CWE-202 Base Draft Medium likelihood

Exposure of Sensitive Information Through Data Queries

This vulnerability occurs when an attacker uses statistical analysis on aggregated or anonymized data to uncover sensitive details about individuals, even when direct identifiers are removed.

Definition

What is CWE-202?

This vulnerability occurs when an attacker uses statistical analysis on aggregated or anonymized data to uncover sensitive details about individuals, even when direct identifiers are removed.
This flaw often appears in systems designed for privacy, such as databases that allow users to query large datasets without revealing personal information. Attackers can craft specific queries or combine multiple query results to perform a statistical inference attack, effectively 're-identifying' individuals from data that was supposed to be anonymous. To prevent this, developers must implement robust privacy controls beyond simple anonymization. Techniques like query thresholding, differential privacy, or carefully auditing the potential information leakage from any query pattern are essential to ensure that aggregated data cannot be reverse-engineered to expose private user details.
Real-world impact

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-202

  • CVE-2022-41935

    Wiki product allows an adversary to discover filenames via a series of queries starting with one letter and then iteratively extending the match.

How attackers exploit it

Step-by-step attacker path

  1. 1

    Identify a code path that handles untrusted input without validation.

  2. 2

    Craft a payload that exercises the unsafe behavior — injection, traversal, overflow, or logic abuse.

  3. 3

    Deliver the payload through a normal request and observe the application's reaction.

  4. 4

    Iterate until the response leaks data, executes attacker code, or escalates privileges.

Vulnerable code example

Vulnerable pseudo

MITRE has not published a code example for this CWE. The pattern below is illustrative — see Resources for canonical references.

Vulnerable pseudo 
// Example pattern — see MITRE for the canonical references.
function handleRequest(input) {
  // Untrusted input flows directly into the sensitive sink.
  return executeUnsafe(input);
}
Secure code example

Secure pseudo

Secure 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.
Prevention checklist

How to prevent CWE-202

  • Architecture and Design This is a complex topic. See the book Translucent Databases for a good discussion of best practices.
Detection signals

How to detect CWE-202

SAST High

Run static analysis (SAST) on the codebase looking for the unsafe pattern in the data flow.

DAST Moderate

Run dynamic application security testing against the live endpoint.

Runtime Moderate

Watch runtime logs for unusual exception traces, malformed input, or authorization bypass attempts.

Code review Moderate

Code review: flag any new code that handles input from this surface without using the validated framework helpers.

Plexicus auto-fix

Plexicus auto-detects CWE-202 and opens a fix PR in under 60 seconds.

Codex Remedium scans every commit, identifies this exact weakness, and ships a reviewer-ready pull request with the patch. No tickets. No hand-offs.

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Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

What is CWE-202?

This vulnerability occurs when an attacker uses statistical analysis on aggregated or anonymized data to uncover sensitive details about individuals, even when direct identifiers are removed.

How serious is CWE-202?

MITRE rates the likelihood of exploit as Medium — exploitation is realistic but typically requires specific conditions.

What languages or platforms are affected by CWE-202?

MITRE has not specified affected platforms for this CWE — it can apply across most application stacks.

How can I prevent CWE-202?

This is a complex topic. See the book Translucent Databases for a good discussion of best practices.

How does Plexicus detect and fix CWE-202?

Plexicus's SAST engine matches the data-flow signature for CWE-202 on every commit. When a match is found, our Codex Remedium agent opens a fix PR with the corrected code, tests, and a one-line summary for the reviewer.

Where can I learn more about CWE-202?

MITRE publishes the canonical definition at https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/202.html. You can also reference OWASP and NIST documentation for adjacent guidance.

Related weaknesses

Weaknesses related to CWE-202

CWE-1230 Parent

Exposure of Sensitive Information Through Metadata

This vulnerability occurs when an application protects the primary source of sensitive data but fails to secure the metadata derived from…

CWE-612 Sibling

Improper Authorization of Index Containing Sensitive Information

This vulnerability occurs when a system indexes sensitive documents for search but fails to properly restrict who can query that index.…

Resources

Further reading

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