---
title: "WEB-EXP-012 Framework Debug Pages Exposed"
canonical: https://openvapt.com/checks/WEB-EXP-012.html
html: https://openvapt.com/checks/WEB-EXP-012.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-012 Framework Debug Pages Exposed

Checks for development debug tools and verbose error pages left enabled in production.

- Domain: Web Apps
- Severity: High
- Control category: Information Exposure
- Fix effort: low
- CVSS v3.1 vector: `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N`
- CIS Controls v8: 16.7
- NIST CSF 2.0: PR.PS-01
- CWE: CWE-489, CWE-209
- OWASP Top 10 2021: A05:2021
- OWASP ASVS 4.0.3: 14.3.2, 7.4.1
- OWASP WSTG v4.2: WSTG-ERRH-01, WSTG-CONF-02
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: CM-7, SI-11

## Why It Matters

Debug pages such as the Symfony profiler, Laravel's Whoops/Ignition pages or Django's debug 404 reveal source code, configuration, environment variables and sometimes allow code execution.

## How It Detects

Requests /_profiler/ and a random non-existent path (/openvapt-probe-404-x7q) and looks for framework debug markers (Symfony Profiler, Whoops, Ignition, Django URLconf debug text, Werkzeug debugger).

## How to Fix

Disable debug mode in production (APP_DEBUG=false, DEBUG = False, APP_ENV=prod), remove profiler routes, and show generic error pages.

## How to Verify

```
Re-run this check; no debug pages should be detected.
```

## Learn the Theory

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

## References

- [OWASP WSTG-ERRH-01, Testing for Improper Error Handling](https://wstg.owasp.org/v4.2/4-Web_Application_Security_Testing/08-Testing_for_Error_Handling/01-Testing_For_Improper_Error_Handling/)

## Source Code

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

Run it: `openvapt scan --only WEB-EXP-012`. Read it offline: `openvapt explain WEB-EXP-012`.

---

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