Information Disclosure in Top 500 Company through Source Code

In today’s digital landscape, information disclosure is a critical concern for organizations, particularly for those in the top 500 companies. As technology evolves, so do the risks associated with managing sensitive information. One area of particular interest is how source code management can lead to inadvertent information disclosure

quick Info about the company:

This company is a multinational technology and consulting corporation that has been a key player in the industry for over a century. Known for its contributions to computer hardware, software, and cloud services, it has significantly shaped the evolution of technology.

(This happened after a proper reconnaissance and katana scan)

While exploring the website,

https://[redacted]2.target.com/

I noticed that the pages appeared completely blank. Curious about what might be going on behind the scenes, I decided to inspect the page source. Using the browser’s developer tools, I opened the source code, expecting to see minimal content.

To my surprise, the source code revealed more than just a blank slate. Scrolling through the HTML, I discovered a few embedded scripts and personal information about a user along with his info like:

“full name, email, number, address, designation and more”

Realizing the severity of this vulnerability, I documented my findings carefully. My report included:

Title: Information Disclosure on Blank PageDescription: An overview of the vulnerability and its implications.Steps to Reproduce: A guide on how to replicate my findings by inspecting the page source.Impact Assessment: Discussion on the potential for unauthorized access and data manipulation.Recommendations: Suggestions for remediation, such as removing sensitive information from client-side code and implementing environment-based configurations.

I submitted my report to the website’s security team, and they quickly fixed it.

This experience taught me several valuable lessons about web security:

Never Assume: Just because a page looks blank doesn’t mean it’s devoid of valuable information. Always inspect the source code.Secure Sensitive Data: Developers should avoid hard-coding sensitive information in client-side code.Collaboration is Key: Reporting vulnerabilities responsibly can help organizations enhance their security posture, fostering a safer online environment.