javascript.express.security.express-xml2json-xxe.express-xml2json-xxe

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Make sure that unverified user data can not reach the XML Parser, as it can result in XML External or Internal Entity (XXE) Processing vulnerabilities

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Defintion

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rules:
  - id: express-xml2json-xxe
    message: Make sure that unverified user data can not reach the XML Parser, as it
      can result in XML External or Internal Entity (XXE) Processing
      vulnerabilities
    metadata:
      owasp:
        - A04:2017 - XML External Entities (XXE)
        - A05:2021 - Security Misconfiguration
      cwe:
        - "CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference"
      asvs:
        section: V5 Validation, Sanitization and Encoding
        control_id: 5.5.2 Insecue XML Deserialization
        control_url: https://github.com/OWASP/ASVS/blob/master/4.0/en/0x13-V5-Validation-Sanitization-Encoding.md#v55-deserialization-prevention
        version: "4"
      category: security
      technology:
        - express
      references:
        - https://www.npmjs.com/package/xml2json
      cwe2022-top25: true
      cwe2021-top25: true
      subcategory:
        - vuln
      likelihood: MEDIUM
      impact: MEDIUM
      confidence: MEDIUM
      license: Commons Clause License Condition v1.0[LGPL-2.1-only]
      vulnerability_class:
        - XML Injection
    languages:
      - javascript
      - typescript
    severity: ERROR
    mode: taint
    pattern-sources:
      - patterns:
          - pattern-either:
              - pattern-inside: function ... ($REQ, $RES) {...}
              - pattern-inside: function ... ($REQ, $RES, $NEXT) {...}
              - patterns:
                  - pattern-either:
                      - pattern-inside: $APP.$METHOD(..., function $FUNC($REQ, $RES) {...})
                      - pattern-inside: $APP.$METHOD(..., function $FUNC($REQ, $RES, $NEXT) {...})
                  - metavariable-regex:
                      metavariable: $METHOD
                      regex: ^(get|post|put|head|delete|options)$
          - pattern-either:
              - pattern: $REQ.query
              - pattern: $REQ.body
              - pattern: $REQ.params
              - pattern: $REQ.cookies
              - pattern: $REQ.headers
              - pattern: $REQ.files.$ANYTHING.data.toString('utf8')
              - pattern: $REQ.files.$ANYTHING['data'].toString('utf8')
      - patterns:
          - pattern-either:
              - pattern-inside: |
                  ({ $REQ }: Request,$RES: Response, $NEXT: NextFunction) =>
                  {...}
              - pattern-inside: |
                  ({ $REQ }: Request,$RES: Response) => {...}
          - focus-metavariable: $REQ
          - pattern-either:
              - pattern: params
              - pattern: query
              - pattern: cookies
              - pattern: headers
              - pattern: body
              - pattern: files.$ANYTHING.data.toString('utf8')
              - pattern: files.$ANYTHING['data'].toString('utf8')
    pattern-sinks:
      - patterns:
          - pattern-either:
              - pattern-inside: |
                  require('xml2json');
                  ...
              - pattern-inside: |
                  import 'xml2json';
                  ...
          - pattern: $EXPAT.toJson($SINK,...)
          - focus-metavariable: $SINK

Examples

express-xml2json-xxe.js

function test1() {
    const express = require('express')
    const xml2json = require('xml2json')
    const app = express()
    const port = 3000

    app.get('/', (req, res) => {
        const xml = req.query.xml
        // ruleid: express-xml2json-xxe
        const content = xml2json.toJson(xml, {coerce: true, object: true});
        res.send(content)
    })

    app.listen(port, () => console.log(`Example app listening at http://localhost:${port}`))
}

function test2() {
    const express = require('express')
    const xml2json = require('xml2json')
    const app = express()
    const port = 3000

    app.get('/', (req, res) => {
        // ruleid: express-xml2json-xxe
        const content = xml2json.toJson(req.body, {coerce: true, object: true});
        res.send(content)
    })

    app.listen(port, () => console.log(`Example app listening at http://localhost:${port}`))
}

function okTest() {
    const express = require('express')
    const xml2json = require('xml2json')
    const app = express()
    const port = 3000

    app.get('/', (req, res) => {
        // ok: express-xml2json-xxe
        const content = expat.toJson(someVerifiedData(), {coerce: true, object: true});
        res.send(content)
    })

    app.listen(port, () => console.log(`Example app listening at http://localhost:${port}`))
}