---
title: "WEB-NGX-002 nginx Directory Listing Enabled in Configuration"
canonical: https://openvapt.com/checks/WEB-NGX-002.html
html: https://openvapt.com/checks/WEB-NGX-002.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-NGX-002 nginx Directory Listing Enabled in Configuration

An nginx server or location block sets autoindex on.

- Domain: Web Apps
- Severity: Medium
- 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:L/I:N/A:N`
- CIS Controls v8: 16.7
- NIST CSF 2.0: PR.PS-01
- CWE: CWE-548
- OWASP Top 10 2021: A01:2021, A05:2021
- OWASP ASVS 4.0.3: 4.3.2
- OWASP WSTG v4.2: WSTG-CONF-04
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: CM-7, AC-3
- Benchmark topic: Web server directory listing (topic only, no benchmark text)

## Why It Matters

Directory listings publish every file in a folder, including uploads, backups and scripts that were never linked. The configuration view finds this even for folders the probe check did not request.

## How It Detects

Reads the nginx configuration tree and flags every  autoindex on;  directive. The nginx default is off, so an absent directive passes.

## How to Fix

Remove  autoindex on;  or set  autoindex off;  in that block. Where a listing is really needed, protect the location with auth_basic or an allow list.

## How to Verify

```
nginx -T | grep -n autoindex  should show only off or nothing.
```

## Learn the Theory

- [P18 Web Server Hardening: nginx and Apache](https://openvapt.com/academy/p18.md)

## References

- [nginx documentation, ngx_http_autoindex_module](https://nginx.org/en/docs/http/ngx_http_autoindex_module.html)

## Source Code

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

Run it: `openvapt scan --only WEB-NGX-002`. Read it offline: `openvapt explain WEB-NGX-002`.

---

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