The product accepts XML from an untrusted source but does not validate the XML against the proper schema.
View on MITREMost successful attacks begin with a violation of the programmer's assumptions. By accepting an XML document without validating it against a DTD or XML schema, the programmer leaves a door open for attackers to provide unexpected, unreasonable, or malicious input.
Always validate XML input against a known XML Schema or DTD. It is not possible for an XML parser to validate all aspects of a document's content because a parser cannot understand the complete semantics of the data. However, a parser can do a complete and thorough job of checking the document's structure and therefore guarantee to the code that processes the document that the content is well-formed.
No detection method information available for this CWE.
The following code loads and parses an XML file.
The XML file is loaded without validating it against a known XML Schema or DTD.
The following code creates a DocumentBuilder object to be used in building an XML document.
The DocumentBuilder object does not validate an XML document against a schema, making it possible to create an invalid XML document.
No relationship information available for this CWE.
CWE-112: Missing XML Validation is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product accepts XML from an untrusted source but does not validate the XML against the proper schema. Most successful attacks begin with a violation of the programmer's assumptions. By accepting an XML document without validating it against a DTD or XML schema, the programmer leaves a door open for attackers to provide unexpected, unreasonable, or malicious input.
If exploited, CWE-112 (Missing XML Validation) it can compromise Integrity, leading to outcomes such as Unexpected State.
Recommended mitigations for CWE-112 include: Always validate XML input against a known XML Schema or DTD. It is not possible for an XML parser to validate all aspects of a document's content because a parser cannot understand the complete semantics of the data. However, a parser can do a complete and thorough job of checking the document's structure and therefore guarantee to the code that processes the document that the content is well-formed.
CWE-112 commonly affects Not Language-Specific. Note that weaknesses are often language-agnostic patterns, so secure coding practices apply broadly.
A CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) like CWE-112 describes a category of software weakness — the underlying flaw type. A CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) identifies a specific, real-world vulnerability in a particular product. In short, a CWE is the kind of mistake, and a CVE is an instance of that mistake being found in software.