Information Leakage / External Service Interaction Leaks IP Addresses

Description

External service interaction leaks IP addresses is a type of information leakage vulnerability (CWE-200) that occurs when a web or API infrastructure interacts with an external service, such as a third-party API. This type of vulnerability can lead to the exposure of sensitive data, such as IP addresses of users and devices, as well as sensitive information that is contained in the request or response of the external service. This type of vulnerability can be tested through the owasp testing guide.

Risk

This vulnerability can lead to a serious security concern as it can expose sensitive data, such as IP addresses of users and devices, as well as sensitive information contained in the request or response of the external service. Consequently, this can lead to a potential data breach and allow malicious actors to gain access to the system.

Solution

One solution to this vulnerability is to ensure that all requests to external services are sent over an encrypted connection (e.g. HTTPS). Additionally, all responses should also be sent over a secure connection. Furthermore, all requests and responses should be validated to ensure only valid data is passed to the external service.