Information Disclosure via X-CF-Powered-By Header

Description

The 'X-CF-Powered-By' header typically indicates that the application is running on a Cloud Foundry environment or a related platform. By exposing this header, attackers may discover details about the underlying infrastructure, which can help them target known vulnerabilities or default configurations for Cloud Foundry setups. Additionally, knowledge of the specific platform can aid in social engineering efforts or allow malicious actors to craft exploits aimed at weaknesses commonly associated with Cloud Foundry. Disclosing such internal environment information ultimately increases the application's attack surface.

Remediation

Remove or mask the 'X-CF-Powered-By' header unless it is strictly required. Configure the Cloud Foundry environment or your application layer to avoid broadcasting platform details in response headers. If load balancers or reverse proxies are in use, ensure they do not re-inject or expose this header externally. Keep your Cloud Foundry deployment up to date with relevant patches and security best practices. Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or intrusion detection system to monitor for attempts that exploit Cloud Foundry-specific knowledge. Regularly review headers in your responses and confirm that no unnecessary platform information is leaked.

References

Severity

Owasp

Code: A05:2021

Category: Security Misconfiguration

Classification