Development tools and frameworks usually have options to make debugging easier for developers. Although these features are useful during development, they should never be enabled for applications deployed in production. Debug instructions or error messages can leak detailed information about the system, like the application’s path or file names.

Ask Yourself Whether

• The code or configuration enabling the application debug features is deployed on production servers or distributed to end users.
• The application runs by default with debug features activated.

There is a risk if you answered yes to any of those questions.

Recommended Secure Coding Practices

Do not enable debugging features on production servers or applications distributed to end users.

Sensitive Code Example

CakePHP 1.x, 2.x:

Configure::write('debug', 1); // Sensitive: development mode
or
Configure::write('debug', 2); // Sensitive: development mode
or
Configure::write('debug', 3); // Sensitive: development mode

CakePHP 3.0:

use Cake\Core\Configure;

Configure::config('debug', true); // Sensitive: development mode

WordPress:

define( 'WP_DEBUG', true ); // Sensitive: development mode

Compliant Solution

CakePHP 1.2:

Configure::write('debug', 0); // Compliant; this is the production mode

CakePHP 3.0:

use Cake\Core\Configure;

Configure::config('debug', false); // Compliant:  "0" or "false" for CakePHP 3.x is suitable (production mode) to not leak sensitive data on the logs.

WordPress:

define( 'WP_DEBUG', false ); // Compliant

See

• OWASP Top 10 2021 Category A5 - Security Misconfiguration
• OWASP Top 10 2017 Category A3 - Sensitive Data Exposure
• MITRE, CWE-489 - Active Debug Code
• MITRE, CWE-215 - Information Exposure Through Debug Information