Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference ('XXE')

ID

scala.xxe.scala_xxe_rule_document

Severity

high

Resource

Xxe

Language

Scala

Description

XML External Entity (XXE) attacks can occur when an XML parser supports XML entities while processing XML received from an untrusted source.

Rationale

XML External Entity (XXE) attacks can occur when an XML parser supports XML entities while processing XML received from an untrusted source.

The following code illustrates a vulnerable pattern detected by this rule:

def unsafe1(str: String): Unit = {
  val df = DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance
  df.setFeature(XMLConstants.FEATURE_SECURE_PROCESSING, false)
  val builder = df.newDocumentBuilder
  // VULNERABLE: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference ('XXE')
  builder.parse(str)
}

Remediation

Follow secure coding practices and review the references below for detailed remediation guidance.

Configuration

This detector does not need any configuration.

References