk.
Let's review some examples of information disclosure that pose a security risk. In the following screenshot, you can see a phpinfo...