This translation has not been editorially reviewed yet. The German version is authoritative. Deutsche Fassung →
The system's version number: why it doesn't belong on public display
Many systems state their version number unprompted — in a generator meta tag, in file paths, or in a header. The check establishes whether such a value is visible from outside.
- Hiding it isn't a security measure in the strict sense — it closes no hole. But it removes the basis for mass, automated matching: anyone specifically searching for a particular version then won't find your installation through a simple query.
- The effort is small: in most systems, one setting or one line of configuration is enough. What matters is catching every spot — removing the meta tag while leaving the version in the file path achieves nothing.
- This point deliberately carries only 20 of 100 points. It's reconnaissance aid for attackers, not a shortcoming on its own.
