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XPath Injection

What is XPath Injection?​

XPath injection is a type of security vulnerability that allows attackers to exploit the processing of XPath queries by an application.

This occurs when an application accepts user input and uses it to construct an XPath query without proper validation, allowing attackers to inject malicious code or entities that modify or bypass the intended behavior of the query.

XPath injection can affect various types of applications that use XPath queries, such as web applications, document processing software, or online forms.

Attackers can use various techniques, such as crafted queries or filter values, to inject malicious code or entities into the application.

Check out this video for a high-level explanation:

What is the impact of XPath Injection?​

XPath injection can lead to various security threats and risks, such as:

  • Information disclosure: XPath injection can expose sensitive information, such as user data, login credentials, or other types of confidential information, to unauthorized parties.
  • Unauthorized access: XPath injection can allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to applications, perform unauthorized actions, or modify data.
  • Denial-of-service: XPath injection can cause denial-of-service (DoS) attacks by injecting malicious queries or values that consume system resources, such as CPU or memory, leading to system crashes or slowdowns.

How to prevent XPath Injection?​

To prevent XPath injection, it is important to follow security best practices and implement appropriate security measures, such as:

  • Use input validation: Validate user input to ensure that it is safe and does not contain malicious code or characters that can be used for injection attacks.
  • Use parameterized queries: Use parameterized queries and other secure coding practices to ensure that user input is properly sanitized and not used to construct XPath queries directly.
  • Use secure XPath libraries and frameworks: Use secure XPath libraries and frameworks that support secure XPath queries and provide additional security features, such as input validation and parameterized queries.
  • Limit application access: Limit access to applications to authorized users and restrict access to sensitive information and actions.

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Taxonomies​

Explanation & Prevention​

Training​

Last updated on by Stefan Streichsbier