---
title: "WEB-EXP-009 Dependency Manifests Exposed"
canonical: https://openvapt.com/checks/WEB-EXP-009.html
html: https://openvapt.com/checks/WEB-EXP-009.html
site: OpenVAPT, https://openvapt.com/
license: OpenVAPT Source-Available Licence 1.3, https://openvapt.com/legal/licence-text.html
modified: 2026-10-14
version: 0.1.0-alpha.6
---

# WEB-EXP-009 Dependency Manifests Exposed

Checks whether package manifests and lock files are downloadable.

- Domain: Web Apps
- Severity: Low
- Control category: Information Exposure
- Fix effort: low
- CVSS v3.1 vector: `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`
- CIS Controls v8: 3.3
- NIST CSF 2.0: PR.AA-05, PR.DS-01
- CWE: CWE-538
- OWASP Top 10 2021: A05:2021, A06:2021
- OWASP ASVS 4.0.3: 12.5.1
- OWASP WSTG v4.2: WSTG-CONF-04
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: CM-7

## Why It Matters

Lock files list exact library versions, giving attackers a ready list to match against public vulnerabilities, and often reveal internal package names.

## How It Detects

Requests /composer.json, /composer.lock, /package.json, /package-lock.json, /yarn.lock and /Gemfile.lock; a non-HTML 200 response with the file's characteristic structure confirms exposure.

## How to Fix

Keep manifests outside the public web root (for example serve only a public/ subfolder), or deny them at the web server.

## How to Verify

```
curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' https://<site>/composer.lock  should print 403 or 404.
```

## Learn the Theory

- [P6 Information Exposure and Misconfiguration](https://openvapt.com/academy/p6.md)

## References

- [OWASP WSTG-CONF-04, Review Old Backup and Unreferenced Files for Sensitive Information](https://wstg.owasp.org/v4.2/4-Web_Application_Security_Testing/02-Configuration_and_Deployment_Management_Testing/04-Review_Old_Backup_and_Unreferenced_Files_for_Sensitive_Information/)

## Source Code

https://github.com/OpenVAPT/openvapt/blob/574f7f3333c44b75a3c649e2d93a76d507f75adf/internal/checks/web/exposure.go

Run it: `openvapt scan --only WEB-EXP-009`. Read it offline: `openvapt explain WEB-EXP-009`.

---

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