Information Disclosure via X-Generator Header

Description

The 'X-Generator' header can indicate the content management system or software that generated the page. By exposing these details, attackers gain insights into the environment or pipeline used to produce the content, potentially identifying known vulnerabilities or configuration flaws. Knowledge of the build process may also help adversaries craft targeted social engineering campaigns or application-specific exploits referencing the generator. Ultimately, disclosing generator data enlarges the attack surface, enabling malicious parties to focus on known weaknesses or infiltration strategies.

Remediation

Remove or hide the 'X-Generator' header from production responses to prevent unauthorized clients from learning about internal generation processes. Configure the application or content management system to omit this header. If reverse proxies or load balancers are in use, ensure they cannot re-inject or preserve the header. Keep the generating tool or CMS updated with security patches to mitigate known exploits. Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or intrusion detection system to monitor suspicious requests targeting generator-specific flaws. Regularly audit the header settings to ensure that no unnecessary environment or build details are disclosed.

References

Severity

Owasp

Code: A05:2021

Category: Security Misconfiguration

Classification